Theology BA

Program  content

The program covers various fields from biblical sciences to spirituality, and you become competent in reflecting from various disciplines such as history, philosophy, literature and social sciences. This variety of perspectives helps you to approach a topic from different angles, to reason logically and to write creatively. You learn to understand existential issues and questions about the meaning of life, the forming of identity, traditions and values both in the past and present.

• In the first year of Theology, you will get an overview of the major fields of study within theology, their similarities and differences. You will also receive an introduction into the languages of Greek and Hebrew.
• In the second year, you will delve deeper into the various theological disciplines. You continue learning Greek and Hebrew, but now Latin is added. You can choose a number of free electives that meet your personal academic interest.
• The third year also focuses on deepening your theological knowledge. You finish your bachelor with choosing a subject that has appealed to you the most and writing a bachelor thesis about it. This will test your writing and research skills that you have acquired in the past 2.5 years. In addition, you can enrich your studies by taking courses abroad. The School of Catholic Theology has various destinations that you can sign up to and most have grants.

Typical courses are:

• Comparative Religion
  Learn the foundations of three great world religions: Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism and learn to discuss a topic in religious sciences.
• Biblical Hebrew, Greek and Latin 
  Learn to read the Bible and other texts in their original languages: Hebrew, Greek and Latin.
• Systematic Philosophy
  Identify, understand, and systematically reflect on fundamental philosophical questions, e.g. free will, by analysing texts. The course pays special attention to the relationship between philosophical problems and Christian religion and theology.

Theology in part-time

Interested in Theology but not in full-time? You can also study Theology on a part-time basis, enabling you to combine your studies more easily with a job or your personal life. Theology as a part-time study program entails:

• a 5-year program 
• If you already have a bachelor's degree, you are eligible for the part-time bachelor's degree in Theology (147 ECTS), which you can complete in four years, regardless of your previous studies
• an average of 20-24 hours of study a week, including lectures
• courses are combined with full-time students
• in English in Tilburg and in Dutch in Utrecht

Want to learn more about your options for studying Theology part-time? Then make an appointment with the student advisor via bureautst@tilburguniversity.edu

More on the program and courses

Study Theology in Tilburg

• Theology deals with very fundamental questions: how does faith give meaning to people’s lives? How are universal values such as tolerance and justice determined? That is why theology offers you a great opportunity for developing and enriching your character and personality. You will learn to cope with dilemma’s, and you are challenged to determine for yourself what really matters in life.
• The bachelor's program of Theology receives high overall ratings from its students
• Become part of a small, friendly and strong community. You share your classroom with people from different countries, denominations, age and life-experience.
• The school has a personal atmosphere where students and professors help each other and where there’s always room for (extra) counseling and conversation.
• The only Catholic theology bachelor in the Netherlands. The Tilburg School of Catholic Theology has been granted permission by the Holy See to deliver canonical degrees, which is important if you have the ambition to work in the Catholic church.

What to expect when coming to Tilburg

• Why Tilburg University?
• International student support
• Study in Holland

Beyond your Bachelor: Extracurricular Activities

• Join one of our student organizations. A great way to meet like-minded students and make friends.
• Challenge yourself by participating in one of the programs of excellence.

View all extracurricular activities

Pursue a Master's degree

When you have finished your Bachelor, you are an expert in existential questions and in cultural and religious diversity. With this Bachelor’s degree you can apply for admission to a Master's program at Tilburg University. The BA Theology gives you direct admission to the following Master’s programs:

• The 1-year Master's program Christianity and Society
• The 2-years Master’s program Religious Education (Dutch taught)
• The 3-years Master’s program in Theology (Dutch taught)

More in formation about the applicable Master's programs

Career prospects

With a degree in theology there’s plenty of impactful jobs to choose from. Theology graduates are employed in a variety of professions:

• Policy and consultancy for government, church organizations, cultural institutions, NGOs and businesses
• Education
• Advice and support in spiritual care, coaching and ritual counselling
• Journalism

 More on your career prospects

Please follow the national application and admission procedure (in Dutch) if you are applying based on a Dutch vwo or hbo-p diploma, regardless of your nationality. A general description of the national application procedure is also available in English.

Admission requirements

• To be eligible for admission to a research university such as Tilburg University, you must have a high school diploma equal to the highest level of secondary education in the Netherlands (the Dutch vwo diploma).
• As this Bachelor’s program is taught entirely in English, you must prove your English language proficiency. 

You can find more detailed information about the admission requirements on this program's 'Application and admission' page.

Go to application and admission

Related Bachelor's programs

• Psychology
• Philosophy (Dutch program)
• Liberal Arts and Sciences