Academic content
The subject of social and cultural anthropology is everything human. During your studies, you will deal with cultural and social processes in a wide variety of contexts in different parts of the world and learn how to describe, compare and interpret them.
The introductory modules familiarise you with the central working methods of the subject and sensitise you to the diverse interrelationships between local lifeworlds and global contexts. You will be familiarised with the historical roots of the subject, its current characteristics and visions for the future. You will learn about exemplary fields of application and gain your first experience with empirical social and cultural anthropological research methods. For the "Introduction to specific subject areas", you can choose from the four subject areas of politics/social relations, economics, human-environment relations and religion, two of which must be chosen. These courses teach basic terms, concepts, theoretical discussions and current points of contention in the respective areas.
In the "Selected Topics in Social and Cultural Anthropology" module, you will be introduced to general ways of thinking and approaches in social and cultural anthropology using regionally, thematically or theoretically focussed topics as examples and gain multi-perspective insights into specific subject areas. The content of the specific courses varies from semester to semester and is orientated towards current research topics and the interests of the students. The courses offered in the advanced modules "In-depth study of social and cultural anthropological issues I & II" are similarly variable and serve to intensively examine thematic issues. You will learn to develop your own theoretical analyses, formulate academic positions or solutions to problems and argue for them.
As part of the compulsory elective modules "Study project" / "Professional practice" / "Social and cultural anthropology studies at a university abroad", you can set your own regional and content-related priorities and develop an individual profile during your studies. You can choose between the formats of practical research, internship or semester abroad. The exercise research can be carried out both self-organised and as part of international tandem teaching research with the Gadjah Mada University of Yogyakarta (UGM) in Indonesia.
Career perspectives
In the Social and Cultural Anthropology degree programme, you will acquire methodological, theoretical and practice-oriented skills that will qualify you for diverse, socially relevant fields of work in a globalised world. You will gain insights into the diversity of human (co-)existence, develop an understanding of different perspectives and deal with central axes of global inequality. Through possible stays abroad and study projects, you will expand your intercultural competence and strengthen your ability to change perspectives. You will also learn how to analyse specialist academic texts, plan and carry out your own research projects and present the results in a clear way.
At the end of the degree programme, you will be able to apply social and cultural anthropological perspectives and use social and cultural science skills - including analytical thinking, intercultural sensitivity, multi-perspectivity and reflexivity - in a targeted manner in professional practice.
Possible fields of activity include:
- Documentation facilities (libraries, research, archives)
- Development aid
- Adult education
- Research (scientific collaboration/service, international research projects, etc.)
- International and supranational organisations and institutions
- International co-operation
- Journalism
- Cultural management and cultural mediation (planning conferences and exhibitions)
- Media (television, online media, radio and broadcasting)
- Migration area
- Museums (curator, museum education) / memorials
- Non-governmental organisations / clubs / associations / foundations
- Public cultural work
- Public relations
- Print media (editor, publisher)
Subject combinations
An overview of all possible combination subjects for Sozial- und Kulturanthropologie (Social and Cultural Anthropology):
- Archaeological Sciences
- Business Administration
- Educational Science and Education Management
- Cultural Analysis/European Ethnology
- English and American Studies
- Geography
- German Studies: German Literature
- History
- Islamic Studies
- Jewish Studies
- Catholic-Theological Studies
- Classical Philology
- Classical and Christian Archaeology
- Cognitive Science
- Art History
- Musicology
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Romance languages and literatures
- Sinology
- Scandinavian Studies
- Sociology
- German Linguistics
- Economics
- Ancient Near Eastern Studies
As part of the Bachelor of Arts degree programme, the major subjects can also be combined with one of the three minor subjects offered by the Freiburg University of Music - aural training, music physiology and music theory - instead of one of the above-mentioned minor subjects, each of which has a scope of 40 ECTS credits. In the case of such a combination, the relevant examination regulations of the Freiburg University of Music apply to the study of the minor subject offered by the Freiburg University of Music.
Information on the aptitude test for the minor subjects Aural Training, Music Physiology and Music Theory.
Statutes
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Zulassungs- und Immatrikulationsordnung (ZImmO)
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Prüfungsordnung B.A.: Rahmenordnung
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Prüfungsordnung B.A.: Anlage A
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Prüfungsordnung B.A.: Sozial- und Kulturanthropologie (Hauptfach)
(Zwischen dem 1. Oktober 2024 und dem 30. September 2025 Immatrikulierte können bis 31. März 2027 (Ausschlussfrist) wählen, ob das Fach in den Abschlussdokumenten unter dem bisherigen Namen „Ethnologie“ oder unter dem neuen Namen „Sozial- und Kulturanthropologie“ ausgewiesen werden soll.)
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Prüfungsordnung B.A.: Anlage C
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Satzung über ergänzende Regelungen zum Zulassungs- und Prüfungsrecht
The versions of statutes with relevance to teaching and learning provided on this page by the Department of Legal Affairs (in particular admission and selection regulations as well as subject and examination regulations) are primarily for information purposes. This means that all amendments subsequently agreed upon by the University Senate have been integrated into the respective text of the original statutes; in the case of the examination regulations for bachelor's and master's degree programmes, this generally relates to extracts of the respective examination regulations (framework examination regulations, subject-specific provisions, and appendices).
The greatest care has been taken in writing these versions. Nevertheless, it cannot be entirely ruled out that errors may have occurred. Consequently, it is solely the officially announced statutes and statute amendments that are legally binding, i.e. as published in the Amtlichen Bekanntmachungen der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau [de] or, up to the year 2000, in the official gazette of the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts.