M.A. African Culture and Society

African Culture and Society

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

• Winter Semester (recommended) and Summer Semester
• 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 Culture and Society" provide detailed information on admission, the course of studies, module areas and exams.

• A first degree with focus on social anthropology, sociology of development, social sciences, or cultural studies (e.g. social anthropology, sociology/sociology of development, history, art studies, museum studies, cultural management, Romance studies, or English studies).
• Applications have to be submitted by July 15th or January 15th in order to be reviewed if all admission requirements are met.
  
• Language Proficiency: B2 German

Our master's programme "African Culture and Society" particularly aims at students highly interested in contemporary societies and cultural processes in Africa. Profoundly examining two selected areas of African studies and working on a research project are the pivotal elements of this MA programme. The two areas mentioned above can be combinations of the following disciplines as elective modules:

• A Cultural and Social Anthropology
• B Sociology of Africa & Development Policy
• C African History
• D Curation & Arts
• E Études Francophones
• F English Studies and Anglophone Literatures

The programme helps to develop basic academic skills and supports students to gain scientific expertise in their two chosen disciplines as well as in selected multidisciplinary topics. In addition to the above-mentioned elective modules, three compulsory modules are offered as well. These are:

• G Study projects
• H Complementary African studies
• I Specialization

Module G is mandatory and tends to a six-to-eight-weeks-long study project (e.g. field research, archival work, or cultural projects) which students have to prepare, carry out and evaluate afterwards. It provides the basis for their master's thesis and has to be integrated in theoretical-conceptual contexts. Module G's methodological objective is to apply the acquired theoretical knowledge to the field based on a selected topic.

A profound examination of their research topic throughout their study project enables students to gain valuable skills for pursuing an academic or non-university career. The MA programme lays the foundation for further studies (postgraduate courses, PhD) in the field of African studies. In addition, it also qualifies succesful graduates to not only take up academic positions but also to work interdisciplinary as their specialist knowledge on African culture and society helps them to engage challenging and complex contexts both theoretically and empirically. Students receive a sound methodological training which enables them to successfully identify questions and problems as well as to contribute to their solution - preparing them excellently for future work. Depending on the chosen subjects and interests during their studies, students' career opportunites lie in development cooperation, media and culture, tourism, at international organisations or in diplomatic work.

The University of Bayreuth is one of the most important European locations for interdisciplinary research on Africa, with more than 40 professors and lecturers who have chosen Africa as their main research area. The Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS) is funded by the Excellence Initiative of the German federal and state governments and offers successful graduates of the master's programme the opportunity to pursue in-depth doctoral studies.

Successful graduates are pre-eminently qualified for taking up positions of responsibility in an international surrounding. Depending on the combination of the subjects chosen during their studies, students have varying fields of expertise and employment opportunities. National and international organisations, e.g. the GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation), FAO, UNDP, World Bank but also NGOs, human rights organisations and consulting agencies, have a growing demand of qualified staff who can offer specialist and practical knowledge in social and cultural studies. Other interesting job options are in the fields of diplomatic work, media relations, arts, intercultural relations as well as tourism. In these areas, companies and institutions seek to strengthen their teams with highly motivated and international-oriented cultural scientists who are able to think outside the subject-specific box. Moreover, the master's programme lays the foundation of further studies (postgraduate courses, PhD) in the field of African studies and paves the way for an academic career.

• Programme guide
• Application for review of your documents whether admission requirements are met (PDF)
  
• Module handbook (status: 10.09.2013)
• Study and Examination regulations (status: 05.10.2011)
• Information concerning the course of studies on the website of the University of Bayreuth
• Registration of master’s thesis

• Programme Coordinator: Dr. Barbara Polak
  
• Programme Advisor: Prof. Dr. Erdmute Alber 
  
• Chair of the Board of Examiners: Prof. Dr. Erdmute Alber