M.A. African Studies

African Studies: Critical Perspectives on Society, Politics, Culture

• 4 Semesters / 120 ECTS
  
• Master of Arts (M.A.)

• The M.A. in African Studies: Critical Perspectives on Society, Politics, Culture can only be started in the winter semester (mid of October). The exact date will be in your admission letter. You can also find the official start of the lecture period (called “Vorlesungsbeginn” in German) here.
  
• Application deadline for each winter semester: July 15
  
• Applications are to be submitted via our application site CAMPUSonline. For information on the process, please follow this link.
• Enrolment before the start of the semester is done directly via the website of the student administration office, where the documents necessary for enrolment are listed as well. The study and examination regulations of the master's programme "African Studies" provide detailed information on admission, the course of studies, module areas and exams.

• A bachelor’s degree is required in a social sciences-, humanities-, or history-oriented degree programme with a grade of “2.5” or better.

• The application period ends for international students on 15 July.
  Applicants from outside the EU who have obtained their degree abroad have to upload the application documents also via uni-assist and undergo a fee-based special procedure. Please apply for your VPD (preliminary review documentation) via uni-assist as early as possible (at least 6-8 weeks before the application deadline for the desired degree programme at the University of Bayreuth).
  
  For more information, please visit our Applications and Admissions site.

• Language Proficiency: B2 English, A1 German
  All courses are taught exclusively in English. In addition to your knowledge of English (level B2), you must also prove your knowledge of German for daily life (level A1). If you have no knowledge of German at the time of your application, you have the option of turning this in by the end of the 2nd semester. German courses are offered at the University of Bayreuth's Language Centre. More language courses in Bayreuth can be found through the IIK or the Volkshochschule. We strongly recommend to our international students to start with the language classes as soon as possible. In some cases, you might be able to take the first German classes at your current location even before coming to Bayreuth.
  

This programme is characterized by interdisciplinarity and the freedom to choose your own individual study focus.  It includes activities that represent a total of 120 ECTS, resulting from the following areas:

3 Core Modules: Interdisciplinary African Studies (Total 15 ECTS)
Introduction to African Studies, Key Debates, Contemporary Politics of Knowledge 

3 Core Disciplines, each with a focus on Africa (Total 15 ECTS)
Choose from the following:

1. Sociology & Politics
2. Social & Cultural Anthropology
3. History
4. Religion
   
   

4 Core Seminars from within one chosen focal area (Total 20 ECTS)
These classes include methods training for a Study Project and the Master Thesis

3 Electives from across the broader university (15 ECTS)
An overview of Africa-related study programmes at UBT is available here.

2 Language Courses (8 ECTS)
UBT offers classes in several African languages including Kiswahili, Bambara and Hausa, as well as a host of other languages relevant to the study of the continent (e.g., Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, etc.)

Study Project (20 ECTS)
The Study Project focuses on developing and implementing an empirical research project, putting learned skills into practice with guidance from senior teaching staff

Master's Thesis + Colloquium (27 ECTS)
The Master’s Thesis is an independent piece of written research in which students seek to answer a core research question

Graduates of the programme are well prepared for academic positions in universities and research institutions, as well as for non-academic careers. Students’ experience with international research makes them particularly suited to projects involving international and intercultural cooperation, including positions in public and media relations, in non-governmental or international organizations, or in diplomacy. The specialized knowledge acquired in the M.A., both the analytical potential and the ability to conceive and critically reflect, is in great demand at national and international institutions, which have a growing need for qualified employees with interdisciplinary, social science training.  Other important fields of activity are offered in tourism, education and training, museums and archives, or corporate public relations, which are looking for professionally competent and internationally oriented scholars and social scientists who are able to work beyond narrow subject boundaries.

Module handbook African Studies, M.A.
Examination regulations African Studies, M.A.

Contact points in the department
Programme coordinator: Dr. Biruk Terrefe

Central contact points
Prospective students: Student Advising
For international students: International Office
Examination Office: Examination Office Faculty V - Humanities & Social Sciences