| The most important facts at a glance: | |
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| Degree: | |
| Standard period of studies: | 4 semesters |
| Start: | Winter and summer semester |
| Admission restrictions: | Open admission |
| Application: | You find information on the application procedure for international students here. |
| Applicants with foreign certificates: | Language of instruction: German Required language certificate: DSH-2 |
| Deadlines: | Winter semester: April 1 - September 1 Summer semester: October 1 - March 1 |
| Required Bachelor's degree: | Anthropology (B.A.) |
| Homepage: | |
| Faculty: | Faculty 07: History and Cultural Studies |
| Accreditation: | The accreditation of study programmes for Bachelor and Master Degrees constitutes as a precondition for the granting of state approval. |
Subject Matter
This master's program offers students research-oriented university training in anthropology, which is a general and comparative social and cultural science. It focuses on the manifoldness of human lifestyles and analyses the differences and similarities between them. The program has an international focus and prepares its students not only for a career in academics or science, but also for professions that require a higher qualifications in general.
The core of the program is project-centered learning, during which the students prepare and carry out a research project under the supervision of the teaching staff of the institute.
The main areas of research of the institute in Mainz form the basis of the master’s program. It connects broad, theoretically founded analysis of topics, theories and methodologies related to anthropology with a research project. For this project, the students dive into a specific topic and region, plan and go on a research trip, and finally analyze, interpret, and present their research findings.
The main areas of research are in sub-Saharan Africa and include a variety of topics related to politics, religion, economics, anthropology, development, ethnicity and colonialism, but also encompass the ethnology/anthropology of media, research on migration and diaspora, and African literature, music, and popular culture. Therefore, students have a lot of freedom with regards to the structure and planning of their research project and the program in general. Regardless of their (regional) specialization, all students are taught to analyze human behavior in all regions in a way that is theoretically and methodically founded.
Master Entrance Requirements
- Applicants need a German or foreign B.A. in ethnology/anthropology or a similar degree in a field related to cultural, social or regional sciences. At least 40 credits for this degree should come from subjects related to cultural anthropology. Applicants who have at least 28 credits in this field can be admitted on the condition that they obtain the missing 12 credits in the first year of the master’s program. If the student does not manage to obtain these 12 credits in their first year, they will not be able to continue the program. The examination committee is responsible for these cases and will decide whether the student has fulfilled the requirements.
- Students are strongly advised to make an appointment with academic advising before and after their first year.
- Applicants who have earned their degree or higher education entrance qualification at an institution where classes were not taught in German must take the Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber (German Language Proficiency Examination for Admission to Higher Education for Foreign Applicants), also called the DSH.
Information
The International Office offers counselling for international students about the application process and general information.
The Academic Advisory Office offers specific information on the subject (List available in German only).
The Student representatives give information from a student perspective (List available in German only).