Teaching method

Interdisciplinarity is at the very heart of the programme, where religions (at least two) are always thought of in direct association with philosophy, socio-anthropology, psychology, law and theology.
The core course activities provide an introduction to methodology in each of the main disciplines covered by the term 'sciences des religions', the chance to learn a pluridisciplinary method of analysis of religious facts in two seminars led by a team of teachers, which is itself pluridisciplinary. By anchoring religious questions in highly contemporary problems, the course allows students to conduct case studies, and approach issues on a problem-by-problem basis, which involves combining varied types of knowledge and skills, etc.
By choosing one of the 4 courses of study in the research focus, the student can focus on one discipline (religious studies, human sciences, law), in order to gain real expertise in the field as well as the standard of knowledge and skills required to consider embarking on doctoral research.
This Master's programme is unique in French-speaking Belgium in its capacity to bring together the various strands of human sciences in its approach to the religious phenomenon, less in its historical dimension (which, of course, is not excluded) than in the crucial questions that it currently puts to western society. The legal part of the programme in particular provides an approach which is as fundamental as it is innovative.

The modes of evaluation are laid out in the syllabus for each activity. Roughly speaking, students are evaluated by written work with formative evaluation or oral exams.

Mobility and/or internationalisation
At the Master's stage, Erasmus exchanges will be encouraged. At regional level, it is possible to select activities in the programmes of the Facultés universitaires Saint- Louis - FUSL, the Académie Louvain, the Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB (Institut des religions et de la laïcité), the Université de Liège - ULg, the ICHEC Brussels Management School - and the KULeuven.

UCL's faculty of theology is developing a partnership at Master's level with the theology faculties (Protestant and Catholic) from Strasbourg's Université Marc Bloch where the study of religion is granted special attention; it is possible to extend this partnership where religious sciences are concerned. Other partnerships have been developed by the faculties and departments associated with this Master, from which students of religious sciences can benefit.