This research-oriented Master's offers a wide-ranging, interdisciplinary approach to the study of slavery and other intense asymmetrical dependencies across different regions and historical periods. Taught in English, the programme combines text-based scholarship, material-culture analysis and social-scientific perspectives so you can examine these phenomena from multiple methodological angles.
You will gain both solid factual and historical knowledge and the theoretical and methodological tools needed to design and carry out your own research projects. Coursework includes support for case-study work, enabling you to pursue specific regional or temporal interests in depth. The programme is embedded in an international, interdisciplinary research setting connected to the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) and the Cluster of Excellence “Beyond Slavery and Freedom,” giving students access to current scholarship, supervision by internationally recognised researchers, and extensive academic support.
Requirements — who this programme suits
This Master’s curriculum combines a tightly structured core with flexible specialisation options. During the first three semesters students complete seven compulsory modules plus two compulsory elective modules. The programme is designed for learners from varied academic backgrounds: the first semester introduces the field of slavery and other strong asymmetrical dependencies, bringing students up to speed on the subject matter as well as on the principal theoretical and methodological approaches used in the field.
Key modules in semester 1 include Module 1, which surveys diverse forms of dependency and slavery across different historical and cultural contexts and challenges the simple “slavery versus freedom” binary by incorporating research on other enduring asymmetrical dependencies alongside the traditional slavery canon. Modules 2 and 3 introduce core methods and theories from three disciplinary perspectives—text-based scholarship, material culture studies, and social sciences—equipping students with interdisciplinary analytical tools. Semesters 2 and 3 focus on case-study work (Modules 4 and 7) that applies those tools to concrete historical and cultural examples; Module 5 in semester 2 concentrates on theory and methods for transcultural comparison; Module 6 in semester 3 engages students with current research debates in Dependency and Slavery Studies.
The programme also includes training in academic writing (in English) and research practice to prepare students for the Master’s thesis, which is completed in the fourth semester. At the end of semester 3 each student presents their planned research in a Master’s colloquium to their supervisor and the broader BCDSS public to receive formative feedback. Two compulsory electives (taken in semesters 2 and 3) allow further specialisation or the acquisition of new skills—examples include digital humanities—and students may choose an internship in semester 3 in place of a course. Overall learning outcomes include a nuanced, contextualised understanding of dependency and slavery, interdisciplinary methodological competence, the ability to develop and conduct independent case studies, and experience presenting and refining a research project prior to thesis completion.
Program requirements (concise)
Applicants must hold a three‑year Bachelor's degree (180 ECTS) or an equivalent qualification obtained in Germany or abroad. Eligible degrees come from disciplines related to history, area studies, languages, religions, or social sciences, or from a closely related field.
In addition, the first higher education degree qualifying for employment must have a minimum overall grade of 2.5.
Winter Semester (International)
15 August 2026
Winter Semester (EU/EEA)
15 August 2026
Graduates leave with advanced skills in interdisciplinary research design, comparative methods, critical analysis of textual and material sources, and academic English writing. These competencies are directly applicable to doctoral study (PhD) and academic careers in history, cultural studies and related fields.
Career paths outside academia include roles in museums and cultural heritage institutions, archives, research and policy NGOs, public history and education, and international organisations where expertise in historical dependency, cross-cultural comparison and source-critical methods is valued.