Cultural Studies, M.A.
Cultural Studies at the Humboldt University in Berlin focuses on the historical and material-oriented analysis of European cultures from antiquity to the present day. It assumes that cultures are constituted by knowledge and knowledge practices that transform and sediment over long periods of time. Cultural studies in this context treats gender orders, perception and evaluation schemes, myths and religious cults, arts, symbolic orders, cultural, media and body techniques.
Programme facts
| Degree | Master of Arts (M.A.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 semesters, 120 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | German |
| Required German | C1 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | Via uni-assist, winter semester until 31.05 |
| Admission | Admission restriction (NC): a competition of school grades |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €381.80 per semester |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
The programme has an admission restriction: the average grade of your certificate, converted to the German scale, decides. The cut-off changes every year — last year's value shows the order of magnitude, not a promise.
How the selection works and how strong the competition is — we go through it against your certificate when we select programmes for you.
Programme selection →What you study
The focus is firstly on the history, mediality, aesthetics and materiality of culturally produced and traditional knowledge, secondly on the historiography and theory of cultural techniques - such as writing, reading, representing, networking, arithmetic, measuring, playing, performing, creating, exchanging and remembering - and third, the observation and reconstruction of culture-constitutive processes through media, social and cultural theories.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCareer
The course "Cultural Studies" conveys in-depth scientific knowledge in the theoretical and historically material handling of culture and aesthetics. This includes substantive, historical, methodical and practical competences that enable a professional activity in the areas of education, cultural and artistic production, public relations, editorial, consulting or in science. Furthermore, the foundations for a scientific further qualification with a doctorate are created.
Cost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (Berlin), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €381.80 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | In general, applying for a Master's program at Humboldt-Universität requires successful completion of a BA degree course, but at least proof of 150 ETCS credits or study points. |
|---|---|
| Language | German C1 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Via uni-assist, winter semester until 31.05 |
The procedure and the set of documents depend on your certificate. We check the university's requirements against your documents and give you a list: what to submit, how to certify and translate it, where and when to apply.
Check the requirementsHow to get into this programme
- 1Check your certificate and its recognitionDirect admission, a year at a university at home, or Studienkolleg first — this decides the whole plan.
- 2German up to C1 and a certificateDSH or TestDaF has to be passed before you apply.
- 3Documents and translationsCertified translations of the certificate and transcript, an APS if required. 3–4 weeks.
- 4Application via uni-assist until 31.05uni-assist checks documents for 4–6 weeks — send them well before the deadline.
- 5Admission, visa, movingPlan 2–3 months for the visa and the blocked account in parallel.
How to apply
You can submit the application yourself or with our help — the university decides on admission in both cases.
Applications go through the university's portal or uni-assist. Typical mistakes:
- ×incorrectly made certified copies and translations
- ×a wrong set of documents
- ×the application submitted the wrong way
- ×errors or gaps in the application form
- ×the application submitted at the wrong time — too early or too late
An incomplete or incorrectly prepared application is excluded from the selection — it can no longer be corrected after the deadline.
StudyInFocus does not represent the university and does not influence the admission decision. We do not sell study places and do not guarantee admission — this is a service for preparing and submitting documents on the applicant's side.
If your level is not enough yet
The two most common stoppers are a language level below the requirement and a certificate without direct admission. Both can be solved, but they take months — plan them now, not after a rejection.
Questions about this programme
How much does the programme cost?
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 31.05.2027 (229 days left). Language, translations and the document check take months, not weeks. In 30 minutes we will build a plan backwards from the deadline and tell you honestly whether you can make it.