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Faculty of PhilosophyTranscultural Studies – Master

Students in the Master’s degree programme Transcultural Studies learn about cultural exchange processes, transformations and interweavings between, or in, Asia and Europe. The transregional approach applied in Transcultural Studies questions traditional ideas about cultures in ethnically contained, linguistically homogenous and territorially limited areas.

Facts & Formalities

DegreeMaster of Arts, Joint Degree
Type of programmeConsecutive
Start of programmeWinter semester only
Standard period of study4 semesters
Language(s) of instructionEnglish, German elective modules possible
Fees and contributions151.05 € / Semester
Application procedureConsecutive master’s programmes with access restriction
Application deadlinesInformation about deadlines can be obtained after you have put together a degree program.
May be studied as a minor subjectYes
Can be completed entirely in EnglishYes

Course Content

The Master’s degree programme Transcultural Studies combines theories, methods and research subjects from the humanities, cultural studies and social sciences. Thanks to the strong research-orientation, students gain insights into current transcultural scientific projects and research debates in the offered courses. Master students in the Transcultural Studies academic programme deal with various topics and area. The individual study focus is determined by their choice of one of three offered special fields:  

Students who select the field “Knowledge, Belief and Religion“ learn predominantly about topics such as creation and dissemination of knowledge, contact between religious networks, oceans and seas as places of (knowledge) exchange or the relationship between humans and their natural environment. 

The special field “Society, Economy and Governance“ comprises topics such as relationships between business and cultural or social change, migration studies, political ecology or links between Asian and European legal systems. 

In the special field “Visual, Media and Material Culture“, students discuss topics related to production, representation and reception of media, curation methods, construction of cultural landscapes in urban surroundings or autonomy and hierarchy in the arts and culture industry.

Course Structure

In their first semester, students deal with basic theories and methods of Transcultural Studies in an introductory module. At the same time, they begin to apply this knowledge in seminars. In the course of the first semester, they choose one of three special fields: “Knowledge, Belief and Religion“, “Society, Economy and Governance“ or “Visual, Media and Material Culture“. Choice of courses in the following semesters as well as the topic of the Master's thesis is based on the chose field. 

The aim of the second semester is for students to gain deeper insights into their chosen special field. Within their seminars, students learn about specific methods and theories associated with transcultural research and expand their region- and culture-specific knowledge.  

Students can design their third semester individually. Either they broaden their knowledge by enrolling in additional courses in Heidelberg, competing a research-oriented internship or studying at a university abroad. Further, students have the option of taking some of their courses in related Master’s programmes at Heidelberg University during the first three semesters. The fourth and final semester is dedicated exclusively to completion of the Master's thesis and successful graduation.