Dr. Marietta Van Der Tol

Assistant Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Marietta Van Der Tol. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

Marietta van der Tol is an Assistant Research Professor and Landecker Lecturer at the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge. Her research interests lie primarily in the comparative study of politics, law, and religion. Currently, she is leading a five-year research project titled 'Imagining Sacred Lands: 'Russian World', 'Hungarian World', 'Holy Serbia'', which examines the political imaginaries and territorial discourses surrounding these concepts. Marietta authored the book 'Constitutional Intolerance: Fashioning Europe’s Constitutional Repertoires', set to be published by Cambridge University Press in 2025. She has previously served as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government and as a Junior Research Fellow at New College, Oxford. Her work involves leading interdisciplinary networks focusing on nationalism, democracy, and religious thought in various contexts, examining the relationship between political authority and religious identities. She has a strong background in supervising MPhil and PhD students in the fields of politics, society, and religion, particularly around topics of democratic backsliding and transnational Christian nationalism, reflecting her deep engagement with contemporary political and theological issues.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Research Professor - Landecker Lecturer

— Present

Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge • Cambridge, UK

Focused on comparative politics, law, and religion within the context of a five-year Landecker Lectureship.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

— Present

Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford • Oxford, UK

Engaged in research on political theory and democratic engagement.

Junior Research Fellow

— Present

New College, University of Oxford • Oxford, UK

Worked on interdisciplinary projects related to religion and politics.

College Lecturer in Comparative Politics

— Present

St Peter’s College, University of Oxford • Oxford, UK

Taught modules on comparative politics.

College Lecturer in Politics

— Present

Lincoln College, University of Oxford • Oxford, UK

Teaching in History & Politics as part of the PPE program.

Requirements for University of Cambridge

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.7
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:25
Reading
Required:25
Writing
Required:25
Speaking
Required:25
Total
Required:110
Prerequisites
UK Bachelor's Degree with good Upper Second Class Honours or international equivalent Background in international relations, politics, law, economics, security or history is a definite asset
Application Checklist
  • Two academic references
  • Official transcripts
  • CV/Resume
  • Personal statement (approx 500 words)
  • Research proposal (1-2 pages/500 words)
  • Application fee (£50)
Specialization Notes

Standard postgraduate requirements for Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) and related humanities departments.