Religious Studies: World Religions in the Past and Present

What exactly is a religion? How are its dynamics? And what are its views on peace, liberty and righteousness? If you are interested in these questions, this is the programme for you!

Symbols of world religions

Image: Barbara Mack/Pixabay

Key facts

Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Supplement to degree: major in a multi-subject bachelor’s programme
Admission restriction: without admission restriction (without NC)
Duration: 6 Semesters
Credits/ECTS: 120
Teaching language: German
Tuition fee: None
Semester contribution: € 272,65
Start of studies: Winter semester
Part-time possible: Yes
Institutions: Faculty of Theology de; Institute for Religious Studies

Application & Deadlines

Programme content

More than just gods, spirits and higher beings!

The world’s religions play a role in our everyday lives, sometimes through obvious symbols like crosses, kippahs and hijabs, but sometimes more inconspicuously through customs and ways of thinking.

The bachelor’s programme in ‘Religious Studies’ mainly focuses on the five major religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. You will explore what people believe(d) in and the extent to which cultures and societies are influenced by religion. However, you will also look at the world’s minor religions.

You definitely won’t get bored, as every religion has its own cosmologies and ideas on the role of mankind in the world, as well as its own ethical principles and philosophies on the meaning of life, earthly existence and the afterlife.

Of course, an important role is also played by various rituals, scriptures, buildings and paintings, and these will be examined in greater detail to identify similarities and differences between religions.

Religious studies is an interdisciplinary field that studies religious traditions of the past and present, identifying their historical development, emergence and passing with a range of qualitative and quantitative methods.

Structure

The bachelor's degree is the first professional qualification. The standard period of study is a total of six semesters, during which various forms of courses (e.g. seminars, lectures or exercises) are offered for the individual modules.

A multi-subject bachelor’s programme consists of a major subject with 120 credit points (CP for short; 1 CP = 30 hours for attendance, preparation and follow-up work, private study, assessed coursework and examinations) and a minor subject with 60 CP.

‘Religious Studies: World Religions in the Past and Present’ is a major subject that can be combined with all minor subjects at the University of Jena. It is open to members of all religions and denominations, as well as non-religious students.

How might your degree programme shape up?

The following table shows the possible structure of your course with ‘Religious Studies’ as your major subject:

Semester	Modules
1st	Introduction to Religious Studies (10 CP)	Ancient Christianity: Jesus and the Jesus Movement in the 1st Century CE (10 CP)	Special History of Religions I: Judaism (10 CP)
2nd	Introduction to Religious Studies (10 CP)		Special History of Religions II: Christianity (10 CP)
3rd	Special History of Religions III: Islam (10 CP)	Emergence and Strategic Focuses of Religions (10 CP)
4th	Special History of Religions IV: Region-Oriented History of Religion and Interreligious Relations (10 CP)	Environment, Nature, and Ethics (10 CP)
5th	Internship (10 CP)	Expression and Mediation in World Religions (10 CP)
6th	Bachelor’s thesis (10 CP)	Special History of Religions VI: Buddhism (10 CP)

Abbreviations: CP = credit points

More detailed information can be found in the module catalogue for the study programme [in German]External link.

Why study in Jena?

excellent teaching: comprehensive historical training, individual selection of focus areas from a wide range of options, and an integrated internship
focus on cross-religious issues, such as everyday life, ideas on the afterlife, understanding of the body (health, diet, body symbolism, etc.), ethical issues and the interaction of religion and society (religion and art / music / literature and religion and gender)
excellent supervision: The University of Jena has an international team of religion experts, who will be happy to answer your questions.
adventures abroad: global network of partner universities, e.g. São Bento (Brazil), Stellenbosch (South Africa) and Sibiu (Romania)

What can you do after your studies?

Areas of employment for graduates

life coaching / counselling, migration support and adult education
journalism, public relations and publishing
mediation
economic/business consultancy
tourism
peace and conflict research

Postgraduate master’s programmes at our University

Education ‐ Culture ‐ Anthropology Master of Arts
- Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Southeast European Studies Master of Arts
- Faculty of Arts

All degree programmes

Downloads and links for the degree programme

What are we looking for in prospective students?

knowledge of the world’s religions and their ethical ideas
interest in religious issues and popular traditions
sensitivity to issues in multi-faith societies

‘Religious Studies: World Religions in the Past and Present’ is a field of study open to members of all religions and denominations, as well as non-religious students.

Admission requirements

University entrance qualification

A university entrance qualification, such as a general secondary school leaving certificate, is required for admission onto the study programme.

More information on university entrance qualifications can be found here.
Language requirements

The study programme is taught in German. You must therefore have a very good command of German at the start of the study programme.

Proficiency in English is required; another modern or classic foreign language is also recommended; students must submit evidence of their language skills (except German—see above) when registering the subject of their bachelor’s thesis at the latest.

Contacts

Academic Advisor — Tommy Drexel

Room 108
Fürstengraben 6
07743 Jena Google Maps site planExternal link

Academic Advisor — Prof. Dr Dr Bertram Schmitz

Fürstengraben 6
07743 Jena Google Maps site planExternal link

Academic Office for Student Affairs and Examinations (ASPA)

Carl-Zeiß-Platz 1
07743 Jena

Telephone hours:
Mondays and Fridays (9:00 – 11:00)
Wednesdays (13:00 – 15:00)

The ASPA is primarily responsible for students in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and the Faculty of Theology.

Central Student Advisory Service

University Main Building / SSZ
Fürstengraben 1
07743 Jena Google Maps site planExternal link

Office hours:
Please note: The Central Student Advisory Service will not be available from 21.12.2024. We will be back for you on Monday, 06.01.2025.

We offer consultations in person, by telephone, and via Zoom. You can make an appointment by calling us on +49 3641 9-411111 (Mondays to Fridays from 9:00 to 11:00) or outside these office hours on +49 3641 9-411200. You can also use our remote help desk.

Consultation hours:
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (9:00 to 12:20), Tuesdays (14:00 to 18:00), and Wednesdays and Thursdays (14:00 to 16:00).

Video chat: To the video chat – Zoom Videochat ZeitenMondays to Fridays (12:30 to 13:00) Password ZSB2020 Data protection informationpdf, 101 kb

Student Service Centre

University Main Building, Room E065
Fürstengraben 1
07743 Jena Google Maps site planExternal link

Opening hours:
Mondays (10:00 – 12:00)
Tuesdays (13:00 – 15:00)
Wednesdays (10:00 – 12:00)
Thursdays (13:00 – 15:00)
Fridays (10:00 – 12:00)

You can also use our remote help desk at
www.uni-jena.de/service-ssz
or send us your enquiries by post.

Telephone hours:
Mondays to Fridays
(9:00 – 11:00)

Postal address:
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Studierenden-Service-Zentrum
07737 Jena

International Office - International students

University Main Building
Fürstengraben 1
07743 Jena Google Maps site planExternal link

incoming@uni-jena.de