College of Interreligious Studies Munich

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Degree Programme Interreligious Studies

Logo Interreligious Studies deals with religious, societal, and intercultural aspects of interreligious competence. The certificate provides students with knowledge and competence of issues in a cultural and religious pluralistic world. Issues of peaceful co-existence, understanding of interreligious learning, practices and rituals are gained. As a cultural study, the interdisplinary approach will involve social science, theology, religious studies, intercultural pedagogical and practical internships in various religious groups and interreligious progammes.

At the heart of the College are academic studies, practical experience in interreligious dialogue, reflections, a variety of spiritual events, individual personal development and the acquisition of intercultural and interreligious competence. Students can also live in a number of limited rooms at the College, which is housed in the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Bonifaz.

We offer:

Certificate in Interreligious Studies (60 ECTS). Tuition fee: 2650 EUR, duration: 2 semesters
Extendable to a Master of Religious Studies during the 2nd year. Tuition fee of the Salzburg university (dependent on the student's place of origin and nationality).
Possibility to conduct a Cross-culture Religious Studies Project, i.e. spending the 3rd semester of the 2nd year at one of the participating universities: Salzburg, Munich, Haifa, Yogyakarta, Seoul, Nairobi, Varanasi (MoU coming).
Accomodation in the College of Interreligious Studies on request, starting at 528,08 Eur/month.

Programme

The College of Interreligious Studies offers the opportunity to (further) qualify for professional fields with interreligious and intercultural negotiation processes. Intercultural and interreligious competences and experiences are gained and deepened in addition to a corresponding academic study certified by the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (Austria), especially through practical offers:

Live for one (or two) year(s) in an interreligious and intercultural community in the monastery Sankt Bonifaz in the heart of Munich.
Become a student in the Certificate Programme “Interreligious Studies” (in English) at the College of Interreligious Studies in Munich. The certificate is accountable as the first year of the Master of Arts in Religious Studies (in German) at the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS) in Austria, which can be achieved in the second year.
Deepen your understanding in internships in various religious traditions in a multi-professional team.
Share your experiences with others and unite them both academically & spiritually.
Be part and engage with your personal strengths and interests at the House of Cultures and Religions in Munich
Receive support from competent contact persons.

The College is completed either with a Certificate of Interreligious Studies (after one year), or with an additional Masters Degree in Religious Studies (after two years) at the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS) with the possibility to choose from a wide range of specialization opportunities at one of its partner universities of the Crossculture Religious Study Project (Yogyakarta, Nairobi, Haifa, Seoul and Munich) from the 3rd semester in the 2nd year of study.

Intended Audience

The College is intended for people who are open and curious about encounters with people of other nations and cultures. For all those who (would like to) volunteer in religious communities yet unknown to them as well as in the interreligious and intercultural environment.

International an local people, refugees, people with immigration background and international exchange students of various cultures and religions (or without any religious affiliation) live and study together at the College in a small family-like community (14 beds). However, the Certificate course can also be completed externally. The College is open for students of all cultures, religious affiliations and genders. The courses are held by professors and lecturers of different cultural and religious backgrounds. Practical experience in interreligious dialogue, academic reflection and individual personal development is the heart of the College. For the optional Master’s Degree in Religious Studies, German (B2) needs to be achieved by the end of the first year.

It is possible to apply for scholarships.

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Modules Interreligious Studies AE 60 ECTS

Key Concept Religious Studies
Religious Traditions
Religions, Dialogue and Society
Methods of Research
Religions, Spiritualities and Society
Dialogue Society, Ethics and Law
Interreligious Dialogue as Applied Religious Studies
Pedagogic and Analysis of interreligious Dialogue
Dialogue Practice
Final Essay

Option: 2nd Year: Religious Studies MA (1 st year of AE ist accepted to enter 2 nd year of MA Programme. B2 German is needed for entering the 2nd year.

The curricula is subject to decisions taken by the senate at the Paris Lodron University. In cooperation with the Paris Lodron University Salzburg (PLUS).

Find here a list of our Teaching Staff

Application

Deadline: 15 July 2023

To apply for the course Certificate in Interreligious Studies, please send:

a letter of application including your personal motivation.
your Curriculum Vitae (academic bio)
documents of your bachelor degree or alternatives

to the Director of the College of Interreligious Studies: Prof. Dr. Martin Rötting, martin.roetting@plus.ac.at

Deadline: 15 July 2023

To apply for a room in the college (from 528,08 EUR/month depending on size) please send:

a letter of application including your personal motivation
your Curriculum Vitae

to the College Supervisor: Melanie Fersi (M.A.), college-interreligious-studies@occurso.org Please state in your application, if you are an applicant for the Certificate in Interreligious Studies.

Internship

The college is part of the House of Cultures and Religions Munich e.V. project and thus offers connections to all of Munich's dialogue initiatives. The size of the city makes it possible to offer interreligious internships in English-language supervision and simultaneous practice of the German language. At the HdKRM, the implementation of project work for the completion of the certificate is also guaranteed.

The internships in the (inter-) religious field are organized by the participants themselves with the respective internship site. The internships are supervised by the College Supervisor and a contact person at the internship site.
In addition to gaining practical experience and knowledge in a religious community or institution that differs from one's own religious tradition and/or cultural imprint, the interns should apply methods they have learned, reflect on their experiences against the background of the theories, questions and approaches learned in their studies with regard to social relevance, and develop ideas for later professional practice. There are already many contacts with various cooperation partners who are potential internship sites.

Crosscultural Religious Studies Project

The Crosscultural Religious Studies Project is an initiative of the University of Salzburg and universities from Munich (HFPH), Nairobi, Yogyakarta, Seoul, Haifa and Varanasi.

You will be abe to choose from a wide range of specialisation options at one of the partner universities of the Crossculture Religious Study Project (Yogyakarta, Nairobi, Haifa, Seoul, Varanasi and Munich) from the 3rd semester onwards in the 2nd year of study.

The second year of the Master can be completed in one of the partner universities. The interreligious college with the House of Cultures and Religions and the School of Philosophy with its interreligious college study program are project partners. The cooperation opens up the opportunity for students to introduce the Munich research field of interreligious dialogue to other universities.

Spiritual Practice

During the semester as well as during the lecture-free period, there are numerous possibilities to experience various forms of spiritual practice for the students. In addition to church services, meditations and Yoga Nidra, these include the obligatory "Spiritual Search for Traces" program designed and tested by OCCURSO.

In this offer, the participants receive a variety of opportunities "to be enriched in the dialogue of religions". The meetings should invite participants to give something by sharing their own religious experiences and receiving something from others.

The next series of "Spiritual Search for Traces" starts at Januray 13th, 2023

More information can be found at:
Spirituelle Spurensuche – Haus der Kulturen und Religionen München (hdkrm.org)

Or here our flyer.

Community

The international dormitory for students wants to be a place of learning for successful encounters that helps to make the mental boundaries of nationality and religion permeable. Together with the house management, students shape the framework that promotes a mutually supportive and welcoming house community and enables in a common everyday (study) life and in free times a regular exchange, whereby what has been learned is also experienced on a very personal level.

Support

All students are accompanied in their personal and academic development processes by a College Supervisor , who supports them in finding solutions in the event of problems. For this purpose, personal consultation hours as well as regular "college rounds" with all students are planned, in which current personal, content-related and organizational issues are discussed. The College Supervisor is the first contact person for questions, also those regarding the organization of the internship.

Costs

Costs for Certificate Interreligious Studies (counts as 1st year Religious Studies):
€ 2650,-
College / Appartements with private bathroom and shared kitchen (total rent):
528,08 € - 727,32 € (single room)
663,12 € - 892,45 € (double room)
B2 German needs to be finished before the 2nd year.

Costs for the 2nd year MA Religious Studies at Salzburg University (optional):
€ 42,40 per semester EU/EWR Bürger
€ 1495,84 for non EU-citizens, (exemptions apply).
College / Appartements with private bathroom and shared kitchen (total rent):
528,08 € - 727,32 € (single room)
663,12 € - 892,45 € (double room)

College Team

Director
Prof. Dr. phil. Martin Rötting
Contact: roettingm@occurso.org

College Supervisor
Melanie Fersi (M.A.)
contact: college-interreligious-studies@occurso.org

Studies: German as a Foreign Language, General Linguistics, Intercultural Communication (M.A.) at the LMU Munich
Further Training: Interreligious Dialogue Coordinator
Certificate: Satyananda Yoga Nidra Training
Teacher of German as a Foreign Language, Intercultural Trainer

Main interests:
Promoting understanding and comprehension between people of different backgrounds
Interreligious and intercultural learning
Individual spirituality, personality development
Integration work, empowerment
Intercultural communication situations
Cognitive and cultural linguistics
(Culture-specific) emotion regulation and the underlying concept in verbal expression
Languages, language teaching, language acquisition and multilingualism
Yoga

Research associate / Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin:
Dr. Evelyn Reuter

contact: reutere@occurso.de

Chair Person Occurso:

Joachim Schnittke

contact: j.schnittke@gmx.de

College Office:

contact: office.college@occurso.org

Maximilian Volpert (student assistant)

Laura Milena Escobar Medina (student assistant)

Participating Institutions

OCCURSO- Institute for Interreligious and Intercultural Encounter e.V.

Occurso

OCCURSO- Institute for Interreligious and Intercultural Encounter e.V. is the sponsor of the College. OCCURSO is an institute that carries out its tasks in research, education and the promotion of interreligious and intercultural encounter. OCCURSO promotes the naturalistic exchange and mutual learning between people of different religions and cultures, which is also the mission of the College.

More information can be found at www.occurso.org

Haus der Kulturen und Religionen und München - HdKRM

Haus The goal of the founders of the House of Cultures and Religions in Munich is to build a house where people of different cultures and religions can live, learn and celebrate together. The aim is to promote respectful and peaceful social coexistence.

Under the motto: "Unity in Diversity", the goal is to have an impact on society as a visible place in Munich where people of different cultures and religions can meet, live together and learn from each other.
According to the association's vision, rooms for religious practice and a café for meetings are also part of the house.

This makes the House of Cultures and Religions the college's connection to a teaching house with adult education projects and spiritual events.
More information and the current program can be found at:
Haus der Kulturen und Religionen München

Paris Lodron University Salzburg (PLUS)

Paris Lodron University Salzburg PLUS offers six faculties with 34 departments and around 90 degree programmes in digital and analytical, natural and life sciences, social sciences, cultural studies, theology, law and economics. Almost 18,000 students complete bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies here.

Founded in 1622 by Prince Archbishop Paris Lodron and rebuilt in 1962, the PLUS is today the largest educational institution in Salzburg.

More information at: Salzburg University

Sankt Bonifaz

Bonifaz The appartments with individual bathrooms and common areas (kitchen and living room) are located in the Benedictine Abbey of St. Bonifaz in the heart of Munich on Karlstraße, not far from Munich's main train station.

The Abbey of Saint Boniface in Munich is famous for its English-speaking public parish, which has become a spiritual home and meeting place for many people, its work with the homeless and a large specialist library. The monastic life opens up in part in the encounter with the collegiates and allows for a special study experience.

More information can be found at https://www.sankt-bonifaz.de/

Support the College

We welcome any donations for this project at:
OCCURSO e.V.
Reference: "College"
BIC: GENODEF1M05, IBAN: DE41750903000002345234

For information
Prof. Dr. Martin Rötting, martin.roetting@sbg.ac.at

The Colleges is run by OCCURSO Institut für interreligiöse und interkulturelle Begegnung e.V.
In cooperation with:

Six Stiftung für Völkerverständigung
KAAD
Crossculture Religious Studies Project
weitere Stiftungen und private Untersützer.

KAAD