Program Overview

Program Overview

The Chinese Studies academic programme at the Faculty of Philosophy is a Master's degree that focuses on both traditional and contemporary aspects of China. This includes the role played by China in the greater world and the associated diversified exchange processes that link both China's history and its present-day existence to other regions.

Facts and Formalities

• Degree: Master of Arts
• Type of programme: Consecutive
• Start of programme: Winter and summer semester
• Standard period of study: 4 semesters
• Language(s) of instruction: German, English, Chinese. The program is German accredited, German is admission requirement
• Fees and contributions: 161.10 € / Semester
• Application procedure: Consecutive master’s programmes with access restriction
• Application deadlines: Information about deadlines can be obtained after you have put together a degree program.
• Part-time option: Yes
• May be studied as a minor subject: Yes

Course Content

Students in the Master’s degree programme in Chinese Studies will receive instruction in in-depth research methods as well as in subject-specific content in Sinology, including their application in scientific practice. The course content of this degree programme stems from and is shaped by a deep intellectual curiosity about foreign cultures, within which, however, China (including both Taiwan and Greater China) is not viewed as isolated research object within the East Asian region. Regional aspects will also be examined in equal depth. The focus of this consecutive Master’s degree programme is therefore the examination of specific China-related topics on the basis of knowledge of the entire region.

Research questions investigated by the student will include the areas of language, culture and literary studies as well as sociological-historical topics within Chinese Studies. As China specialists, graduates of this degree programme will have obtained a comprehensive, transcultural, and comparative understanding of Chinese culture and society. Students will expand their previously-acquired knowledge and skills, strengthen their linguistic ability, and pursue topics of particular personal interest in the areas of culture, literature, and sociological-historical topics.

It is mandatory to choose a minor subject in combination with this Master programme.

Course Structure

The degree programme consists of one general section and one specialised section:

• The general section
• The specialised section is divided into two specialisations:
  • Classical Chinese Studies
  • Modern Chinese Studies

The modules in the Master’s degree programme in Chinese Studies are topic-based and are subdivided as follows:

• Research competence modules
• Language competence modules
• Interdisciplinary competence acquisition modules
• Examination modules

Students in this Master’s degree programme are required to also pursue a minor in another subject. Students may generally choose a minor in any other subject, providing that an appropriate minor in a Master’s degree programme exists.

Conversely, the Master’s degree programme in Chinese Studies may also be taken as a minor and another subject may be studied as the major.

Students are recommended to begin their studies in the winter semester.

Additional Degrees

• Bachelor 25%
• Master of Education (M.Ed.)
• Master of Education Extension Subject