Republic of Zimbabwe

Study or Intern

The cooperation with the Zimbabwe Workcamps Association and the United Theological College (UTC) allows various options for a stay in Zimbabwe. For additional information, please contact the faculty advisor.

Jerusalem (Israel)

Year Abroad

The protestant and catholic church offer students of theology opportunities to spend an ecumenical year abroad in Jerusalem. Every year has a different leitmotif, which will be illuminated critically and from different perspectives. Aside from the intense - especially exegetical and archaeological - course program, the opportunities grant insights & profound skill acqusitition in the fields of Ecumenics, teachings of Eastern Churches, Jewish studies as well as Islamic studies.
Courses and local guest lectures aside, numerous scientific field trips await participants and will take them cross-country and toward mount Sinai. Lectures are held in German and English. Find further information here. Only available in German. The application deadline is 15^th December. The year abroad commences annualy in August and ends during Eastern. A language course in modern Hebrew (Ivrit) is planned for the beginning of the year abroad to facilitate the immersion. Münster's own Institutum Judaicum offers courses in Ivrit on different difficulty levels to aid linguistic preparations.

Studying in Israel

This program grants participants the chance to spend a year studying at a Hebrew University of Jerusalem, thus entering dialogs with Jewish students. There are two integral components: self-study at the Hebrew University and an accompanying program; the latter consists of block seminars, weekly evening lectures and field trips. Courses are usually held in Hebrew (Ivrit), exceptionally in English. The application deadline is 15^th November. The eight to ten weeks long language summer course begins at the beginning of August at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. There, the pre-existing skills in Ivrit of participants will be intensified. The program lasts for two semesters and begins in October and ends in the middle of June. Click here for more information. Only available in German.

The Institutum Judaicum offers courses in Ivrit on different difficulty levels to aid linguistic preparations.

Rome (Italy)

Theological Year Abroad

Few protestants reside in Rome. Nevertheless, Christianity is anything but exclusively catholic. The Italian churches of Waldensians and Methodists as well as the protestant Lutherian church of Italy jointly founded the Melanchthon Center in 2002. Within this program, participants spend two semesters (September to June) studying in Rome. During this time, you can study roman-catholic theology at the pontifical universities and protestant theology at the Waldensian faculty. Italy's capital is a perfect spot for ecumenical studies, church history and Christian archeology. As you meet many Christians of various confesstions and backgrounds residing in Rome, the location offers a special opportunity to reflect on your ecumenical experiences.
The program contains an intensive language course in September, as Italian is a necessity for life and study in Rome. Basic Italian skills are highly recommended before the arrival in Italy. The application deadline is 15^th February; apply here.

Zhejiang University (China)

Institute of Cross-Cultural Studies (ICCS)

More information coming soon. Why not peek at their homepage?

Hong Kong

Lutheran Theological Seminary

More information coming soon. Take a look at their homepage.

Stellenbosch (South Africa)

Ecclesiastical studies in South Africa are structured as a four-year bachelor's degree ((under)graduate) and a biennial master's degree (postgraduate). Its topical works are context-based and are conducted as a class, thus one can learn quite a bit about the country, its church and its people. The academic year lasts from the middle of January until the beginning of November. Easily comparable to Germany, the level of difficulty of their modules and their grading system orients itself around practical experience. You can study as a full-degree undergraduate or postgraduate student but are also given the chance to pick a short-term as well as a non-degree-seeking version.
Students interested in participating in the vibrant social campus life are given many options to do so. Modules at the faculty are available in English. All undergraduate modules have an English option and the university mandates English in modules within the master's program whenever exchange students are present. People generally adapted this rule into their everyday life and are rather considerate of foreigner's feelings, though skills in Afrikaans are a big social plus and facilitate an immersive stay. At the university, there are introductory courses for international students.
In order to study at a South African university you need a study visa, independent from the duration of your stay. The visa requires different forms. The country's entry requirements change constantly and the university requires that incomings have health insurance. An elaborate list of possible insurances can be found here.

There are various sholarships in Germany that depend on the duration of the stay abroad. Fittingly, the scholarship by Brot für die Welt or the scholarship by the Lutheran World Federation (both last a year) specifically for students of theology who are interested in it ecumenically. The German Academic Exchange Service lends itself to shorter stays abroad. Any application has to be handed in at least a full year before the stay abroad. Visit their webpage here and then click on 'Prospective Students'.