Program Overview

Introduction to the Joint Degree Master in Transcultural Studies

The Joint Degree Master of Arts in Transcultural Studies (JDTS) is an English language, research-oriented master program that combines interdisciplinary education with a transregional focus predominantly on East, South, and South-East Asia as well as Europe. This program is offered by Kyoto University and Heidelberg University.

About the Program

Program Outline

The study program is situated at two partner institutions, the Graduate School of Letters (GSL) of Kyoto University and the Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies (HCTS) of Heidelberg University. Students enrolled in the program begin their studies at one of these two partners, their home institution, but spend an equal amount of time at the other university. Supervised by international faculty of both, the GSL and the HCTS, students submit a single master thesis to receive a Master of Arts degree jointly awarded by both universities upon completion.

Transregional Outlook

The transregional outlook of the JDTS is based on the perspective that cultures are not contained within ethnically closed, linguistically homogenous and territorially bounded spheres. Instead, they are constituted through transformations and entanglements that follow from contacts and relationships between various agents, concepts, and institutions. Transcultural Studies combine methodological and theoretical approaches from a broad spectrum of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.

Study Focus

The study program expands the regional and disciplinary competences students have obtained in their Bachelor degrees or another Master degree. Students of the JD Transcultural Studies acquire empirical knowledge on historical and contemporary moments of exchange as well as on theories and methodologies to frame and analyze such processes. In their two years of studies, students choose one of three study foci:

• Society, Economy and Governance
• Knowledge, Belief and Religion
• Visual, Media and Material Culture

Course Work

As a research-oriented and interdisciplinary study program, the JDTS requires from its students a high degree of self-organization and willingness to engage with a variety of subjects and approaches. The JD Transcultural Studies is a full-time program. Students attend 5-7 classes per semester, most of which will be (research-based) seminars. Particular attention is being paid to introducing students to the integrated study of different types of sources – objects, texts, visual, audio, or digital media.

Qualification Goals

As a research-oriented degree program, the JD Transcultural Studies is primarily designed to train its students for a successful career in international academia. Consequently, the course guides them in developing key practical skills (e.g., academic writing) but also in building upon and extending their disciplinary, regional, and methodological competencies. Upon completion of the program, students will be able to independently conceptualize a research question, critically evaluate and incorporate relevant theories and methods from a number of disciplines, apply them to selected material, and present their results according to international academic standards.

Career Options

In line with the program’s qualification goals, many of our graduates apply their academic training to pursue a PhD degree either in Japan, Germany, Europe, Asia, or the United States. Other graduates utilize the research training, intercultural competency, and ability for independent, critical thinking they have acquired in their studies to pursue a career in other fields of employment, e.g., in international NGOs, in political foundations, in art/cultural management, or in marketing and human resource departments of multinational businesses.

Student Voice

The program has received positive feedback from its graduates, who appreciate the unique perspective and academic skills they gained during their studies. For example, one graduate stated, “I definitely recommend this program to anyone who is willing to work hard and challenge their views about cultural phenomena and area studies. Regardless of what you decide to do after, JDTS at Kyoto and Heidelberg universities will give you a new perspective on things that you encounter every day and endow you with academic skills applicable in many fields.”

Cooperating Projects and Institutions in Research and Education

The program cooperates with several institutions, including:

• Kyoto University
• Kyoto Graduate School of Letters
• Heidelberg University
• Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies

These cooperations enhance the program's research and educational activities, providing students with a rich and diverse learning environment.