Duration: 2 years
Language of instructions: English
Programme capacity: 25 persons
Start date: October 2023
Application deadlines: June/July 2023
Fees: Studies free of chargé

We invite students to apply for the fee-free two-year second degree programme “History of Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations” taught in English. Ancient civilizations are an exciting field for conducting research, and numerous research sources open up possibilities for undiscovered interpretations of the past. The master’s programme is highly interdisciplinary. The core curriculum is based on history (70 %), archaeology (20 %) and cultural and religious sciences (10 %).

We also offer general education classes on the ancient world. The obligatory canon of knowledge (e.g., Mesopotamian, Greek and Roman history, ancient literature and philosophy) has the possibility of broadening individual interests through the addition of class modules on early Christianity and literature, ancient Judaism, history of women, history of ancient slavery and discriminated groups, and the plurality of legal systems among other topics. The offer of tailor-made courses includes workshops that develop research competencies, such as reading groups and the intensive, practical study of an ancient language (e.g., Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Akkadian, Coptic or Hebrew) to enable students to read and interpret ancient sources in their original languages. Students will also choose from a wide variety of courses such as epigraphy, papyrology, numismatics, ancient historiography, the interpretation of cuneiform texts or specialized classes in source criticism or the editing ancient texts.

An additional module focuses on developing competences in digital humanities and academic writing. The module includes diverse workshops on the use of digital tools for text processing, in particular the editing and data processing used in the work of historians, papyrologists, epigraphers and numismatists. A distinctive feature of this programme is the field training: not only practical geodata collection, but also an engrossing, Mediterranean tour, funded by the Faculty.

The small size of our courses fosters a collaborative educational environment and provides the opportunity for individual mentoring. All abovementioned activities lead to the achievement of the primary objective of our studies: students’ proficiency in conducting high-quality research using a wide range of methods.

The studies conclude with a diploma in history.