Empires and Transcontinental Spaces
Empires and Transcontinental Spaces (M.A.)
Explore the diversity of the world and broaden your horizons in the Master’s degree program Empires and Transcontinental Spaces. Through study abroad, you’ll gain hands-on experience and immerse yourself in transatlantic, transpacific and European-Asian relations. The interdisciplinary program opens doors to exciting career opportunities. Be part of a global community critically questioning and shaping the history and future of the world.
Please note: From summer semester 2025, the Applications will be discontinued for the summer semester 2025. Course offerings will continue for enrolled students.
- Degree
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Duration of studies in semester
- 4
- Start of degree program
- Enrollment suspended for summer semester 2025, Summer semester, Winter semester
- Study location
- Erlangen
- Number of students
- 1-50
- Subject group
- Language and Cultural Studies
- Teaching language
- German and English
- Admission Requirements
- Qualification assessment
What is the degree program about?
The Master Empires and Transcontinental Spaces is an interdisciplinary degree program offered jointly by the departments of American Studies, Japanese Studies, Sinology and Modern and Contemporary History.
The degree program focuses on the critical examination of challenges such as populism, nationalism, regionalism, changing international-geopolitical power relations, climate change, and global threat scenarios such as terrorism, and its associated social challenges such as refugee movements and migration.
The Master’s degree program provides comprehensive knowledge of the historical interconnections of transcontinental spaces (Europe-Asia, Trans-Pacific and Trans-Atlantic), which is seen as a prerequisite for understanding the genesis of global problems and discussing sustainable solution strategies.
The central element of the degree program „Empires and Transcontinental Spaces“ is interdisciplinarity, which is understood in an integrative rather than an additive way. The Master combines the approaches of Area Studies with those of History and Cultural Studies and is decidedly research-oriented.
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1st year of study:
- Basic modules on history of North America, East Asia and Europe.
- Scientific work and writing in English and German
- Independent organization of a workshop or an excursion (competencies in science management)
2nd year of study:
- Interdisciplinary seminars in the respective focus area: Transatlantic, Transpacific or Europe-Asia
- Four-week research stay in Germany and abroad (see website for cooperation partners)
- Elective modules from subjects such as Philosophy and the Master Development Economics and International Studies
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The master’s degree program is designed for bachelor’s graduates in history, cultural studies, and political science, as well as students with degrees in regional studies (American Studies, English Studies, Japanese Studies, Sinology, Slavic Studies, or related disciplines).
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Possible career fields:
- Work in mass media, journalism and specialized journalism
- Consulting in the fields of politics and culture
- Work in political foundations, international institutions and NGO’s
- History marketing and history agencies, cultural institutions and cultural sponsoring
- Doctorate
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Special features of the degree program:
- Interdisciplinary team teaching in the profiling modules (modules 8 – 13), i.e. seminars are offered by lecturers from at least two disciplines.
- Research and fieldwork stays in Germany and abroad (tailored to the research interests of the students)
- Intensive teaching of key scientific skills, such as academic writing and academic speaking
- Acquisition of skills in science management and organization
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- Admission requirements (first semester)
- Qualification assessment
- Application deadline winter semester
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15.07.
- Application deadline summer semester
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15.01.
- Content-related admission requirements
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The master’s degree program in Empires and Transcontinental Spaces requires a completed first university degree with a subject-specific or related degree.
A degree in history, cultural studies, political science or regional studies (in particular Sinology, Japanese Studies and other Asia-related courses, English Studies, American Studies, Slavic Studies or related disciplines) is considered subject-related. In particular, two-subject and three-subject bachelor’s degrees, diploma degrees, degrees from universities of applied sciences as well as foreign degrees from courses of study in the above-mentioned fields are recognized as subject-related, provided that they contain at least 40 ECTS credits from one of the disciplines involved. Applicants with an overall grade of the degree of up to 2.50 are admitted directly to the master’s program; applicants with an overall grade of 2.51 to 3.00 are admitted only after a successful selection interview.
Detailed information on admission requirements can be found in the Subject Study and Examination Regulations M.A. Empires and Transcontinental Spaces and in the General Study and Examination Regulations for the Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs of the Faculty of Humanities and Department of Theology.
Language skills
- German language skills for international applicants
- DSH 2 or equivalent
- General language skills
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Knowledge of English and another modern foreign language (e.g. Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish) at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages must be proven. If no German degree or German university entrance qualification is available, German language skills at the DSH2 level must be proven.
Do you need help or more information?
Our Student Advice and Career Service (IBZ) is the central point of contact for all questions about studying and starting a degree programme. Our Student Service Centres and subject advisors support you in planning your studies.