Program and courses Christianity and Society

Analyze and reflect on current theological and societal issues in these multidisciplinary contexts, by high-level philosophical questioning, debating and writing clear academic papers.

Program structure

This one-year program consists of 60 credits (ECTS), of which:

7 courses (42 ECTS)
Master’s thesis, including seminar (18 ECTS)

Classes start at the end of August. This Master’s program can be taken part-time (EU only), which will take two years.

Program content

Courses

You will follow these seven courses (42 ECTS in total):

Full-time program

Fall semester (End of August – January)

Christian Theology: Fundamental Issues and Contemporary Questions
Catholic Social Thought in Contemporary Society
Sources and History of Social Thought
Christianity in Dialogue with the Economic World
Research and Hermeneutics

Spring semester (End of January – June)

Christianity in Dialogue with the World Religions
Christianity in Dialogue with Contemporary Politics, Government and Law
Thesis phase (see below, ‘Master’s thesis, including seminar’).

You have the option of swapping one 'In Dialogue' course for an MA elective of your choice.

Part-time program

Fall semester (year 1) (End of August – January)

Christian Theology: Fundamental Issues and Contemporary Questions
Catholic Social Thought in Contemporary Society
Sources and History of Social Thought

Spring semester (year 1) (End of January – June)

Christianity in Dialogue with the World Religions
Christianity in Dialogue with Contemporary Politics, Government and Law

Fall semester (year 2) (End of August – January)

Christianity in Dialogue with the Economic World
Research and Hermeneutics

You have the option of swapping one 'In Dialogue' course for an MA elective of your choice.

Spring semester (year 2) (End of January – June)

Thesis phase (see below, ‘Master’s thesis, including seminar’).

Master's thesis, including seminar

Your Master’s thesis phase consists of the following two parts of 18 ECTS in total:

Thesis Seminar Christianity and Society (preparation for your Master's thesis)
Thesis Master Christianity and Society

Examples of Master's thesis subjects are:

Charity, Prudence and Dignity: Roman Catholic and Lutheran Perspectives
on the Refugee Crisis
An Evaluation of the Role of Religion in the Democratic Quest for a Secular State in Nigeria
Church and Gender in the First Three Centuries

You will find a detailed description of the courses and required literature in our course catalog.

Go to the course descriptions

Please Note: programs are subject to change. We advise you to look up the current program in Osiris Student at the start of the year.

Extend your master with an internship

You can also apply for an Extended Master's Program. An Extended Master's Program adds an extra semester to your regular Master’s program during which you get the chance to gain relevant work and research experience and enhance your professional skills or academic knowledge.

Extended Master's Program: internship (+6 months)

This internship in the Master’s program in Christianity and Society is a research internship in the context of the Master’s thesis. The research question must be practice-oriented and designed in such a way that the results of the research will benefit the internship provider.
The research question of the thesis must comply with the final attainment goals that have been set for the Master’s thesis.

After completing the Extended Master's Program succesfully, you will receive an Extended Master's Certificate.

Short overview of the Extended Master's Program in practice

The workload of the research internship is equivalent to 30 ECTS. Twice a month you will meet the internship supervisor for a feedback/coaching session.

Are you a full time student?
Your internship should consist of two days (16 hours) a week in the second semester, and two and a half days (20 hours) a week in the third semester. The rest of the week, students follow courses and write their internship report and master’s thesis.
Are you a part time student?
You will start your internship in March/April of their second year. You will only have courses on Wednesdays. The duration of your internship will be 12 months.

An Extended Master's Program provides you with several benefits:

Gain work experience within a professional field relevant to the Master Christianity and Society, which gives you a competitive edge in the labor market.
During coaching sessions we will encourage your professional development: you will learn to reflect on your preferences, strengths and there is plenty of room for self-improvement.
Expand your professional network: the Extended Master's Program will provide you with a good connection to the labor market. An overview of Extended Master's Program partners will soon be available.

Admission and application

You cannot directly apply for the Extended Master's Program. You will have to be enrolled in the Master’s program in Christianity and Society to apply for the option.
At the start of the Master’s program in Christianity and Society (early September) the option for the Extended Master's Program will be introduced during an information meeting on September 24th. In this meeting you will receive all information on the application procedure, application deadline, and the structure of the program and traineeship to enable you to choose for this Extended Master's Program or for the regular Master’s program in Christianity and Society.

For more information about the Extended Master's Program Christianity and Society, please contact Melanie Broos via e-mail at M.E.Broos@uvt.nl.

Short overview of the Christianity and Society program

Taught by theologians, sociologists, economists, law specialists, and philosophers.
Small classes (on average 5-10 students) with a lot of individual attention and personal contact with fellow students and teachers.
International classroom with students from various countries, religions, and academic backgrounds, ensuring a lively and balanced dialogue.
Lower tuition fees than other Master’s programs at Tilburg University.
Partial scholarships are available to encourage students from all economic backgrounds to participate in this graduate program.

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Interested in the MA Christianity and Society?

Check your eligibility and the deadlines for application

Application and admission

Related Dutch Master’s programs:

Theologie
Universitaire Lerarenopleiding Godsdienst en Levensbeschouwing (in Dutch)

Program and courses Christianity and Society

Program structure

Program content

You will follow these seven courses (42 ECTS in total):

Full-time program

Part-time program

Extend your master with an internship

Short overview of the Extended Master's Program in practice

An Extended Master's Program provides you with several benefits:

Admission and application

Short overview of the Christianity and Society program

Personalized brochure

Interested in the MA Christianity and Society?

Related Dutch Master’s programs:

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