Modules and courses
Required course achievements
To complete the 2-year MA program, students must comply with the study regulations and earn 90 ECTS credits.
An overview of all creditable modules can be found in the course catalogue (link will be published here soon).
Overview of the module groups and modules
| Module groups and modules | ECTS Credits and rules | |
| Concepts and Debates | 12 ECTS credits | |
| Global Futures: Key Debates, 6 ECTS credits | required | |
| Making Global Futures: Practices, Policies and Public Engagements, 6 ECTS credits | required | |
| Research Methods and Practice | 18 ECTS credits | |
| Research Module 1: Developing a Research Project, 3 ECTS credits | required | |
| Research Module 2: Research Methods and Design, 6 ECTS credits | required | |
| Research Module 3: Fieldwork, 3 ECTS credits | required | |
| Research Module 4: Analysis and Writing Up, 3 ECTS credits | required | |
| Focus Modules | at least 18 ECTS credits |
|
| Diverse Modules Geography according to course catalogue | core elective | |
| Diverse Modules Social Anthropology according to course catalogue | elective | |
| Diverse Modules Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies according to course catalogue | ||
| Other curricular Modules | bookable for fulfillment of the free choice rule (see below) | |
| Diverse modules according to course catalogue | core elective and elective | |
| Master's thesis | 30 ECTS credits | |
| Master's thesis, 30 ECTS credits | required | |
| Free choice rule | at least 12 ECTS credits of free choice within the program | |
Description of the module groups
Concepts and Debates
In the "Concepts & Debates" module group, our diverse team of educators—including faculty, senior researchers, senior lecturers, and junior researchers—along with external experts, will lead engaging discussions on development, sustainability, and social justice. Through interactive discussions, policy briefs, presentations, and group exercises, you will explore key concepts and debates and contribute to meaningful outputs. The module group consists of two required modules. In the module Global Futures: Key Debates, you will become familiar with the main theories and approaches while developing an understanding of the interrelations among the most pressing global challenges of our time. The module Making Global Futures: Practices, Policies, and Public Engagements is a practice-oriented course that allows you to learn from policy advisors and field experts and critically engage with policy development and real-world strategies aimed at shaping global futures.
Research Methods and Practice
This module group addresses the practical aspects of your MA research project. It consists of four modules that guide you through the essential steps for successfully completing your master’s thesis.
In Research Module 1, you will learn how to take the first steps in developing a research project, including identifying a topic of your interest, searching for relevant literature, writing a preliminary literature review, and finding a suitable supervisor. Research Module 2 introduces you to the ‘hows and whys’ of using qualitative and quantitative research methods and prepares you for upcoming fieldwork. You will complete the course with a research design for your own project, which can be independent or in collaboration with an organization or partner university. During Research Module 3 you will conduct field research for your MA project. Admission to this module requires successful completion of the previous two research modules and approval of the research plan by your supervisor. Field research usually lasts at least three months to collect sufficient relevant and reliable data for a master's thesis. Upon returning from your field research, you will take Research Module 4 to begin the process of analyzing data and writing up results.
Focus Modules
Focus modules dive deep into specific topics within development, sustainability, and social justice, giving students the opportunity to explore one topic in greater detail. You will engage with state-of-the-art literature and approaches in a particular thematic field and learn to connect these with empirical examples from different regions in the world. You may choose from a range of focus modules offered by ISEK-Social and Cultural Anthropology, Geography, and the Asian Orient Institute.
Other Curricular Modules
The module group “Other curricular modules” includes various modules offered by the program partners and other (trans)disciplines that allow you to deepen your interest in specific thematic, methodological, or regional fields of study.