Turcology / Turkic Studies is the right degree program for you if you…

• share a fascination for the culture, language, and history of the Turkic peoples.
• enjoy reading literary texts and want to learn more about how to analyze and interpret them.
• have an interest in the collective social interactions between language, culture, history, and literature.
• are enthusiastic about foreign languages and want to get a closer look at language and its structures.

In addition to all of this, if you are open-minded, communicative, curious and can engage with problems independently and in a focused manner, you already posses all of the essentials.

You do not need any knowledge of Turkish to take part in the Turcology / Turkic Studies degree course. You will acquire the necessary language skills during your studies, although existing knowledge does make it easier to get started. You will, however, need a good command of English as the international language of science and academia in order to read and understand technical literature. However, you do not have to provide proof of language proficiency, which you will likely have obtained through your university entrance qualification (Abitur).

You will study this subject as part of a two-subject bachelor’s degree program. The degree program always consists of an academic major and minor, which can be combined according to your interests or professional goals.

If you choose the subject as a minor, you will generally complete only a portion of the modules and classes taught to students of the major subject. As a result, you will focus on a selection from the content listed below.

Program structure

Your studies are divided into four major areas:

• Language acquisition, structural knowledge, and practical application
• History
• Literature and culture
• Linguistics

You will first learn the grammar and structure of Turkish (as well as its precursor, Ottoman Turkish), in order to be able to read and discuss simple to intermediate-level Turkish texts. You will then acquire basic knowledge of another language relevant to the field of Turcology, e.g. Russian, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, or Polish (important for reading secondary literature and as preparation for voluntary stays abroad).

In the first three semesters, you will gain an overview of the history of the Turkic peoples, the Ottoman Empire, and the Republic of Turkey, and you will focus on current research issues in the fields of Turkic and Near Eastern Studies. In addition, you will learn about linguistic methods and mechanisms of cultural contact and gain an overview of the other Turkic languages.

In the final two semesters, you will focus more on Ottoman Turkish and Ottoman reading materials. An internship, an intensive language course or a visit to a summer school will round out your studies.

You have the opportunity to design your studies individually and to choose your own area of specialization, particularly pertaining to language skills and methods training, but also in terms of subject-specific practical knowledge. You can also choose between linguistic, literary, and historical topics for your bachelor’s thesis. If you would like to study abroad for a period of time, you can select a specialization from the main subject areas available at the partner university of your choice.

Stay 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.

We recommend the 3rd or 4th semester.

Internships

For your major, you will complete a career internship lasting at least three weeks. We recommend completing the internship in the 5th semester or later.

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.

In addition to knowledge of the culture, literature, and history of the Turkish people as well as your own language proficiency, you will acquire other skills during your studies including research and writing skills, knowledge of academic communication, intercultural competencies, and media literacy.

These skills also make you an interesting candidate for employers in various fields that above all require intellectual or cultural prowess, including the following:

• Education (training and continuing education, adult education and counseling, linguistic and social support for migrants)
• Cultural management and mediation, curatorial work
  (e.g. in theaters, museums, exhibits, educational institutions, libraries, archives, documentation repositories)
• Science and science administration (research and teaching, e.g. at universities and higher education institutions research institutions, for projects)
• Public service and administration (e.g. as a specialist consultant), diplomatic service
• Media, journalism, public relations, press, radio, television, online editorial work (especially in cultural journalism)
• Publishing and specialist publishing (editorial work, copyediting, etc.)
• Leisure, tourism, and event management
• Business (e.g., business advisory services, consulting, marketing, human resource management, corporate training)
• Politics and social affairs (e.g., in ministries, political parties, foundations, educational institutions, associations, and clubs)
• International organizations, NGOs, economic organizations

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.