• Curiosity about how history is handled in academia
• Analytical thinking and argumentation skills
• An understanding of and interest in language
• The competence and willingness to carefully read and analyze complex texts
• Enjoyment in formulating texts and an appreciation of linguistic precision

A bachelor’s degree with a history component of at least 55 credit points is required, in which the three major periods of European history (Ancient History, Middle Ages, Modern Times) were studied. Missing knowledge in one of the three epochs must usually be made up within one semester.

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)).

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.

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.

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.

You can find more information in the master’s degree program’s examination regulations.

When you enroll, you choose your epochal focus. You can choose between Ancient History / Histoire ancienne, Medieval History / Histoire médiévale, or Modern and Contemporary History / Histoire moderne et contemporaine. Depending on your decision, your studies will take different forms.

Focus on Modern and Contemporary History / Histoire moderne et contemporaine

1st semester in Mainz

• Lecture and practice class on culture and cultural encounter
• Language course or tutorial
• Lecture and seminars on the epochal focus of Modern Times
• Compulsory internship

2nd semester in Mainz

• Lecture, seminars, and practice classes on the epochal focus of Modern Times
• Term paper as part of the final module

3rd semester in Dijon

• Médiations interculturelles
• Séminaire de spécialité
• Histoire et méthodologie des sciences sociales
• Mémoire
• Accompagnement du travail de recherche
• Specialization course

4th semester in Dijon

• Médiations interculturelles
• Reading list
• Mémoire
• Accompagnement du travail de recherche
• Specialization course

Focus on Ancient History / Histoire ancienne, or Medieval History / Histoire médiévale

1st and 2nd semesters in Mainz are identical to the specialization in Modern and Contemporary History with the respective epochal focus.

3rd semester in Dijon

• Introduction à la communication interculturelle
• Séminaire disciplinaire
• Séminaire général
• Histoire et méthode des Sciences Humaines et Sociales
• Mémoire et encadrement de la recherche
• Specialization course

4th semester in Dijon

• Intercultural Communication Theory
• Séminaire disciplinaire
• Séminaire général
• Histoire et méthode des Sciences Humaines et Sociales
• Mémoire et encadrement de la recherche
• Specialization course

Stays abroad

After studying in Mainz for the first two semesters, you will spend the following two (semesters 3 and 4) at the Université Bourgogne Europe (UBE) in Dijon. You will immerse yourself in the language and culture of France and learn how to think in French. Thanks to a variety of funding programs such as Erasmus+ and the Franco-German University’s mobility scholarships, it is possible to receive financial support during your stay abroad.

Internships

We recommend completing the compulsory internship from the specialization module in the first or second semester.

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.

Typical professional paths for historians include the following:

• Archival work
• Museum work
• Research
• Publishing
• Journalism
• Media
• Foundation work

Yet our graduates work in many more fields than these. Historians collect and structure data, scrutinize its origins and genesis, and place even the smallest facts in superordinate contexts. Therefore, studying history prepares you ideally for many professions:

• Politics
• Public administration
• Human resources
• Press and public relations
• Marketing
• Corporate consulting
• Sales

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.