History
(Master of Arts)

The modules offered in the Master’s degree programme, which can be combined in many ways, enable students to explore key academic debates and issues in their relevant areas of specialisation on the basis of theories, source analysis and the reading of historical specialist literature. From the first to the third semester, seminars and accompanying research or reading courses give students the opportunity to discuss research literature and methodologies, to operationalise their own issues and to develop hypotheses – in the context of seminar papers. Students practice giving professional oral and written presentations, and receive detailed feedback, which they then implement in the fourth semester, which is set aside for writing and defending their Master’s thesis. Lecturers advise students on the choice and coordination of their specialisations, and help them to decide whether they wish to pursue one of the areas of professional skills development in Germany or abroad.

Students should have an enquiring mind with the wish to learn about the having-become of familiar and unknown worlds; they should enjoy reading, researching and getting to the bottom of complex issues, and should be interested in the political and economic dimension of contemporary and past societies. Good foreign language skills are also useful (depending on the chosen specialisation) as well as an enjoyment in preparing knowledge for oral or written presentation to others, possibly with the use of media.

Graduates are qualified to pursue a wide range of – national and international – professional fields:

• International organisations and NGOs
• Parliaments, local authorities
• University and non-university research institutions (including archive work at senior service level)
• Diplomatic service
• Museums, memorials and other facilities in the cultural sector
• Print media, radio, TV and the digital media
• Scientific publishers
• Private sector (companies, banks and their archives)