Master of Arts in Transcultural Studies Heidelberg University

English (100%)

The Master of Arts in Transcultural Studies at Heidelberg University is a research-oriented and interdisciplinary programme focusing on the regions of Asia (mainly South Asia and East Asia) and Europe. It is informed by the perspective that cultures are not contained within ethnically closed, linguistically homogeneous, and territorially bounded spheres, but that they are constituted through transformations and entanglements.
The courses of this programme address these issues by focusing on the changes which circulatory practices have undergone from past to present. Studying the dynamics of transcultural exchanges involves analysing the agency of participants in these developments and shifts over longer and shorter time spans. The programme is designed to provide substantive knowledge and methodological tools. Particular attention will be paid to introducing students to the integrated study of different types of records - objects, texts of different genres, visual, audio or digital media - with a view to fleshing out the ways in which people in specific regional contexts experience, contest, and represent these shifts.
Within the wide range of courses offered in the MA Transcultural Studies, students choose one of the three study foci within the programme. Each study focus cuts across disciplines and is not confined to one region. The three study foci are:

• Society, Economy, and Governance (SEG)
• Knowledge, Belief, and Religion (KBR)
• Visual, Media, and Material Culture (VMC)

The core courses are taught by the chairs of the Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies.
For more details on the study foci and the programme's academic staff, please refer to our website at https://www.hcts.uni-heidelberg.de/en/studies/masters-program-mats.

The lecture period at Heidelberg University usually begins in mid-October.

More information about the mode of study is available online.

While there is no fixed deadline, it is highly recommended to submit the application online by the end of June. This is very important for international applicants from non-EU countries in order to insure a timely enrolment.

Generally speaking, please submit your application by mid-September at the latest.

1,500 EUR per semester for non-EU students (introduced by the federal state of Baden-Württemberg)

Courses in the MA Transcultural Studies are mainly seminars that require a substantial amount of student participation (e.g. reading, presentation, etc.). The coursework is supported and supplemented by e-learning tools as well as digital media and technologies.
During the first semester, the theoretical foundation is laid, the second and third semesters are intended for extending and applying this foundation to one study focus and a certain region. The last semester is spent entirely on the writing of the Master's thesis.

For detailed information on the programme's structure and courses offered, please visit the website at https://www.hcts.uni-heidelberg.de/en/studies/masters-program-mats.

International Variant (Joint degree option, University of Kyoto)

Opportunity to study abroad in the mobility & research module with partners in Europe (ERASMUS) and outside Europe (mainly in Asia [e.g. Kyoto, Tokyo, Seoul] but also in the United States of America [Yale]) or to do a research-related internship in Germany or abroad (self-organised, but mentored by one of the MA thesis supervisors)

Research-oriented internships related to the studies are supported during the third semester, but are not compulsory.

Varied

1,500 EUR per semester for non-EU students (introduced by the federal state of Baden-Württemberg)

151.05 EUR

Applicants must hold a BA or equivalent (minimum three years of study) in a discipline of the humanities, cultural, or social sciences with an above-average grade.
For a comprehensive list of all requirements, please refer to the programme's website at https://www.hcts.uni-heidelberg.de/en/studies/masters-program-mats.

Applicants need to prove very good proficiency in English (level C1 according to CEFR).
For example:

• a minimum score of 100 in the internet-based or 600 in the paper-based TOEFL
• a minimum score of 7.0 in the IELTS

Furthermore, good knowledge of two more languages, including the respective mother tongue, is mandatory. Applicants have to prove their knowledge by documents indicating a degree in those languages or by language certificates accepted at Heidelberg University.
For more information, please visit https://www.hcts.uni-heidelberg.de/en/studies/masters-program-mats.

While there is no fixed deadline, it is highly recommended to submit the application online by the end of June. This is very important for international applicants from non-EU countries in order to insure a timely enrolment.

Generally speaking, please submit your application by mid-September at the latest.

No

Students wishing to work during their studies have numerous options within Heidelberg University and outside of the university. They can find jobs as student assistants in the university, working between 20-60 hours per month. Other popular student jobs include working as language tutors as well as in gastronomy or in various companies in the region.

Accommodation is available through student services or on the private market. Rent for a single room in a student residence is approx. 250 to 350 EUR.