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Master’s · Sociology & Social Sciences

Religion in the Public Sphere M.A.

Leibniz University Hannover · Hannover · Official programme page

20 facts from 7 official pages · last checked 14 November 2026

Reviewed by Dennis Maaß, admission and immigration expert
Published 8 November 2026 · Last reviewed 8 November 2026

Key facts

Length, deadlines and costs

Language
English
Source
“Language of Instruction English Language Requirements English B2”

www.uni-hannover.de/en/studium/studienangebot/info/studiengang/detail/religion-in-the-public-sphere-1/ · checked 14 November 2026

Taught entirely in English; only English (B2) is required for the application. A double-degree option with Università Roma Tre needs English C1, proven in the first semester.

Study mode
On campus
Source
“International Stay abroad possible, but not obligatory.”

www.uni-hannover.de/en/studium/studienangebot/info/studiengang/detail/religion-in-the-public-sphere-1/ · checked 14 November 2026

LUH flags its two distance-learning master's programmes as "Fernstudium" in the course type and charges additional fees for them; this programme is neither, and the page presents a stay abroad as the exception, so teaching takes place at the university in Hannover. No LUH page uses the words "on campus".

Length
4 semesters
Source
“Standard Course Duration 4 semesters”

www.uni-hannover.de/en/studium/studienangebot/info/studiengang/detail/religion-in-the-public-sphere-1/ · checked 14 November 2026

Credits
Not stated by the university
2 pages checked, 14 Nov 2026

Neither the programme page nor the admission regulations state the number of credit points.

Intakes
Winter
Source
“Course Start Winter semester Language of Instruction English”
“(1) Students may begin the master's degree programme Religion in the Public Sphere in the winter semester.” page

www.uni-hannover.de/en/studium/studienangebot/info/studiengang/detail/religion-in-the-public-sphere-1/ · checked 14 November 2026

Non-EU deadline
31 May 2027 (winter 2027)Early deadline for applicants from non-EU countries; the application window opens on 15 April 2027.
Source
“First-year students from Germany and the EU 1 June - 15 July of the year for the winter semester First-year students from non-EU countries ( VPD from uni-assist is required ) 15 April - 31 May of the year for the winter semester”

www.uni-hannover.de/en/studium/studienangebot/info/studiengang/detail/religion-in-the-public-sphere-1/ · checked 14 November 2026

Applicants from non-EU countries have an earlier deadline than everyone else: six weeks before the regular one. The uni-assist VPD must be applied for at least eight weeks before that, so a winter 2027/28 application means starting at uni-assist by the beginning of April 2027 at the latest (and the APS certificate, for Indian applicants, before that).

Non-EU tuition
None
Source
“The Leibniz Universität Hannover does currently not charge tuition fees , only a semester fee.”
“Expenses for students on the double degree track Please consult for information on enrollment fees the websites and the responsible departments of our partner universities in Rome and Stockholm .” page

www.irw.uni-hannover.de/en/studium/studiengaenge-und-studienfaecher/international-master-programme-religion-in-the-public-sphere/expenses-and-scholarships · checked 14 November 2026

The institute's own page confirms that only the semester fee is charged (it still quotes "around 430 to 440 Euros"; the current amount is 453.16 EUR). Students on the double-degree track pay the enrolment fees of the partner university in Rome or Stockholm as well.

Application fee
€75 one-off uni-assist handling fee for the first VPD application in a semester; 30 EUR for each further application in the same semester.
Source
“Pay the processing fee (€75 for the first application, €30 for each additional application in the same semester).”

www.uni-hannover.de/en/studium/vor-dem-studium/bewerbung-zulassung/voraussetzungen-zum-studium/vorpruefungsdokumentation · checked 14 November 2026

LUH itself charges nothing for the application in its own portal, but applicants from non-EU countries cannot apply without the uni-assist VPD, so the uni-assist fee is unavoidable. One VPD can be used for several master's applications in the same semester.

Places
Restricted (limited places)
Source
“Admission Restricted admission”
“Section 4 Admissions Procedure (1) Selection shall occur according to a ranking list which shall be established based on the final or average mark as per section 3 paragraph 2 letter a).” page

www.uni-hannover.de/en/studium/studienangebot/info/studiengang/detail/religion-in-the-public-sphere-1/ · checked 14 November 2026

Places are limited; applicants who meet the requirements are ranked by their final or average mark, with lots for ties.

Places for non-EU applicants
Separate quota · up to 40% of the available places · final or average mark of the first degree, with lots for ties
Source
“(2) Up to forty percent of the available places may be allocated in advance to applicants from non-EU countries as per section 4 paragraph 1 within the period mentioned in section 3 paragraph 1.”

www.uni-hannover.de/fileadmin/luh/studium/ordnungen/zugang/englische_uebersetzungen/zo_m_EN_religion_in_the_public_sphere.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

The only English-taught LUH programme whose regulations reserve a share of places for applicants from non-EU countries - and a large one. The places are allocated in advance, in the early application round that ends on 31 May, and ranked by the converted grade; places left over go into the regular procedure.

Admission

What you need to apply

3-year bachelor’s
Case by case
Source
“a bachelor's degree or an equivalent degree in a suitable previous degree programme as per appendix 1 at a German university or at a university in a Bologna signatory country or - an equivalent degree in a suitable previous degree programme at a different university abroad; equi”

www.uni-hannover.de/fileadmin/luh/studium/ordnungen/zugang/englische_uebersetzungen/zo_m_EN_religion_in_the_public_sphere.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

The regulations set no minimum number of semesters or credit points for the first degree: a bachelor's degree from a university in a Bologna signatory country counts, and for a degree from any other foreign university the selection committee decides on equivalence against the ZAB/anabin assessments. A three-year 180-credit bachelor's degree is the case the regulations are written around - applicants who have not finished yet are provisionally eligible with 150 credit points, described as 83.33% of a 180-credit programme - but nothing guarantees that a specific Indian, Nigerian or Pakistani three-year degree is accepted; the subject credits in the appendix must also be met, and missing modules can be imposed as conditions after enrolment.

Subject background
A bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in religious studies or sociology, or in a cultural or social science subject (anthropology, ethnology, history, cultural studies, Jewish studies, Islamic studies, political science, a regional science or comparable foreign programmes) with proof of in-depth knowledge relevant to the study of religions. The selection committee decides on suitability and may impose up to 30 credit points of conditions within two semesters.
Source
“OR a Bachelor''s degree or equivalent degree in a religious studies or sociology programme or subject. Alternatively, a Bachelor''s degree or equivalent degree in a cultural or social science field of study (primarily anthropology, ethnology, history, cultural studies, Jewish studies, Islamic studies, political science, a regional science as well as comparable courses of study abroad with a corresponding foreign language designation) with proof of in-depth knowledge of content relevant to the study of religions.”
“a bachelor's degree or an equivalent degree in a suitable previous degree programme as per appendix 1 at a German university or at a university in a Bologna signatory country or - an equivalent degree in a suitable previous degree programme at a different university abroad; equi” page

www.uni-hannover.de/en/studium/studienangebot/info/studiengang/detail/religion-in-the-public-sphere-1/ · checked 14 November 2026

Minimum grade
Not stated by the university
2 pages checked, 14 Nov 2026

No minimum grade; the final or average mark only sets the position on the ranking list.

How your grade is converted
Foreign grades are converted into the German grading system by uni-assist in the Vorprüfungsdokumentation (VPD); LUH's selection then uses that converted grade. LUH publishes no conversion table or formula of its own.
Source
“For applicants from non-EU countries , grades will be converted by uni-assist and listed in the VPD.”
“In addition, your grades are converted into the German grading system.” page

www.uni-hannover.de/en/studium/vor-dem-studium/bewerbung-zulassung/voraussetzungen-zum-studium/zulassungsarten · checked 14 November 2026

Applicants from Germany and the EU have their grades converted by LUH's own admissions team instead. The converted grade is what the ranking list is built on.

English
Level B2. IELTS 5.5 · TOEFL iBT 72 · TOEFL band 4 · Home Edition accepted · PTE 59. Cambridge: B2 First (previously FCE). telc English B2/C1 University and UNIcert II are also accepted. TOEFL, IELTS and PTE certificates are valid for two years; telc, Cambridge and UNIcert certificates have no expiry date.
Source
“Test of English as a Foreign Language ( TOEFL® iBT or Home Edition ) with a result of 4.0 or 4.5 (previously at least 72 points) International English Language Testing System ( IELTS Academic, paper-based, digital or online) with a result of 5.5 B2 First (previously FCE ) Pearson Test of English ( PTE Academic, paper-based or digital) with a result of at least 59 points telc English B2⋅C1 University UNIcert ® II”
“(3) Proof of English language proficiency (level B2 CEFR) is required for eligibility to apply for the Home Track of the master's degree programme Religion in the Public Sphere.” page

www.uni-hannover.de/en/studium/vor-dem-studium/bewerbung-zulassung/voraussetzungen-zum-studium/sprachnachweise · checked 14 November 2026

B2 for the Home Track in Hannover; the double degree with Università Roma Tre needs C1, to be proven in the first semester rather than with the application. The minimum is the CEFR level in the admission regulations; the accepted certificates and scores come from LUH's central list of language certificates (edition 02/2026). TOEFL iBT Home Edition is accepted and the TOEFL minimum is given on both scales (old 0-120 score and the 1-6 band scale of January 2026). The Duolingo English Test appears on no LUH page, so it is not among the accepted certificates, but LUH does not say it is refused either; the central page warns "The information provided here is not exhaustive." TOEFL scores can be sent electronically, for which the web page gives DI code 7122 and the PDF list DI code 7211 - ask the Admissions Office which is current.

German
Not needed when applying
Source
“Language of Instruction English Language Requirements English B2”

www.uni-hannover.de/en/studium/studienangebot/info/studiengang/detail/religion-in-the-public-sphere-1/ · checked 14 November 2026

The programme page lists English B2 as the only language requirement, and the admission regulations ask for no German.

Selection
Ranking by the final or average mark, with lots for ties, after up to 40% of the places have been allocated in advance to applicants from non-EU countries. A two-to-three-page CV in German or English is required, and applicants must state whether they want the double degree with Università Roma Tre.
Source
“b) a curriculum vitae of two or three pages (in German or English),”

www.uni-hannover.de/fileadmin/luh/studium/ordnungen/zugang/englische_uebersetzungen/zo_m_EN_religion_in_the_public_sphere.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

Applicants who have not graduated yet can be admitted provisionally with 150 credit points, with proof due by 15 September.

India, Pakistan, Nigeria

Rules for applicants from India, Pakistan and Nigeria

English test waiver
Possible for applicants from India, Nigeria, Pakistan, with a school-leaving certificate from an English-medium school or with enough English at school, or with a previous degree taught in English
Source
“Applicants who can present evidence of a university entrance qualification in the language mentioned or who have completed a bachelor's degree taught in English are not required to provide evidence of sufficient English language proficiency.”

www.uni-hannover.de/fileadmin/luh/studium/ordnungen/zugang/englische_uebersetzungen/zo_m_EN_religion_in_the_public_sphere.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

Two routes without a test: a school-leaving certificate (university entrance qualification) in English, or a bachelor's degree taught in English - both common for applicants from India, Nigeria and Pakistan. The exemption covers the B2 requirement for the Home Track; the double degree with Rome needs C1.

Rules that name these countries
  • India: Applicants with Indian school or university transcripts must submit an individual APS certificate with their application, and need it before they can apply for the uni-assist VPD; group APS certificates are not accepted.
    Source
    “Applicants with school or university transcripts from Vietnam, India, and China (excluding Macao and Hong Kong) must submit an individual APS certificate or an APS certificate with their application. This is required in order to apply for the VPD .”

    www.uni-hannover.de/en/studium/vor-dem-studium/bewerbung-zulassung/voraussetzungen-zum-studium/aps-bescheinigung · checked 14 November 2026

    China and Vietnam are named in the same rule. LUH exempts applicants from India who already live in Germany without a visa procedure, who earned their highest relevant university degree outside India, who passed a Studienkolleg assessment test, or who hold a German or EU scholarship. No rule on LUH's pages names Nigeria or Pakistan.

The rules for your country across all universities, and the visa rules on English tests, are on the India, Pakistan and Nigeria pages.

More on this programme

Every value was read on an official page and is stored with a verbatim quote; open “Source” to see it. “Not stated by the university” means none of the pages we checked says, and lists those pages. Rules change: confirm with the university before you apply or pay.