The core curriculum will be taught in English. Participants can choose to write their exams, semester papers, and Master's theses in either English or German.
Students from abroad who are unable to understand German should study German before and during their studies so that they can benefit from additional courses that may be taught in German.
Please note that this is not an online MA programme, so we expect you to be present in Erfurt. Nevertheless, some of our seminars may be taught online. For details, please contact the programme adviser in advance.
The application period for the following winter semester starts on 1 January and ends on 15 July. Applications will be continually processed during this period.
Please note that because of time-consuming visa application procedures, an early application is strongly recommended for international applicants from abroad!
The Master's in Religious Studies provides the opportunity to study the plurality of religious traditions in Europe in past and present. The programme combines methodological tools from history, religious studies and cultural studies to analyse the role of religion in Europe's complex and pluralistic societies as well as their global entanglements from a postcolonial perspective. It is possible to focus on General Religious Studies, Jewish Studies, Islamic Studies or the Cultural History of Orthodox Christianity. Each major is represented by a professor and a team of young researchers. The Department of Religious Studies is part of the research area of Religion – Society – Self-World Relations at the University of Erfurt.
Further information about the department:
Department of Religious Studies of the University of Erfurt
The Religious Studies Master's programme combines an in-depth study of a chosen major with additional modules focusing on religious pluralism in historical and modern societies and on religion in complex societies, past and present. From the beginning, students choose from one of the following specialisations:
Two modules of 21 ECTS each must be attended in this major field. Additionally, students choose three different modules on the subject of Religion in Complex Societies, each of which comprises nine ECTS, and one module on Religious Pluralism (21 ECTS). The fourth semester will be devoted to the Master’s thesis (30 ECTS). The topic of the Master's thesis centres on the major field of study.
It is advisable and possible to spend one semester abroad. There are several university partnerships with European countries. Individual consultations will be offered by the programme staff.
The semester contribution (approx. 270 EUR per semester) includes the semester ticket, which enables travel free of charge on all local public transport in and around Erfurt.
Living costs are currently estimated by the authorities to be 934 EUR per month (11,208 EUR per year as of 1 January 2023). You must provide relevant proof to the authorities that this amount of money will be available to you during your stay in Germany. Detailed information on finances is provided on the website of the DAAD and the website of the International Office of the University of Erfurt.
The prerequisite for admission to the programme is a relevant Bachelor's degree in one of the following areas: Religious Studies, History, Theology, Cultural Studies, Literature or Humanities in general. If you are unsure whether your degree is within the framework of the accepted academic degrees, please send an e-mail to the programme adviser(s).
Excellent English proficiency is required to follow the programme successfully:
Equally accepted standards are:
Moreover, each specialisation requires reading proficiency in at least one additional relevant language. Relevant languages include (but are not limited to):
If you are unsure about the language requirements and/or certificates, please send an e-mail to the programme adviser(s).
The application period for the following winter semester starts on 1 January and ends on 15 July. Applications will be continually processed during this period.
Please note that because of time-consuming visa application procedures, an early application is strongly recommended for international applicants from abroad!
Applications are to be submitted via an online portal:
Online Application University of Erfurt
Legal Regulations
International students who are staying in Erfurt for at least two semesters are legally allowed to work up to 120 full days or 240 half days per year, mainly during the semester break. The authorisation is provided directly by the Foreigners' Registration Authority, so you do not need a work permit from the job centre. If you have received a scholarship for your studies and want to earn extra money during your stay in Erfurt, you will need permission from the body, providing you with the scholarship. You do not need permission for a job as a student assistant at the university.
For further information, see "General Information for Studying and Living in Erfurt", which is provided by the International Office of the University of Erfurt.
Portrait
The University of Erfurt is a campus university with more than 100 chairs and nearly 6,000 students. The reform university for the arts and humanities with a particular focus on cultural and social sciences offers an inspiring atmosphere for studying and conducting academic work. The close ties between the Faculty of Humanities; Faculty of Education; Faculty of Economics, Law, and Social Sciences; Faculty of Catholic Theology; and the Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies help the university as a whole to forge new paths in teaching and research.
Forward-looking academic programmes that combine subject-specific knowledge and professionalisms, modern forms of teacher training, and the interdisciplinary general education programme are particular distinctions of the University of Erfurt. Our mentoring programme and excellent student-faculty ratio guarantee high-quality education. Refounded in 1994, the University of Erfurt is one of the youngest public universities in Germany. It stands out for not charging tuition fees and for having a certified family-friendly policy.
The campus is close to Erfurt’s city centre, making the University of Erfurt a lively part of the Thuringian capital with its low costs of living and its wide range of cultural and recreational activities.
Research
The University of Erfurt has a unique academic profile with a focus on the cultural and social sciences. This is reflected both in its research activities and its core subject clusters: "Education, School, and Behaviour", "Religion, Society, and World Relations", and "Knowledge, Spaces, and Media".
The university is committed to tackling the major social challenges of our time. It is committed to international academic collaboration and global participation in the pursuit of knowledge and science. It sets new standards in basic research and endeavours to share its academic insights with the wider society. Its four faculties, the Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies, and the research facilities in Gotha all contribute their diverse structures and purposes to the overall concept to facilitate interdisciplinary, international and collaborative research. The university highly values academic freedom and support for young academics. In 2018, it established the Christoph Martin Wieland Graduates’ Forum as a service structure for early-career researchers.
The City of Erfurt
A whole host of unique characteristics make Erfurt what it is. As one of the oldest cities in Central Germany, it looks back on a long history spanning more than 1,250 eventful years. Its fortunate location at the crossroads of many European trading routes allowed the city to grow into an economical, political, cultural and intellectual hub at a very early stage. Many important persons helped to write the history of Erfurt: Martin Luther, Ulrich von Hutten, Adam Ries, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller and Wilhelm von Humboldt are just a few.
Erfurt is situated at the centre of Germany, conveniently accessible from all corners of the country. It is two hours away from Frankfurt/Main, a little under two hours from Berlin, two and a half hours from Munich and just 40 minutes from Leipzig on the high-speed ICE train. Weimar, Jena, Gotha and Eisenach — cities that are famous far beyond the national borders of Germany — are a mere stone’s throw away. Even the Thuringian Forest, just 30 kilometres from Erfurt, is within easy reach.
With a population of 210,000 people, Erfurt is a student town that boasts a great atmosphere and plenty of character. Students of the university and the university of applied sciences get to enjoy a well-preserved medieval old town with lovingly restored patrician townhouses, picturesque alleys and cobbled squares. The charm of the student metropolis of the Middle Ages still reverberates in the Andreasviertel district and the university quarter, home to Collegium Maius (the reconstructed main building of the old university), the international guest house on Michaelisstraße and the student dormitories on Kreuzsand.
Cosy cafés, pubs, parks, museums, art galleries and the new, modern opera shape the cultural landscape of the city. Erfurt is also an administrative centre and media hub at the heart of Germany. Over the course of the past years, the city’s old freight yard has been turned into a creative venue that hosts innovative live shows and other events.
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