Study of Religion

study of religion (on-campus)

Master’s degree in “study of religion” is a comprehensive, educational package in line with the regulations and decisions made by the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology of Iran. In this program, the basics of understanding religions are studied and students are trained for essential topics of study of religion. Religions are the main element of recognized human civilizations and cultures. In the past and present, religion has largely affected the intellectual, spiritual, and social life of human beings. It is crucial to understand both non-Abrahamic religions and Abrahamic religions; the former include Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism which are important due to their geographical extent and population dispersion, and the latter such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam with their numerous sects and denominations. As a result, it is highly important to establish programs on study of religion at the universities and training experts in this area.

The graduates of this field will master the subjects of study of religion in different areas of sociology, psychology, humanism, methodology of study of religion, and other areas related to religion and ethics. They will deeply comprehend Islamic theology in comparison with other theological schools and can well interact and have interfaith dialogue. The graduates of this field will finally be able to analyze the similarities and differences of Islam with other religions based on the original texts of religions, understand the religious language of the followers of other religions, analyze and compare the ideas of orientalists with those of the western intellectuals on religions and cultures, and also to conduct scholarly research on study of religion.

Holding a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent is sufficient for enrollment in this program. The previous degree of the applicant must be verified by the consulate of Iran in the issuing country. Also, matching the applicants’ previous field of study with the current program is not necessary. Upon establishing the applicants’ scholarly competency and the committee’s agreement, the applicants are eligible to study in this program regardless of their previous field of study. Previous publications including books, research papers, and journal articles can positively influence the committee’s judgment.

The master’s program in “study of religion” takes 2 years or 4 academic semesters; each semester consists of 16 weeks. Every one-unit class requires one hour of instruction per week. In case, the department decides that extra time is needed for a student to pass the prerequisites or finish the thesis, at most 2 extra semesters will be added. This program includes 44 units: 28 units of core courses, 12 units of prerequisites, and 4 units for the thesis. The students are required to pass all the core courses and the thesis. However, the department will decide on the number of prerequisites to be taken, depending on the student’s undergraduate field of study.

Among the core courses offered in this program are “Abrahamic religions”, “Eastern religions”, “methodology of study of religion”, “philosophy of religion”, “sociology of religion”, “epistemology”, “comparative study of religion”, “religion and ethics”, and “religion and culture”. Moreover, the following courses are offered as the prerequisites: “Islamic philosophy”, “Islamic theology”, “Western philosophy”, and “research methodology”.

course fees for entry in 2021-22

Total cost of the course:

Education-oriented: $ 3000

The on-campus master’s degree is completed in 3 years and the total fee for this program is $3000. The fee covers the student’s educational costs and does not include living expenses such as food and accommodations.to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

Application Requirements

The applicants must submit the following items to apply to the on-campus master’s programs of the University of Religions and Denominations:

A completed application form.
An electronic copy of the passport or a valid residence permit.
An electronic copy of the high school diploma and bachelor’s degree or their equivalent and a certified Persian, English, or Arabic translation of the transcripts.
The original high school diploma and bachelor’s degree or their equivalent and a certified Persian, English, or Arabic translation of the transcripts.
One recently taken photo of the applicant, size 30x40mm.
Applicant’s CV indicating education and work experience (optional).

By clicking on the “Apply now” button next to each program, you will be transferred to the registration portal, where you can upload and submit your application documents. Your application will not be complete until all the required items are submitted.

Application Requirements

The applicants must submit the following items to apply to the on-campus master’s programs of the University of Religions and Denominations:

A completed application form.
An electronic copy of the passport or a valid residence permit.
An electronic copy of the high school diploma and bachelor’s degree or their equivalent and a certified Persian, English, or Arabic translation of the transcripts.
The original high school diploma and bachelor’s degree or their equivalent and a certified Persian, English, or Arabic translation of the transcripts.
One recently taken photo of the applicant, size 30x40mm.
Applicant’s CV indicating education and work experience (optional).

Apply Now

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Study of Religion

Application Requirements

Application Requirements