Master's in Social and Cultural Anthropology

The University of Tübingen is a public research university located in Tübingen, Germany. It was founded in 1477 and is one of the oldest universities in the country. The university offers undergraduate and graduate programs in fields such as humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, law, and medicine. The University of Tübingen is known for its research in fields such as theology, philosophy, history, and linguistics.

The M.A. in “Social and Cultural Anthropology” is an international research-oriented two-year study program. It provides in-depth knowledge of the social and cultural variation in the world, and teaches students an understanding of the similarities between social systems and human relationships. Our courses aim to create an understanding of the interrelationships between different aspects of society and therefore cover a wide range of topics such as religion, migration and integration, economic and political organization, health and illness, ritual and performance, violence and memory, patterns of exchange, kinship and solidarity, and socio-cultural diversity. Students spend their third semester either engaging in a research project or working as an intern in an organization, for example, an NGO, a school or a museum. The ability to critically analyze and reflect on the dynamics and specificity of societies and cultures in a global context constitutes the core principle underlying this program. Students learn to understand both connections within societies and connections between societies. A detailed study of local life in a particular society or a delineated social environments the methodological entrance to such an in-depth understanding. Curriculum content Students attend courses on regional, theoretical and thematic topics and have an opportunity to get training in the field of Applied Anthropology. In the third semester students go abroad to either Central or South Asia where they conduct a research project or work as an intern in an organization. We have contacts in the region and can help students to organize their stay abroad. We have cooperation agreements with Universities in Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Collaboration with the Institutes of Slavic Studies, Indology and Islamic and Oriental Studies provides additional depth and strength to our teaching and supervision. The regional focus on South and Central Asia is complemented by research and courses on Africa and the Middle East. The anthropological library of the University of Tuebingen offers access to a wide range of sources and research literature to facilitate high quality teaching and research. The degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology offers a variety of employment perspectives. The program aims at linking theoretical and practical knowledge in order to enable students to work in different professional fields such as: museums and cultural institutions, development agencies, health organizations, intercultural mediation, international organizations, education, business, international relations. The program runs for two years. It commences each winter semester.