• An interest in aesthetic pieces from different cultures
• Precise observation skills as well as the ability to carefully analyze visual phenomena
• A strong interest in cultural and historical issues as well as in interdisciplinary work
• A well-developed ability to speak and write about complex correlations
• Enthusiasm for communication
• Spatial thinking skills

A bachelor’s degree with a standard period of study of at least six semesters completed at a university in Germany or abroad. You must have earned least 90 credits in courses related to art history or have an equivalent higher education degree with the same amount of subject-related examinations and coursework.

If the art history component is less than 90 credits but at least 60 credits, you must pass a selection interview to be admitted to the master’s degree program. In individual cases, you may be required to complete additional art history courses.

You must also provide proof of French language proficiency to be admitted to the program, either by

• having taken at least five years of French at school, in which you received a minimum of 5 points or the grade “adequate” (“ausreichend”),
• submitting certificates for French at a B2 level,
• presenting a university entrance qualification earned at a French-language school, or
• by presenting an Abi-Bac (simultaneous achievement of the German Abitur (Abi) and the French baccalauréat (Bac)).

Applicants who have not obtained a university entrance qualification at a German-speaking institution or a degree in a German-speaking course must provide proof of sufficient German language skills. These must correspond to the level DSH-2 of the “German Language Proficiency Examination for Admission to Higher Education for Foreign Applicants” and must be proven by the time of enrollment at JGU.

If you have not yet received your bachelor’s degree certificate by the application deadline, but have earned at least 135 credits in your bachelor’s program, you must apply by the set deadline with a transcript (certified copy issued by your university) of all coursework and exams completed to date, including your average grade to date.

Good to know: The legally binding basis for selection, admission and enrollment is the text of the entrance requirements as specified in Section 2 of the currently valid examination regulations and, where applicable, in the appendix.

The examination regulations can be found here.

1st semester in Mainz

• Lecture and practice class on culture and cultural encounters
• Language course or tutorial
• Lecture and seminars on the analysis of works and objects of art
• Compulsory internship

2nd semester in Mainz

• Lecture, seminars, and practice classes on art and its contexts, and on
• Theories of art, architecture, and images

3rd semester in Dijon

• Introduction à la communication interculturelle
• Histoire et méthodes
• Enseignement professionnalisant
• Questionnements passés et actuels
• Specialization course

4th semester in Dijon

• Intercultural communication theory
• Histoire et méthodes
• Patrimoine: Enjeux patrimoniaux contemporains
• Mémoire de recherche
• Specialization course

Internships

Voluntary internships are another good opportunity to obtain more in-depth insight into a professional field.

An internship allows you to discover whether everyday life in a particular occupation suits your career expectations and interests. You can gain qualifications for a professional field and acquire important professional and personal skills to start a career. An internship helps you both shape your career path, and mold the remainder of your course sequence – in particular by selecting specializations that suit your practical experience.

You can find further information and relevant internships on the Career Service website.

Stays abroad

Would you like to live abroad for a semester or a year? Do you want to learn another language and get to know a new culture? Or gain a different perspective on your particular subject? A stay abroad provides you with the perfect opportunity to achieve this and is possible with every degree program – either self-organized or by taking advantage of one of the popular exchange programs. This is made possible by various cooperation agreements and partnerships with foreign universities.

For more information on this topic, please visit our websites on studying abroad. Visit our student exchange platform for an overview of cooperating universities in your field.

This program of study does not require you to spend time abroad, but you nevertheless have the opportunity to do so.

The Art History master’s degree program imparts comprehensive skills that will prepare you for a career, including:

• How to systematically analyze complex topics and contexts, also extending beyond the scope of art history
• How to prepare comprehensible presentations (oral, written, audiovisual) for specialist audiences and the wider public
• How to systematically describe, analyze, and potentially present works of art and architecture, even if they are only in the form of illustrations or representations
• How to conduct thorough research using specialist literature and other sources
• How to quickly comprehend information
• How to precisely and appropriately use and present quotes and sources
• How to observe copyrights

Completion of the master’s degree program will open up more options on the job market for you than if you were to only hold a bachelor’s degree. However, a master’s degree is typically followed by a doctorate if you wish to pursue one of the conventional professional fields for art historians, such as:

• Exhibiting art in museums, art galleries, art associations, banks
• Communicating art through museums, art-lending libraries, art publishers, educational institutions, media companies, and online portals
• Collecting art for museums, private collections, and industry and banking firms
• Preserving art for museums and cultural heritage preservation agencies
• Researching and teaching art: at universities, academies, museums, and other research institutions
• Examining art in museums, at cultural heritage preservation agencies, in art trade, as an authorized expert, and for the insurance industry
• Trading art in galleries, auction houses, and the antique trade, as well as through online portals and art consultants

However, a doctorate is not a must! Graduates of the master’s degree program can easily enter a variety of other professional fields:

• Preserving, documenting and researching in museums, cultural heritage preservation agencies, archives, restoration workshops, and insurance
• Managing and organizing in academic, cultural, and project management, for public bodies (ministries), and for agencies and creative companies
• Speaking about and reporting on art and culture in many types of media (press, radio, TV, publishing houses, online portals)
• Making art accessible via adult education, cultural mediation events, tourism, and foundations
• Teaching art at adult education centers and independent technical schools or via lateral entry to the teaching profession

Our tip: Generally, entering into a professional field is easier if you first gain practical experience, i.e., via internships during the program of study.

Not sure what to do after graduation? Don’t worry!

A university degree generally does not prepare you for a single profession but qualifies you for a wide range of career paths – for example, in research, in a typical profession related to your field of study, or in one of many other academic fields.

This is why career orientation is also part of your studies. Gaining practical experience is key, and you can do so through internships, working student positions, part-time jobs or voluntary work, for example.

JGU’s Career Service will support you throughout the entire process with information, advice, workshops and numerous events – from career orientation and working on your profile and skills to finding your dream job and successfully applying for it.