Master of Arts (Thesis) (MA(Thesis)) in Religious Studies

Summary

The Master of Arts (Thesis) (MA (Thesis))

The MA by thesis

The thesis option normally requires at least one year of full-time study and entails completion of a thesis. The thesis is a major piece of supervised research of up to 40,000 words on a topic of current interest.

The primary aim of the MA by thesis programme is to develop in a candidate skills needed to identify a significant topic, design and implement an extended piece of research, and present the findings in a form acceptable to an expert readership.

Why study Religion?

Religion is as old as humanity itself. Despite the rise of science and modern technology, the majority of people in the world today are religious, and current demographic trends reveal that – as a whole – the world is becoming more religious. In order to understand humans, human history, and the contemporary world, we need to understand the multifaceted nature of religion and its place in human societies.

Religion offers you the opportunity to become familiar with religious movements, their history and the influence they currently wield. By studying religion, you will learn to enter empathetically into a world of thought that may be very different from your own, without losing the ability to ask critical questions about it.

Career opportunities

Religious Studies graduates can be found in many walks of life, including MP, UN adviser, lecturer, analyst, archivist, development organiser, and even a TV show host.

Our graduates have particular qualities valued by employers in many fields including:

Excellent critical thinking and writing skills

The ability to find information, analyse it in a logical and systematic manner, and communicate it clearly

Wide-ranging knowledge of both human history, culture and contemporary affairs

The ability to enter with empathy into the minds and hearts of others, to understand what motivates and shapes their behaviour.For those who cannot study on-campus, it is possible to take most Religion papers by distance study, regardless of where you live in New Zealand.

Intake: Anytime.