Anthropology of Religion and Culture
What if you could see the world from different perspectives? What can we learn from cultural differences? How can these insights contribute to understanding local, regional and global challenges?
In a world of religious and cultural diversity, understanding cultural differences is key to addressing challenges like migration and climate change. This MA trains you to study various lifeworlds in all their complexity. You will explore how religion and culture shape societies, and how everyday practices - from food to sexuality and religion - are embedded in broader cultural contexts. In doing so, you not only gain deeper insight into others, but also into yourself.
This MA programme in the anthropology of religion (ARC) is unique in the Netherlands, and it is characterised by its holistic, comparative and ethnographic approach:
- Holistic: it investigates themes as they are embedded within the totality of local lifeworlds.
- Comparative: you trace and understand similarities and differences across cultures.
- Ethnographic: through fieldwork you get insight into the complex worlds of the people living them. The ethnographic hands-on experience is an integral part of the programme.
You also critically reflect on the 'traditional' anthropological method itself (i.e. from 'global north' to 'global south').
Anthropology challenges you by making the strange familiar, and the familiar strange.
Cambridge C1/CAE or Cambridge C2/CPE certificate with a min. score of 180.
IELTS Academic: overall score 6.5 (min. 6.0 in all categories)
TOEFL iBT*: overall score 90 (min. 18 in Reading and Listening, 20 in Speaking, 21 in Writing)
TOEFL iBT*: overall score 4.5 (min. 4 in Reading, Listening, and Speaking, 4.5 in Writing
Please note: a Bachelor's degree in Socio-Cultural Anthropology is not a necessary entry requirement to this MA programme.
Enrollment in the MA is possible if you hold a Bachelor's degree in Religious Studies, Arts/Humanities, Philosophy, Theology, Socio-Cultural Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, Spatial Sciences (specialization Cultural Geography) or other Social Sciences. A reading package will be provided in advance. At the start of the programme, we assume that you are aware of the concepts and theoretical discussions outlined in this literature.
If you have completed a Bachelor's degree other than in one of the disciplines described above, you still have direct access to the MA if you:
- have completed the university minor Anthropology, Religion in the Modern World, Art and Religion, or Climate Change and Inequality; or
- can demonstrate the completion of 30 ETCS worth of subjects in your previous degree programme that have introduced you to one of the following disciplines: Sociocultural Anthropology, Non-Western Anthropology, or Medical Anthropology.
Students can also be admitted via a pre-master's programme.
A selection of previous education programmes is shown below under 'Transfer options'. However, this list is not complete. If your study programme is not listed, this does not automatically mean that you will not be admitted to the Master's programme. In case of doubts or questions, feel free to contact the study advisor: studyadvice.rcs@rug.nl
Job prospects
- PhD research:
If research is your passion, you can continue with a PhD trajectory. You may want to consider switching to the 2-year Research Master but also the 1-year MA will prepare you for pursuing this track.
- Education / teaching:
If you wish to become a teacher of religion in secondary education you can additionally follow the Educational Master's programme. This programme is taught in Dutch.
- Beyond academia:
1. Cultural sector: journalism, museums, film-making, (other media)
2. Civil Society: NGOs, FBOs, international organizations, consultancy
3. Government: ministry, policy making
4. Health: Public health organizations
