Religious Studies Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Courses are held in English.

Religious Studies is an academic discipline of its own. It aims to scientifically understand and explain religions around the world both in past and present times.

Religious Studies is not theology, even though it is often mistaken for it. There often appears to be a fundamental misunderstanding about what Religious Studies is as a discipline. Like theology, it focuses on religion – but it does so without any religious convictions and applies different methods and research questions. Religious Studies focuses on the human and social dimension of religions. This academic discipline is not about proving the existence of god(s) and other transcendent beings or detecting and proclaiming the one and only true religion. Religious Studies is about a social-scientific understanding of religions.

In German, this discipline is called "Religionswissenschaft". This literally means the "science of religion". The objects of its research are empirical data obtained by a variety of academic approaches. Humanities, social sciences and even natural sciences provide methodological tools used in the Religious Studies research.

Religious Studies deals with religion as a social fact and part of human interaction. People believe (or do not believe) in a realm beyond themselves and perform certain practices according to what they believe. These beliefs affect the social world; conversely, people’s social environment also affects what they believe (or do not) and how they act. Therefore, the focus of Religious Studies is on the rituals, communities, politics, ideas, materials and techniques that form religions. It is the understanding of religion as a social fact – both in past and present – that makes it observable from a social-scientific perspective.

At the Center for Religious Studies (CERES), Religious Studies is practised from an interdisciplinary perspective. Many disciplines contribute to this, each with its respective expertise, theories, and methods. These disciplines include History, Philology, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Art History, Political Science, Economics and more. All of these help expand our knowledge and understanding of religion as a social fact. Accordingly, researchers at CERES have very different disciplinary backgrounds, and the MA programme of CERES warmly invites graduate students from various disciplines to apply.

For the winter semester: 15 July
For the summer semester: 15 January

In principle, there are no tuition fees at RUB. However, there are a few exceptions. Therefore, please inform yourself in advance about any additional costs for the degree programme you are interested in.

The MA programme in Religious Studies is designed with a four-semester or two-year duration of study. It can either be studied as one-major or a two-major MA. Students from abroad will more likely opt for the one-major option. If you are interested in the two-major option, please consider that the other major of your programme may only be taught in German, which will require proficient German language skills for enrolment.

Learn more about the options for your second major subject.

The MA programme of Religious Studies consists of four separate areas:

• Theories, Comparison and Methods in the Study of Religion (two modules)
• History of Religion (three elective modules, two of which must be chosen)
• Applied Study of Religion (two modules, one of which must be chosen)
• Complementary courses

Varied

In principle, there are no tuition fees at RUB. However, there are a few exceptions. Therefore, please inform yourself in advance about any additional costs for the degree programme you are interested in.

Students have to pay a social contribution fee of approx. 330 EUR per semester, including a semester ticket covering public transport in Germany (https://studium.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/en/re-registration-and-social-contribution).

Minimum of 950 EUR per month to cover personal and living expenses in Germany

All persons that have a sincere scientific interest in the study of religions are welcome to apply for the MA programme in Religious Studies offered by CERES. There are some general and specific requirements and criteria that have to be met in order to be accepted.

General Requirements

The main requirement for being accepted to any MA programme of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum as a graduate student is at least a BA degree or equivalent.

All students must present the original certificate of their current academic degree in order to enrol at Ruhr-Universität Bochum.

Admission for International Students from Non-EU Countries

Certificates of universities or other institutions of higher education from non-EU countries may be subject of approval. For further information, please check the websites of the International Office of Ruhr-Universität Bochum.

Specific Requirements

BA Degree in Religious Studies or Similar Subject

As mentioned above, the main requirement for being accepted as a graduate student is at least a BA degree or equivalent. The degree should prove a minimum of three years of university study in Religious Studies or a related discipline. Graduates of other MA programmes may also apply for the CERES programme.

Basic Knowledge in Theories

In order to maintain an academically advanced course level, all future graduate students are required to have a basic knowledge in theories and methods in the study of religion. According to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), this should account for 12 credit points in undergraduate studies or equivalent.

All applicants without knowledge of Religious Studies or the social sciences can prepare themselves by using the CERES online learning platform with an oral exam based on a Skype interview beforehand. Otherwise, it is advised to take courses in Religious Studies or related disciplines at the home university or at the CERES programme for BA students in Bochum. The latter, however, is only offered in German.

Basic Knowledge in History of Religions

Applicants shall prove some basic knowledge in the history of religion or in at least one religious tradition – to an amount of 15 credit points. This knowledge should correspond to the desired specialisation in religious traditions, regions, and historical periods chosen while a graduate student at CERES.

In the likely case that you do not meet all the requirements, we grant access to our graduate programme if you need not more than 15 credit points according to ECTS to catch up on them. Otherwise, you can prepare yourself by taking part in our e-learning courses to catch up with knowledge on theories and methods in the study of religions or by taking courses at your home university relevant to fulfil the requirements. If you don't think that you have fulfilled all the requirements but are interested in studying at CERES, please contact the Dean of Students, Dr Jens Schlamelcher.

English:
TOEFL test with 550 points in the paper-based test, 88 points in the Internet-based test or 230 points in the computer-based test – CPE (grades A - C) - CAE (grades A - C) - IELTS (bands 9 - 6)

Since every graduate student in the MA programme specialises in a certain religion and/or region, it is strongly advisable to have basic skills in a relevant language. Ideally, the student is able to demonstrate skills in a source language relevant for a religious tradition that is covered by the programme.

• Ancient religions: Ancient oriental languages such as Sumerian, Akkadian, Hebrew, Ancient Greek, Latin
• West Asian religions: Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Hebrew
• South & Central Asian religions: Sanskrit, Tibetan
• Eastern Asian religions: Tibetan, Chinese, Korean, Japanese

For the winter semester: 15 July
For the summer semester: 15 January

Students with outstanding academic performance who are involved in special social activities can receive 300 EUR per month for a year from the Ruhr-Universität Scholarship Fund “Deutschlandstipendium”: http://www.rub.de/bildungsfonds/info-studierende/en/index_en.html.

International students with good to very good academic performance who need financial support during the final phase of study can receive a graduation grant of 400 EUR per month for four months from the International Office at RUB: https://international.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/en/graduation-grant-international-students.

In the city of Bochum, you can find different types of accommodation. On average, students in Bochum pay approximately 350 to 600 EUR per month for a single apartment, which is below the average rent in Germany. A room in a shared apartment is usually less expensive.

About 5,000 students in Bochum live in multiple student halls close to the campus, which are run by the Akademisches Förderungswerk (AKAFÖ). In the halls, students have their own single room and share a kitchen and bathroom with other students, they rent an apartment with a private bathroom and kitchen, or they share an apartment with one or several flatmates. 

More information on the student halls can be found at https://studium.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/de/wohnen.

In addition, private and church-affiliated student halls accommodate up to 1,000 students: http://www.stuwo.de/wohnheim-region/bochum/.