Anthropology of the Americas University of Bonn

All courses of the department will be conducted in English and/or Spanish. While some lecturers decide on the course language beforehand, it is also common to agree collectively on it.

Term papers and the Master's thesis can be submitted in German, English or Spanish.

Anthropology of the Americas is a unique Master's degree programme in Germany. The international programme is dedicated to the study of the past and present of indigenous societies of Latin America and their global entanglements. It combines the methodical skills and theoretical knowledge of the cultural and social studies with profound regional expertise of Latin America. The Master's programme aims at the consolidation of academic and interdisciplinary knowledge. Students learn various competences in the fields of archaeological, ethnohistorian, and ethnographic research, which allow them to take up occupations in many different areas, inside and outside of academia (e.g. national and international organisations and companies, cultural management, museums, science management, research & education).

We offer a particularly wide range of courses, covering the social changes from the beginnings of complex societies to colonial history and cultural and social issues of the present. Students can specialise in two key areas:

• They can specialise in cultural anthropology by focusing on sociopolitical and cultural processes and dynamics in present day Latin America, with a particular emphasis on the situation of indigenous societies.
• They can specialise in archaeology and ethnohistory by studying pre-Columbian societies on the basis of archaeological and epigraphic research (e.g. Mayan hieroglyphic writing) as well as transformation processes after the Spanish conquest.

Additionally, students can learn an Amerindian language (Aztec/Náhuatl, Yucatec Maya, Kaqchikel Maya, Quechua). Courses on the history and presence of indigenous societies in Central America and South America are offered on a regular basis. Moreover, partnerships with universities in Europe and Latin America offer opportunities to study abroad for one or two semesters.

In the winter semester, there is an orientation week organised by the LAMA student council.

Winter semester: Application is possible between 13 June and 15 September 2025.

Summer semester: Application period starts in December 2025

For more information, please visit the programme's website.

The programme involves a total of 120 ECTS composed of three compulsory modules (in total 25 ECTS) and a wide range of topics and perspectives in the elective module section (65 ECTS). The Master's thesis counts for 30 ECTS.

Each module (10 ECTS) contains two classes and a final module exam. The Master's programme includes an internship, which can be undertaken within an archaeological project, an exhibition project, an ethnographic museum or within a non-governmental organisation in Germany or abroad.

Students usually start in the first and second semesters with two compulsory modules (20 ECTS) and later develop their own regional and methodological specialisation within a broad offer of modules on archaeological, ethnohistorical, epigraphic, linguistic or anthropological research and/or museum studies (in sum 60 ECTS). The second to fourth semesters are used to acquire professional experience in research projects (museum, archaeology, anthropology, development with 5 ECTS). In the last part of the MA programme (mainly during the fourth semester), students develop their research-based MA theses and present their results in a lecture (5 ECTS) before finalisation.

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The department has several university partnerships in Europe and Latin America that enable students to spend at least one semester abroad, including tuition waivers and partial funding.

A career-oriented internship is required in the MA Anthropology of the Americas, e.g. internship at an internationally working institution, archaeological or anthropological research project, museum, content management (e.g. "Notas de Antropología", which is the department online journal, or on "Amerigrafías", which is the department blog).

No tuition fees

Approx. 315 EUR, includes a semester ticket for regional trains and buses all over Germany

700-1,200 EUR/month:

• accommodation in (shared) flat: 300-500 EUR
• food: 150-300 EUR
• other expenses (study material, household products, trips, etc.): 200-400 EUR 

For applicants from outside of Germany, a certified translation of the required credentials must be provided in either English or German along with the originals (also in PDF format).

Admission to the MA programme in Anthropology of the Americas requires a Bachelor's degree in a socio- or cultural-anthropological subject, or an archaeological or historically oriented subject that pertains to Latin American studies or Spanish studies. Applicants from other degree programmes must have obtained regional knowledge of the Americas (24 credits) achieved through separate studies or participation in events with an average grade of at least 2.3 (in the German grading system) in their previous studies.

See below for language requirements.

English skills of at least B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) are required of all applicants. Proficiency must be proven on the application by means of a school certificate (of at least five school years) or a certificate from appropriate consecutive language courses at universities or language and culture institutes.

For the MA programme in Anthropology of the Americas, additional proficiency in the Spanish language of at least three school years or from appropriate consecutive language courses at universities or language and culture institutes at the A2 level of the CEFR (or at the level of our Bachelor's module “Language Practical Propaedeutic 2”) is advised.

Winter semester: Application is possible between 13 June and 15 September 2025.

Summer semester: Application period starts in December 2025

For more information, please visit the programme's website.

For grant opportunities, see here.

Many students have part-time employment or student jobs, such as working as a student assistant at the university or in one of the many ministries and non-governmental organisations in Bonn. It is usually not difficult to find part-time employment that usually pays between 12 and 15 EUR per hour.

You can apply for a place in a student residence hall at the "Studierendenwerk". It is also possible to apply for a room without admission. You can find more information here.

The University of Bonn offers the “iStart Career Programme for International Students”.

With its more than 200 years of tradition, the University of Bonn is synonymous with world-renowned research at the highest level. Many of our departments have earned a stellar reputation in comparisons with both national and international competition. This is partly why we are one of 11 Universities of Excellence in Germany and are clearly among Europe’s top universities according to a number of prestigious rankings.

Together with our partners across the world, one of our aims in teaching and research is to help overcome some of the major economic, technological and societal challenges of the future through our joint efforts. In addition to research and teaching collaborations with partners around the globe, the University of Bonn is characterised by its diverse student body with more than 4,800 international students and doctoral candidates from over 135 countries.

The University of Bonn enjoys a high reputation worldwide for its research and teaching, which is also reflected in many international rankings in which it regularly ranks among the top 100 in the world. This international orientation has a long tradition: the university has maintained relationships with universities abroad for a long time. For example, the University of Bonn cooperates with over 300 partner universities from 45 countries within the framework of student exchange programmes. The internationality of the University of Bonn is also reflected in its range of courses: there are now 43 international degree programmes, many of which are taught entirely in English or other foreign languages or lead to a double degree with a partner university.

Good teaching forms the basis for enabling students to think, act and discuss topics scientifically. This is why it is so important for the University of Bonn that there is a lively exchange between students and lecturers. This is the only way to provide a comprehensive and excellent education. As an internationally renowned research university, we place particular emphasis on research-oriented teaching, which will be further promoted in both Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in the coming years.

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