Religious Studies (Research MA)
Application and admission
Religious Studies (research)
A university Bachelor’s diploma
The Research Master’s in Religious Studies is open to all students with a Bachelor’s diploma from the UvA, or a recognised equivalent from another accredited university in:
- Religious Studies
Or a university Bachelor’s diploma in:
- The Humanities*
- The Social Sciences*
- Law*
*Only if you successfully followed courses in Religious Studies worth 30 ECTS-credits.
The level of the Bachelor diploma from a foreign higher education institution must be equal to three years of Dutch university education (to be judged by the Examinations Board).
Other Bachelor’s diploma
Prospective students with Bachelor’s degrees (university) other than those mentioned above can nonetheless apply for admission to the programme. The Examinations Board will in such cases take a look at the content of the prospective student’s Bachelor programme, his/her study results and general motivation.
Application process
Students interested in following the Research Master’s programme Religious Studies should make sure to apply via the online registration system before 1 April and upload all of the requested documents.
For more information about the registration process please follow the link provided below.
English language requirements
All non-native English speakers applying for an English taught MA programme are required to demonstrate sufficient proficiency in English before their admission and registration can be finalised.
Students must be able to read textbooks, understand lectures, take part in classroom discussions and write at an academic level in English.
Students with a BA degree completed in the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand are exempted from submitting an English language test.
UvA Bachelor's students who have completed the courses Academic English with a grade of 7.0 or higher are also exempted from taking a language test.
All other applicants must submit one of the following tests. No other tests are accepted. For contact information regarding these tests, please visit the websites of the relevant examiners.
- The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) - Academic
Students are required to have a score of at least 7.0 for the separate components of the test.
Original test scores should be sent either by IELTS directly or by the student to the admissions Office of the Graduate School for Humanities.
UvA Bachelor's students can take the IELTS test free of charge by contacting Student Services (see the link below).
- Cambridge International Examination
Students can also take the Certificate in Advanced English Exam (CAE) or the Certificate of Proficiency in English Exam (CPE).
The required minimum scores are:
A for the Certificate in Advanced English, or
B for the Certificate of Proficiency in English.
Original scores should be sent either by Cambridge Examinations or by the student to the Admissions Office of the Graduate School for Humanities.
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - International Test
The Graduate School for Humanities only accepts the Internet-based International test. Students are required to have a score of at least 100, with a minimum of 22 for the separate components of the test.
Students should apply for a TOEFL test with ETS (link below). The institution code for the Graduate School for Humanities is 7247 (U Amsterdam Grad Humanities). Original scores should be sent either by ETS or by the student to the Admissions Office of the Graduate School for Humanities.
Chinese applicants are recommended to do the IELTS (academic) language test in order to apply for the NESO Certificate (see: how to apply / applicants from China).
Selection process
Religious Studies is a research programme, which means that it is meant for students with strong academic interests. This is the principle reason why the UvA decides to follow a selection process. During the process, the university’s selections committee scrutinises the content of a student’s Bachelor programme, his/her study results (for research programmes an average grade of 7.5 is mandatory), Bachelor thesis and general motivation. Once admitted, students are given leeway to determine their own research trajectories.