Programme Overview
Final degree: Master of Arts (M.A.)
Start of studies: Winter semester
Standard period of study: 4 semesters
Language of instruction: English
Admission: Apply here!
Language proficiency: English B2 level and German A1 level (can be obtained at the university within first year of studies)
The Master of African Studies: Critical Perspectives on Society, Politics, Culture (M.A.) combines the social science disciplines of social and cultural anthropology, sociology, political science, and religion into one dynamic programme. The programme allows students to specialize in one of the abovementioned areas through an extensive Africa-related course selection available in each of the disciplinary areas.
Students acquire an in-depth appreciation for diverse knowledge systems, multiple understandings of Africa, key debates in African Studies, and current social and political developments on the continent, as well as the global processes and contexts that constitute them. Significantly, the guiding principle of the M.A. is that the generation of knowledge today can no longer be limited to the old intellectual traditions of Europe. The examination of knowledge production in Africa is exemplary for a decentered view of perspectives from and with the Global South.
The programme teaches students to become adept researchers and professionals who are both knowledgeable about the specifics of Africa-related issues and able to engage their chosen disciplines critically from their study of the African region. Through the interdisciplinary course of study, students learn to sharpen their analytical and empirical research skills, and become better equipped to participate responsibly, reflectively, and critically in the shaping of societies.
This programme is characterized by interdisciplinarity and the freedom to choose your own individual study focus. It includes activities that represent a total of 120 ECTS, resulting from the following areas:
- 3 Core Modules (A: Total 15 ECTS)
- 3 Complementary Disciplines (B: Total 15 ECTS)
- 4 Core Seminars in 1 Discipline (C/D/E: Total 20 ECTS)
- 3 General Electives (G: 15 ECTS)
- 2 Language Courses (L: 8 ECTS)
- Study Project (P: 20 ECTS)
- Master’s Thesis + Master’s Research Seminar (M: 27 ECTS)
The M.A. begins with an introduction to the field of interdisciplinary African Studies, with a focus on the social sciences. A second core module offers a seminar on current debates in the study of Africa, taking up a topical issue or research frontier that we will engage from different disciplinary angles. A third core module brings insights into the contemporary politics of knowledge production and important debates around epistemologies of the Global South, including knowledges born within the struggles against racism, enslavement, colonialism, capitalism, patriarchy and coloniality.
The introduction to basic theoretical concepts and the interdisciplinary approach to African Studies is complemented by a disciplinary introduction to three of the social and cultural studies subjects that constitute the programme.
Students select one discipline, in which 4 core courses are taken. Here students receive in-depth teaching that also includes methods training within the chosen core subject, which can then be applied to the Study Project and the Master Thesis.
Students also have to take elective modules, in which additional courses can be selected from the wide range of Africa-related courses available across the university (within or beyond the M.A. participating disciplines). An overview of Africa-related study programmes at the University of Bayreuth is available here.
(African) Language courses can also be integrated into the study programme. UBT offers classes in several African languages including Kiswahili, Bambara and Hausa, as well as a host of other languages relevant to the study of the continent (e.g., Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, etc.) Find more information at the University of Bayreuth’s Language Centre.
At the heart of the M.A. in African Studies are: 1) the Study Project carried out with a supervisor in the chosen focal area, and 2) the Master Thesis. The Study Project focuses on developing and implementing an empirical research project. In many cases, this will involve fieldwork, but may also include archival research, interviews, document analysis and other forms and methods of primary data collection. These projects are an opportunity for students to put into practice the skills they have gained through their coursework, with guidance from senior teaching staff.
The Master Thesis rounds out the degree programme and can, but need not, be thematically related to the Study Project. The Thesis is an independent piece of written research in which students seek to answer a core research question, embedding their findings in the current theoretical debates of their respective disciplines, with reference to methods, ethics, positionality, and modes of knowledge production. Importantly, both the Study Project and the Master Thesis can be designed in an interdisciplinary manner.
- 3 Core Modules (A: Total 15 ECTS)
Important Documents:
- Module HandbookThe full module handbook of the M.A. in African Studies (Version 2026.02)
- Academic and Examination RegulationsThe academic and examination regulations for the M.A. in African Studies programme (Version 2026.04)
- Sample Study SchemeAn overview of all modules and an example of how a full-time student might organize their studies to ensure the feasibility & successful completion of the degree.
The University of Bayreuth is one of the most important European universities for African Studies with more than 40 chair groups that have a research focus on Africa. This enables students to pursue a broad and interdisciplinary range of courses. Bayreuth's university library offers students the second largest book and media collection on Africa in Germany with currently 155,000 volumes and media. The “Africa Multiple” Cluster of Excellence and the Bayreuth Academy of Advanced African Studies make the University of Bayreuth a hub for research in African Studies. Successful graduates of our Master's degree in African Studies also have the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree through the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS). Further opportunities of working in Bayreuth in Africa-related fields present themselves through working at the Institute of African Studies (IAS).