Religious Studies, Master 1 subject

Anna Kira Hippert is a third-year student of Religious Studies. She is pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree, 2-subject programme. Anna Kira’s other discipline is Art History.

What made you choose this degree programme?

I’ve always been interested in religions, but not from a theological perspective. The Religious Studies degree programme provides the option to study religions objectively.

In which respect have or haven’t your expectations been fulfilled?

To me, it’s been important to study contemporary religious matters and forms – and Religious Studies meets these requirements fully.

Which aspect of your degree programme do you enjoy most?

Studying new religious currents. Moreover, religious studies is a very interdisciplinary programme, i.e. you also attend history, social sciences and theology classes, to name but a few.

What has been your biggest challenge to date?

You’ve got to be aware that, if you want to complete the master’s degree in religious studies, you will have to learn a religion-relevant foreign language. For me, that language is Arabic, as I want to specialise in Islamic Studies in my Master’s degree. I attend Arabic classes in the Department of Oriental Studies, and they are often very difficult. So, I would consider Arabic my biggest challenge.

What would you like to become after completing your degree?

I would like to work in politics or in corporate consultancy. But I can also imagine remaining in academia. 

Which advice would you like to give to students who consider enrolling in this degree programme?

You should read up in advance which foreign languages will be eligible for you. I would also recommend attending more classes in the first semester than required. Thus, you will find your curriculum in later semester easier to handle, especially if you’ve got to catch up on your Arabic proficiency certificate or the Latin proficiency certificate.