The programme is fully taught in English. Knowledge of German is not required.
Programme duration
2 semesters
Beginning
Winter semester
Application deadline
Candidates may apply between 15 February and 31 March for the following winter semester (starting in October).
Tuition fees per semester in EUR
None
Combined Master's degree / PhD programme
No
Joint degree / double degree programme
No
Description/content
The Master's programme in Manuscript Cultures is a one-year course of study (60 ECTS points) that conveys central topics in the field of general manuscript research combined with specific skills. The degree programme promotes independent, critical, and analytical work with manuscripts. Students learn how to conduct cultural and scientific examinations of the texts, images, notes, and diagrams contained in the manuscripts (including the scientific material analysis). They develop creative approaches to answering complex scientific and scholarly questions. The covered range of manuscript cultures includes Asian, African, and European cultures.
The Master's programme is fostered by the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC) and Universität Hamburg's Cluster of Excellence "Understanding Written Artefacts" (UWA). Dedicated students benefit from the extensive range of guest lectures, conferences, and workshops offered in this specialist research environment.
Course organisation
Module MC-1 Manuscript Cultures in the Humanities introduces students to the terms, methods, and concepts of manuscript research on the basis of selected examples from prominent manuscript cultures in various typological, geographical, and chronological forms.
Students gain insight into the relevant fundamentals of codicology, palaeography, textual criticism, and cataloguing; students develop a comprehensive view of the materiality, production, transmission, and interaction of manuscripts in their respective cultures.
Module MC-2 Manuscript Cultures in the Natural Sciences deals with the relevant fundamentals of physics, chemistry, biology, and computer science; it introduces students to the theoretical fundamentals and methods of scientific materials analysis of manuscripts. Students practise the functional experimental application of methods of scientific materials analysis in a fully equipped manuscripts research lab.
Assessments in both modules include the following:
giving oral presentations
writing seminar papers
writing reports on selected research activities at the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (workshops, conferences, lectures)
In the free elective area (6 ECTS credits), students select elective courses from the degree programme as well as studium generale courses of the university's Faculty of Humanities according to their own interests. The elective area thus serves to reinforce interdisciplinary expertise, and it enables students to strengthen their interdisciplinary skills, allowing them to gain knowledge in other subject areas and to think outside the boundaries of their specialisation. Students have the option of choosing introductory language and/or specialist courses in order to acquire the required methodological knowledge to pursue a specialisation or greater knowledge of an individual topic.
A Diploma supplement will be issued
Yes
International elements
Specialist literature in other languages
Courses are led with foreign partners
International comparisons and thematic reference to the international context
Content-related regional focus
Special promotion / funding of the programme
DFG (e.g. Research Training Groups)
Course-specific, integrated German language courses
No
Course-specific, integrated English language courses
No
Tuition fees per semester in EUR
None
Semester contribution
Students have to pay a semester contribution of approx. 340 EUR per semester. It includes a semester ticket covering public transport in the Hamburg metropolitan area.
Costs of living
We recommend that single students budget at least 900 EUR per month to meet personal expenses (accommodation, living, health insurance, books).
Funding opportunities within the university
Yes
Description of the above-mentioned funding opportunities within the university
A first qualifying degree (BA/Magister Artium/Diplom) from a German or recognised foreign university in one of the subjects taught in the programme (African Studies, Ethiopian Studies, Ancient History, Art History, Assyriology, Austronesian Studies, Classical Archaeology, Coptology, Greek Studies, Historical Musicology, Indology, Iranian Studies, Islamic Studies, Japanese Studies, Jewish Philosophy and Religion, Medieval and Modern History, Sinology, Thai Studies, Turkology, Vietnamese Studies), or a related one.
We also welcome applications from candidates with a background in the natural sciences or computer sciences and an interest in manuscripts/inscriptions.
We expect candidates to prove English language skills on at least level B2 (a language certificate has to be submitted along with the application).
Knowledge of German is not required for the programme, but students are encouraged to learn some German for their daily life in Hamburg. An extra-curricular German language course is offered each semester.
Application deadline
Candidates may apply between 15 February and 31 March for the following winter semester (starting in October).
Submit application to
Applicants need to complete the online application available on Universität Hamburg’s STiNE application portal and, in a second step, submit a PDF summary of their submitted STiNE application as well as copies of their certificates and other documents (CV, letter of motivation) to the following e-mail address: merryl.rebello@uni-hamburg.de.
Accommodation is available through the "Studierendenwerk" (student services) or on the private market. The "Studierendenwerk" provides rooms in halls of residence, most of which are single rooms with shared kitchens and showers/WCs. We strongly advise students and researchers to arrange accommodation prior to arriving in Hamburg, as demand for affordable accommodation is sometimes larger than supply.
For more information on how to find accommodation and how to plan your first steps in Hamburg, please see: https://www.uni-hamburg.de/piasta/beratung/doc/willkommen.pdf.
Career advisory service
Being part of a research centre with a large international network, the Master's programme can serve as a bridge and starting point for students wishing to embark on a PhD in a discipline concerned with manuscripts and other written artefacts, be it in the humanities or in the natural sciences.
For those who would like to pursue a career in other fields, the university operates a Career Centre with an ample offer of courses, workshops, and training (in both English and German).
Support for international students and doctoral candidates
Buddy programme
Specialist counselling
Cultural and linguistic preparation
Welcome event
General services and support for international students and doctoral candidates
The Department of International Affairs offers comprehensive international student support. In addition to professional advising and counselling during all stages of the course of study, there is close cooperation with other advisory and counselling services at Universität Hamburg. International students will thus receive the necessary support and advice at any point during their studies.
Supervisor-student ratio
The size of the group (15 to 25 students) makes close interaction with the lecturers easy.
Universität Hamburg
University location
Activate map
To activate the map, click on the "Show map" button. We would like to point out that data will be transmitted to OpenStreetMap after activation. You can find out more in our privacy policy. You can revoke your consent to the transmission of data at any time.
We need your help to improve our website!
Dear students and all interested parties,
we are re-designing our website and want to include you in the process.
Please fill out a short questionnaire. This will only take a few minutes,
but will help us tremendously to determine how we can improve the usability of our website.
Thank you very much for your support!