A portion of the specialist literature is written in English. Therefore, your English proficiency should be good enough to read and understand these original texts.

You must also provide proof of a basic knowledge of Latin by the end of the fourth semester at the latest. Those who choose to specialize in the Old and New Testaments must also demonstrate a basic knowledge of ancient Greek or Hebrew equivalent to a single-semester language course. If you do not already have these skills, you can acquire them in a course at the university.

You will study this subject as part of a two-subject bachelor’s degree program. The degree program always consists of an academic major and minor, which can be combined according to your interests or professional goals.

If you choose the subject as a minor, you will generally complete only a portion of the modules and classes taught to students of the major subject. As a result, you will focus on a selection from the content listed below.

Program structure and specializations

You have the opportunity to combine the diverse issues, topics, and approaches of theology with an additional subject. You can thus consolidate your personal interests and strengthen your own individual profile for your professional future.

The Catholic Theology degree program is composed of four subject groups:

• Biblical theology: What are the themes and structures of biblical narratives?
• Historical theology: In which historical contexts did the Christian faith emerge and develop?
• Systematic theology and philosophy: What are religious beliefs and value judgments?
• Practical theology: How do Christian people conduct themselves individually and in a community?

The major consists of three consecutive phases of study.

1. In the introductory phase, you will gain insight into what differentiates and what unifies the theological disciplines. You will become familiar with the content and methods of the four subject groups and establish connections between the individual theological subjects.
2. The advanced phase is designed to explore illustrative key themes of Christian thought and conduct in today’s societies. This phase is characterized by a wide range of thematic modules for you to choose from. The modules each focus on central questions of human meaning and guidance as well as the realities of Christian life.
3. In the specialization phase, you can consolidate your acquired knowledge and skills by creating an individual track. Regarding the content of the degree program, you are free to select your own subject specialization by designing a module for theological specialization in addition to the practical module, and the final module. During this phase, we support you in aligning your study profile to your personal interests and individual career prospects.

In the minor, the study program consists of courses from the first study phase as well as from the subject-specific specializations.

After you have acquired the fundamentals, you will be able to select a specialization module from one of the four broad theological subject groups that is compatible with your own interests.

Stays abroad

Would you like to live abroad for a semester or a year? Do you want to learn another language and get to know a new culture? Or gain a different perspective on your particular subject? A stay abroad provides you with the perfect opportunity to achieve this and is possible with every degree program – either self-organized or by taking advantage of one of the popular exchange programs. This is made possible by various cooperation agreements and partnerships with foreign universities.

For more information on this topic, please visit our websites on studying abroad. Visit our student exchange platform for an overview of cooperating universities in your field.

This program of study does not require you to spend time abroad, but you nevertheless have the opportunity to do so.

Internships

The Catholic Theology degree program, if taken as a major, includes a mandatory six-week internship. When choosing an internship, you can focus on professional fields such as journalism and media relations, publishing or library work, work in academies, human resources in large companies, museum work, or other areas. We are available to assist you with organizing your internships.

We recommend that you complete the internship in the 5th semester.

Voluntary internships are another good opportunity to obtain more in-depth insight into a professional field.

An internship allows you to discover whether everyday life in a particular occupation suits your career expectations and interests. You can gain qualifications for a professional field and acquire important professional and personal skills to start a career. An internship helps you both shape your career path, and mold the remainder of your course sequence – in particular by selecting specializations that suit your practical experience.

You can find further information and relevant internships on the Career Service website.

In addition to the ability to critically explore religious issues, you will also have acquired a basic knowledge of cultural studies. This not only contributes to a better understanding of European identity and society, but also enables intercultural and interreligious dialogue.

Thanks to the thematic and methodological skills acquired during your studies, you, as a theologian, will possess a skill set that encompasses structured and creative thinking and argumentation, articulate written and oral expression, a high level of motivation, self-reflection, a willingness to learn, and wide-ranging general knowledge.

In contrast to a purely theological degree program, your possible professional fields extend beyond the ecclesiastical sphere. Beyond pastoral work, however, church employers are also increasingly placing value on interdisciplinary skills, such as those offered in the two-subject bachelor’s degree program.

Potential career fields include:

• Church-based social institutions and relief organizations, e.g. Caritas, Missio, etc.
• Church-based education, such as in religious educational centers, adult education, continuing education, and educational professions
• Church administration

The Catholic Theology two-subject bachelor’s degree program also qualifies you for a variety of other professional fields. In combination with the skills you acquired in the minor, additional professional fields open up in the following areas.

• Media: journalism, publishing, etc.
• Cultural institutions: museums, exhibitions, archives, libraries, etc.
• Political and consulting organizations
• Integration and development cooperation
• Public and private adult and continuing education
• Private sector: business consulting, corporate communication, and human resource management

Not sure what to do after graduation? Don’t worry!

A university degree generally does not prepare you for a single profession but qualifies you for a wide range of career paths – for example, in research, in a typical profession related to your field of study, or in one of many other academic fields.

This is why career orientation is also part of your studies. Gaining practical experience is key, and you can do so through internships, working student positions, part-time jobs or voluntary work, for example.

JGU’s Career Service will support you throughout the entire process with information, advice, workshops and numerous events – from career orientation and working on your profile and skills to finding your dream job and successfully applying for it.