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Programme description - Master’s degree programme in Religious Studies
Degree
The Master’s degree programme in Religious Studies leads to a Master of Philosophy in Religious Studies. Duration of the programme is 2 years (120 ECTS credits).
Programme responsibility
The Department of Religious Studies – the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tromsø
Language of instruction
Norwegian
Application deadline: 15. April
Programme description
Through this programme of master’s degree study, student will obtain a broad competence in Religious Studies research and the use of theoretical and methodologist approaches in this discipline. By means of more specialized teaching and work on a master’s dissertation, students will develop a self-sufficient approach to the historic sources of religions and academic religious depictions.
The course has two main areas of study: Religious Studies and Theology.
In the general area of study, specialist options may be chosen within one of several study fields of religion.
In addition to the general study option, specializing in Christianity, there is also a master’s degree alternative in Theology that, together with practical ministry training, offers the equivalent to vocational studies in Theology.
Competence objectives
The course of study qualifies students for admission to doctoral training in Religious Studies.
The course also qualifies students to teach at videregående (further education) level, together with work in research, museum work and in posts requiring a knowledge of multicultural affairs, e.g. within international organizations, development work, mass media and administration.
The separate course of study in Theology may be combined with practical ministry training at the Kirkelig Utdanningssenter i Nord (60 study points), which provides training for church positions, primarily those of minister and catechist. This expansion of the master’s degree offers full equivalence to the status of cand. theol. (graduate in Theology).
Admission requirements
The requirement for admission to master’s degree studies in Religious Studies is a completed bachelor degree with a minimum of 90 study points in Religious Studies, of which 30 points music be at 2000-level. The Religious Studies components of the bachelor degree must have been awarded a grade C or above.
The course of study in Theology is an adaptation of the master’s degree studies with a view to ministry in The Norwegian Church. For admission to this course of study, students must have completed the course of study in Theology at bachelor degree level at the Department of Religious Studies, with a minimum of 120 compulsory study points awarded at grade C or above, or have equivalent qualifications from other institutes of education.
Subject organization
Compulsory subjects for the general course of study in Religious Studies:
Alternating subject options for the general course of study in Religious Studies (each worth 10 study points):
Compulsory subjects for the course of study in Theology:
Student exchange
Alternative optional subject / study abroad in the first and second semesters.
Teaching and examination procedures
Teaching: a combination of lectures, seminars and individual supervision. Examination: a home-based examination, essays/seminar contributions and lecture presentations in a portfolio combination.
For options worth 20 study points, an essay will be written over 14 days, approx. 15 pages long (5,250 words), based on an allocated text. No oral examination. The work will be assessed by academic teachers and an external examiner. Subject assessment of REL-3005 and REL-3006 is based on the seminar work. Assessment of REL-3052, “Project planning with literature portfolio” is based on the supervisor’s approval of the project description for the master’s dissertation and reading literature within the field.
For options worth 10 study points, an essay will be written over 7 days, approx. 7 pages long (2,450 words), based on an allocated text. No oral examination. Assessed by two academic teachers.
The students participate in the work on their master’s dissertation in the project seminar, where the project description and parts of the master’s dissertation are presented. The examination committee will award a provisional grade, based on the master’s dissertation. The oral examination may serve to adjust the grade for the written work. For the course of study in Theology, the examination consists of a completed master’s dissertation, which will be awarded a provisional grade, followed by an oral examination. The oral examination may affect the dissertation grade.
Subjects from other disciplines (supporting subjects) will have a variety of teaching and examination procedures, such as lectures, seminars and discussion groups, and essays, portfolio assessments and invigilated examinations.
Resit examination procedures will be discussed separately in the individual course plans.
Grades are awarded on a scale A-F, where F is a fail, or on the basis of pass/fail (REL-3052)
Study progression
A: General course of study
Example of a course of study:
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10 study points |
10 study points |
10 study points |
| 1st semester |
REL-3050 Theory of Social Science |
Optional subject / study abroad |
| 2nd semester |
Optional subject / study abroad |
REL-3052 Project planning and literature portfolio |
| 3rd semester |
REL-3900 Master’s degree dissertation |
| 4th semester |
Master’s degree dissertation |
The studies begin with a compulsory course in Theory of Social Science (20 study points). The optional subjects alternate. REL-3004 (open subject) gives the institute’s academic staff the possibility of presenting ongoing research. The master’s dissertation for the general course of study is worth 60 study points (60-85 pages). Project planning must be undertaken before the writing of the dissertation. The preparation of the master’s project constitutes a subject in its own right, REL-3052 (20 study points), which also includes a literature portfolio linked to the following areas:
- Christianity
- Arctic/Sami/Northern Norwegian religion and culture
- Norse religion
- Middle Eastern religions
- East Asian religions
- New Age religion
- India’s religions
- Religion and Politics
B: Course of study in Theology
In addition to the course in Theory of Social Science (10 study points), the studies include 20 study points in each of the four classical theological disciplines: the Old Testament, the New Testament, church history and systematic theology. The master’s dissertation is worth 30 study points (30-45 pages). But since the dissertation is linked to one of these four disciplines, the specialist element amounts to 50 study points altogether.
The institutions that are authorized to award the cand. theol. degree are exempt from the requirement to accommodate the studies within the master’s degree programme. The theological studies are prescribed for six years, including practical church training (60 study points). The Department for Religious Studies’ course of study in Theology begins with the requirements of a master’s degree and assumes the requirements of vocational studies in Theology, minus the practical-theological component. In order for students who are aiming for a ministerial career to be able to integrate sections of the practical-theological training in the course of their academic studies, we recommend students to take the practical-ecclesiastical course, worth 30 study points, at Kirkelig Utdanningssenter i Nord, or a comparable training institution, between completing their bachelor degree and starting their master’s degree. The final 30 study points within the practical-ecclesiastical training, which are required for a ministerial career, may be taken when the master’s examinations have been completed. For those who wish to do so, this entire study component may be taken after the master’s degree has been completed.
Example of a course of study:
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10 study points |
10 study points |
10 study points |
| 1st semester |
REL-3051 Theory of Social Science |
REL-3005 The Old Testament |
| 2nd semester |
REL-3006 The New Testament |
REL-3007 Church History |
| 3rd semester |
REL-3007 Church History (cont’d) |
REL-3008 Systematic Theology |
| 4th semester |
REL-3901 Master’s degree dissertation |
Programme coordinator
The Programme Board.
Language
Norwegian. However, it is possible to apply the department in good time before semester-start for lecturing and/or individual tutoring in English.
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