Study of Religions

“Towards the foundations of human culture.”
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The three-year Bachelor’s degree study programme in the Study of Religions provides a comprehensive overview of the main religious traditions of the past and present, the fundamentals of the theory, methodology, and history of the discipline, an introduction to a source language, and practical training in writing and presentation skills as well as in a selection of methods of historical, comparative, sociological, anthropological, and psychological research into religion. This practical training stresses searching relevant sources of information, analytical skills, the formulation of grounded attitudes to phenomena of human culture both orally and in writing, creative thinking, and an interdisciplinary mindset. Attention is also paid to the development of skills necessary for the application of the study of religions in social practice.

The curriculum is organized on the basis of a credit system, offering the opportunity for individual choices concerning the study programme timeline and thematic modifications according to the individual field of interest. The type A/required courses cover the main religious traditions of the world, an introduction to the discipline and its transformations, and practically oriented methodological training. The vast range of optional courses further develop and enrich this basis of the curriculum.

This study programme is suitable for graduates of all types of high schools who are interested in the dynamics of religion and in its functioning in both historical and contemporary societies. The study programme provides a high-quality Bachelor’s degree education in the humanities and the social sciences provided by an internationally well-recognized department. The programme’s graduates are qualified for positions requiring analytical skills and orientation in the religious, cultural, and ethnic contexts of functioning and changing human societies.

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After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

  • search for information in various resources, evaluate them, and devise their synthesis
  • understand the basic social scientific assumptions and approaches in the study of human culture
  • characterize the major religious traditions of the world
  • make correct use of the basic termake correct use of the basic terminology of the most important religious traditions and of their historical and sociaminology of the most important religious traditions and of their historical and social scientific study
  • differentiate and use various basic methods of data collection in humanities and the social sciences
  • analyse different types of resources from the perspective of the social sciences and humanities
  • write formally and factually correct texts on phenomena of human culture using relevant resources
  • consider phenomena of human culture from a global and interdisciplinary perspective
  • apply social scientific and humanities’ approaches and knowledge in professional activity as well as in personal understanding of human behaviour
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Graduates are qualified for positions in teaching, cultural institutions, administration, specialized sectors of the tourist industry, non-governmental organizations, media, project writing in both the public and private sectors, companies focusing on the development of games and on leisure activities, and start-ups requiring creative thinking. They can offer employers strong analytical skills, intercultural orientation, familiarity with several disciplines in humanities and the social sciences including qualitative and quantitative methods, the skill of writing formally and factually correct texts, the capacity to think in a global perspective, and the ability to methodically pursue complex long-term projects.
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The standard duration of study programme is six semesters. For admittance to the final state examination, students need to earn a total of 180 ECTS credits in a specified structure. Type A/required courses constitute the basis of the study programme. Type B/selective courses include four semesters of a source language and a number of extension courses that the students choose according to their interests and specialization. Type C/elective courses include any courses at Masaryk University.

During the course of their studies, students should follow the study catalogue valid for their year of matriculation. The study catalogues for the individual years of matriculation are available at the Faculty of Arts website.

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The curriculum does not include any obligatory training stay. Comprehensive practical training in searching and evaluating information, critical thinking, and presentation and writing skills are an integral part of the entire study.
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In the last two semesters, students write up their theses. They can suggest the topic and choose their supervisor. They can also decide to choose one of the available topics published by the supervisors in the Information System of Masaryk University. The Bachelor’s degree diploma thesis is 70,000 to 80,000 characters (ca. 40-45 standard pages) long. In the double-subject study programme, students choose which of the fields will be the major one and which the minor one. In the minor field, they only submit a Bachelor’s degree minor thesis; in this study programme, the Bachelor’s degree minor theses are 35,000 to 40,000 characters (ca. 20-25 standard pages) long.

This Bachelor’s degree study programme concludes with the final state examination. A prerequisite for the final state examination is to have earned at least 180 ECTS credits in the given structure. The final state examination in the Study of Religions takes place in front of a committee, has an oral form, and is composed of the defence of the Bachelor’s degree thesis and an oral examination composed of a disquisition on a given topic and of answers to the questions of the examination committee. In the double-subject study programme, the defence of the Bachelor’s degree thesis only takes place in the major field.

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After completion of the Bachelor’s degree study programme, it is possible to continue further studies in any Master’s degree study programme (after satisfying the admission requirements) in the study of religion or related fields such as anthropology, sociology, ethnology, cultural studies, history, or psychology.
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Field of study specifications

Field of Study: Study of Religions
Abbreviation: RL
Code: 6101R014
Type: Bachelor's degree programme
Degree: Bc.
Accreditation: to 31/12/2024
Programme: B6101 B-PH Philosophy
Faculty of Arts
Field of study guaranteed by:
Faculty of Arts
Field guarantor:
Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D.

http://www.phil.muni.cz/relig/indexen.php

Course catalogue

http://www.phil.muni.cz/wff/home/studium/informace/