International Study Programmes
Humanities
Santiago Eder from Colombia
Religious Studies
Why Religious Studies?
I was interested in deepening my knowledge of late Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity, possibly in preparation for a PhD. The Research Master's gave me the flexibility to create my own curriculum.This flexibility and the personal focus that a Research Master offers was very important.
About the programme and the University of Amsterdam
The Faculty is the best in the Netherlands, especially for people interested in my area of specialisation. Now that I have been able to take some courses, and also compare them with those at other Dutch universities, I would say that the approach here is unique in that it ties religion with general ideas on how society and culture develop. The Dutch have a no-nonsense and undogmatic approach. Professors take your views seriously and allow you to think out of the box so to speak. With regards to the UvA, the university buildings are very beautiful and the organisation is excellent.
Would you recommend this MA programme to other students?
The Faculty is great, small and personalised, yet at the same time has the library of a large university. If the courses you like are not being offered, you can see if you can get a tutorial. Most professors seem willing to go out of their way.