Admission requirements and enrollment for our program
The deadlines for applying for the Master's program in Turkish Studies are: March 28 for the summer semester (courses start in mid--April) and September 30 for the winter semester (courses start in mid-October). If you do not live in Germany and have foreign citizenship, you should apply as early as possible in order to apply for a visa in time.
You must fulfill the following requirements when applying:
1. Bachelor's degree in a related subject
The bachelor's program must have been completed in a related subject, i.e. a humanities or social science degree program, and must be worth at least 180 ECTS points. The degree can also have been obtained abroad.
2. At least 45 ECTS credits in the field of Oriental Studies
This means that you completed courses worth at least 45 ECTS credits in the field of Oriental Studies in your BA degree. Otherwise, preliminary admission is possible on condition that you take certain courses that are offered in the framework of our degree program “Islamic Orient” in Bamberg during your first semester here.
3. Proof of solid knowledge of Turkish
Successful completion of modules in the field of Turkish in Turkey is considered sufficient proof of proficiency in this language, worth 30 ECTS credits. If you do not have sufficient proof of your knowledge of Turkish, you can provide it by taking an examination at our department within the first semester.
4. Proof of German language skills at level B2 of the European Framework of Reference
This only applies to persons who do not have a German degree and are not native speakers of
German. Further information on proving German language skills
Admission and enrollment for the MA program in Turkology at Bamberg university
Online at www.uni-bamberg.de/en/studies/non-exchange-students-masters-degree/application-process/
After finishing the online application, you will need to mail hard copies of your application documents.
When is the application deadline?
Yes. For the winter semester (mid-October to mid-February), you must send the documents between March 15 and July 15. For the summer semester (mid-April to the end of July), you must send the documents between September 15 and January 15.
These deadlines apply only to foreigners. German citizens can apply throughout the year up to the registration deadline of the respective semester. You can find the current deadlines and lecture periods here.
Yes, in that case you will have to produce the BA certificate in order to enroll.
At Bamberg, Turkish Studies have a historical focus. We primarily teach the history of the Ottoman Empire and Turkey, taking into account transdisciplinary methodological discussions.
The language of instruction is German. Please note that most of the secondary literature you'll need to read for our seminars is in English!
Occasionally, there are courses taught in English in which assignments can also be written in English. However, it is not possible to write assignments or take exams in Turkish or other languages.
If you have proof of CEFR B1, you can apply for a semester- or year-long German language course at Bamberg university which will prepare you for the B2 German exam. (Tuition fee: currently 450 Euros per semester). After passing that exam, you will be able to apply for the Turcology program. More information can be found here: /studium/interesse/bewerben/bewerbung-fuer-einen-masterstudiengang/bewerbungsunterlagen/formale-anforderungen/nachweis-von-deutschkenntnissen/
(In German only, look for ?Bewerbung für den DSH-Semesterkurs“).
Yes. If you don't have proof of Turkish language instruction, you can be provisionally admitted for the time being and prove your knowledge of Turkish by successfully passing our Turkish exam. The exam requires skills in translating Turkish to German, which are taught in our BA-level Turkish courses.
Yes. If your transcript is written in a language other than German or English, you will need to provide certified translated copies of the necessary documents.
Tuition is free. Students in Bamberg need to pay a fee for their student ID, which also functions as a public transport ticket.
There are very few scholarships available in Germany for students in master's degree programs (or rather: for students who are applying while already pursuing a master's degree). In general, you should apply as early as possible in your studies, if possible while you are still doing your bachelor's degree. Scholarships are generally not awarded by the universities, but by foundations. You can check the university's site (in German) for scholarships matching your profile, but as a rule of thumb, scholarships are granted at the BA level. (And for PhD studies).
Yes! Health insurance is mandatory and quite affordable in Germany. As a foreign student coming in for the first time, you can choose between private and public health insurance. You will have to prove that you are insured in order to get enrolled. Some people had bad experiences with ?cheap“ private insurance, so we strongly suggest you sign up for public health insurance. You can find a list of these public insurance companies here: https://www.krankenkassen.de/gesetzliche-krankenkassen/ Primes for students are very reasonable.
At the following websites:
- the university's International Office (offers counseling especially for international students)
- the website of our Institute for Oriental Studies (of which the Chair of Turcology is a part)
- our student union AK Orient's Instagram account
- the website of our "Studentenwerk" (which is running dormitories, cafeterias etc.)