Kirchliches Examen Catholic Theology at University of Bonn

The “God question,”—who or what is God?—which is then immediately formulated as “the man question”—who or what is man?—is a key part of the study of Catholic theology, whose goal it is to scientifically explore the content and tradition of the Christian faith. At Bonn’s Faculty of Catholic Theology, prospective priests, “lay theologians” of the Archdiocese of Cologne and the Diocese of Aachen, are trained. Students first learn the theological and philosophical fundamentals.

Duration: 10 semesters (5 years)  |  Study mode: full-time; German-taught; Kirchliches Examen (church degree)  |  Intake: Wintersemester (winter semester)  |  Location: Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

What you will study

The Bible and historical church texts constitute an existential basis for the study of theology. The study of such basic texts requires knowledge of Latin, Greek and Hebrew. The precise language requirements depend on the targeted degree and the professional area the student intends to enter later on.

Career pathways

Priest of a religious order (parishes, hospitals, prisons, student groups, boarding schools, etc.), administrative specialist, pastoral associate, journalism (news agencies, press, radio, television, etc.), archives, teaching at a German public school, academia (teaching/research at universities, research institutions, etc.)

Official programme page