Integrating diversity in academic teaching: Theology and Religious Studies

The master's programme "Exploring a Discipline" offers a one-year curriculum in a sub-discipline within Theology and Religious Studies. This MA programme has been redeveloped with the aim to intentionally integrate attention for diversity in the teaching and learning processes. Besides stating goals and outcomes that offer possibilities to pay attention to the theme of diversity in teaching and learning, this programme also states goals and outcomes specifically related to diversity competencies. Diversity learning goals are assessed in three ways. First, emphasis is placed on interreligious hermeneutics, in particular through an intense experience of 'Scriptural reasoning'. Second, during the course of the master seminar, students are to engage with each other concerning their fields of interest, motivation, their uniqueness, and 'otherness' in the processes of learning and researching. Third, the internship offers students the opportunity to navigate between the different 'cultures' of the world of the student.