Master's degree African Studies (MA)

Exhibitions are regularly organised in the corridor of the institute.

Exhibitions are regularly organised in the corridor of the institute. © Carl-Philipp Bodenstein

The two year Master’s degree programme builds on the knowledge and skills gained in the Bachelor’s degree programme of African studies, and serves to deepen the knowledge in the special field (linguistics, history and societies or literary studies). The Master’s degree programme provides the development of skills that may be applied in various occupational fields:

  • Academia: research and teaching at university or other academic institutions 
  • Culture: e.g. archives, libraries, museums, tourism, media 
  • Development cooperation: planification, support and evaluation of humanitarian projects (project management, monitoring) of non-governmental or governmental organisations in Austria or abroad (e.g. NGOs, ministry of foreign affairs, EU, UN)
  • International committees: research, administrative work or politics
  • Diplomatic service: only in combination with the required additional qualifications

 

General recommendations
 A good command of German is a prerequisite to follow most of the courses at the department of African Studies. However, the majoritiy of the academic literature is not provided in this language. This is why a good command of English is also required. In addition, the command of French or of another European language may be an asset. Students are encouraged to complete parts of their studies abroad in order to acquire additional qualifications. At the beginning of every semester, an information event is hosted to facilitate the start for first-year students by providing the possibility to meet lecturers and fellow students, as well as to receive support in how to structure their studies. 

Admission to the Master's degree programme

There are two entry requirements for the Master's degree programme:

  1. A Bachelor's degree (Bakkalaureat or Diplom respectively) in an academic field of relevance for African Studies.
    The admission procedure is determined by the major subject of your Bachelor's degree (African Studies or another relevant field) and by the institution that awarded it (University of Vienna or other university).
    If your degree mainly, but not fully corresponds to the Bachelor’s degree of African Studies of the University of Vienna, you may have to complete up to 30 additional ECTS during your Master’s degree studies. We highly recommend to complete the required courses at the beginning of your studies in order to reduce the risk of failure in Master's degree courses due to the lack of prerequisite knowledge.
    The admission period for the winter semester lasts from mid-June to the beginning of September.
    The admission period for the summer semester: end of December to beginning of February
    Information on Master programmes (University of Vienna website)

  2. A proficient command of German is required as most courses are taught in this language.
    Information on Proof of German language proficiency (University of Vienna website).

Admission with a degree from the University of Vienna

  • Admission with a Bachelor's degree in African Studies: the admission to the Master's degree is possible on u:space as early as the day of graduation. Information on admission to Master's programmes with a degree from the University of Vienna (University of Vienna website)(Only in german)
  • Admission without stipulations with a degree in another subject than African Studies (e.g. degree in History, Linguistics, Comparative Literature, Development Studies, Social and Cultural Anthropology or Political Science):
  • Admission with stipulations (e.g. degree in  Oriental Studies or Sociology):  the student needs to complete 6 ECTS:
    • African Linguistics: regional and thematic core area, 2 lectures, Code: SAS 2
    • African Literary Studies: regional and thematic core area, 2 lectures, Code: SAL
    • African History and Societies: regional history , 2 lectures, Code: SAG

Admission with a degree from an Austrian university

Admission without stipulations with a degree in the following subjects: History, Linguistics, Comparative Literature, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Political Science.

Admission with a degree from an institution within the EU

Admission without stipulations: Bachelor's degree in a subject with the specification "Africa/African"

Bachelor's degrees in a subject without the specification "Africa/African" need to be checked individually by the department's directorate of studies. Please refer to our section Recognition of Courses/Anerkennungen (Department website) for further details.

Students who do not speak German as a mother tongue are required to prove their knowledge of German, as most courses are taught in this language. The minimum language requirement is C1.
Information on Proof of German language proficiency (University of Vienna website).

Admission with a degree from institutions of non-EU/EEA countries

Each application has to be checked individually by the department's directorate of studies. Please see our section Recognition of Courses/Anerkennungen (Department website) for further details.

Students who do not speak German as a mother tongue are required to prove their knowledge of German, as most courses are taught in this language. The minimum language requirement is C1.
Information on Proof of German language proficiency (University of Vienna website).

 List of Supervisors of MA theses

The topic of a Master's thesis must be submitted to the Student Service Center (SSC) before the start of the academic work.
Professors and staff members who have habilitated in the subject are available for supervision:

  • Univ.-Prof. Dr. Adams BODOMO, BA MA PhD
    Subject areas:
  • Assoz. Prof. Mag. Dr. Birgit ENGLERT, Privatdoz.
    Subject areas: African history (focus on the 20th and 21st centuries), in particular (but not exclusively) resistance movements, land rights, popular cultural practices, mobilities. Also interested in empirical work using qualitative methods. Regional focus: Eastern and Southern Africa, diasporic contexts (e.g. USA, Caribbean), translocal relations (incl. Palestine).
  • Mag. Dr. Martina KOPF, Privatdoz.
    Subject areas: African literary studies and African literatures (particularly West- and East Africa); global feminist theory; gender and queer studies in African studies; decolonial and critical race approaches to literature and film; genocide and literature; trauma theory and literary witnessing; African cinema; development and humanitarianism in literature and film; decolonization of knowledge; ecocriticism in African literatures
  • Univ.-Prof. Dr. Kirsten RÜTHER, MA
    Subject areas: colonial, postcolonial and globally entangled history of Southern Africa (19th/20th centuries); topics of life history research; infrastructure, technology and housing; religion and transformation; photo-histories
  • Mag. Dr. Arno SONDEREGGER, Privatdoz.
    Subject areas: All topics concerning African History, in particular social and cultural history, political and intellectual history
  • Ass. Prof. Dr. Rémi TCHOKOTHE
    Subject areas: Upon agreement, you can write your master’s thesis under my supervision in German, English, French, and Swahili on various themes in African Comparative Literatures including: African-diasporic literatures especially in German-speaking countries, (im)mobility, migration, and rhizomatic identities; Testimonial and trauma literature from Africa and the African diaspora; African literatures, institutions, festivals, and (in)visibility; (In)visibility of African literatures and literary voices; African Nobel Prize laureates and (de)canonization; African literatures, intercultural communication, and intercultural translation; African literatures, intersectional studies and world issues; African literature, knowledge production, archiving, and contesting epistemologies; African literatures and/in field research; Swahili literature, Indian Ocean, and Francophone literatures of the Maghreb.
  • Dr. lic. phil. Daniela WALDBURGER, Privatdoz.
    Subject areas: Any topics of African Linguistics, especially topics linked to my focus areas: Sociolinguistics, Plurilingualism, Language and violence Discourse analysis, Language and power (mis)use, Language and history, participatory research methods, Swahili language and literatures, Swahili varieties, Comorian varieties, etc.
  • ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Mag. Michael ZACH
    Subject areas: Precolonial African history with focus on Northeast Africa, Meroitic and Nubian Studies, Austrian travellers to Africa during the nineteenth century, Austrian colonial ambitions in Africa.

     

    •  

and on request:

     

  • Dr. Tomi ADEAGA, Privatdoz., MA
    Subject areas: Afrikanische Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft; Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft der afrikanischen Diaspora; afrikanische digitale Humanities; Übersetzungs- und transnationale Studien, Global Black Studies,  Black European Studies; Global Black Gender Studies
  • Alexander ANGSONGNA, BA MA PhD
    Subject areas:
  • Dr. Elisabethh KNITTELFELDER, BA MA
    Subject areas:
  • Chenai MURATA, BA MA PhD
    Subject areas: Indigenous Knowledge Systems; Land Administration and Land Reform; Environmental/Resource Conservation; African History; Political Ecology; Ecosystem/Ecological Services
  • Dr. Dobrota PUCHEROVA, Privatdoz. BA MA
    Subject areas: Anglophone African and Afro-European literature, especially (but not only) focusing on women's writing, queer writing, gender and sexuality, diasporic and migrant writing, autobiographical writing and survival narratives, as well as popular literature.
  • Mag. Dr. Georg ZIEGELMEYER
    Subject areas:

    •  

 Academic papers

All students of the University of Vienna are encouraged to read the University's policy on plagiarism, copyright & use of pictures and data protection.

Information on copyright & use of pictures (Studienpräses Website, in German)
Information on data protection in social science research (Studienpräses Website, in German)

Information on plagiarism (Youtube Video by the office of the Studienpräses, in German)

Graduation MA

Check your electronic record of exams to make sure that all services are assigned to the correct modules and that there are no surplus services in modules. You can use the form Prüfungspass/Record of examinations - Master African Studies (in German) (Word) for comparison. In case of any uncertainties or changes, please contact the StudiesServiceUnit ("StudienServiceStelle") by e-mail: service.spl14@unvie.ac.at.

The Master's thesis' grade can only be entered after the StudiesServiceUnit has confirmed your transcript of records (aka Sammelzeugnis). For this purpose, send your current and checked transcript of records by e-mail with the subject "Application for MA degree [name] [matriculation number]" to service.spl14@unvie.ac.at.

ATTENTION: The application may only be submitted via your u:account [aMatrikelnummer@unet.univie.ac.at]. Submissions from private mail addresses will not be processed.

After the StudiesServiceUnit has confirmed and entered the Master's thesis' grade, you can register for the final exam/defensio directly via the Contact form of the StudiesServiceCenter Philological and Cultural Studies. For administrative reasons, two weeks at least are needed between the registration and the examination.