Palaeoanthropology - Bachelor (minor subject)

This degree program is free of admission as long as you meet the admission requirements, i.e. no application is necessary. You can enroll directly for this degree program. The program can only be started in the winter semester.

The prerequisite for studying at the University of Tübingen is the general university entrance qualification, usually the Abitur. Other university entrance qualifications are e.g. the Delta examination for prospective students with a "Fachhochschulreife" / "fachgebundene Hochschulreife", or a university entrance qualification for those with vocational qualifications. Applicants with foreign school-leaving qualifications should contact the Department of Counseling and Admission for International Students.

In Baden-Württemberg, there is an obligation to provide proof of participation in a study orientation procedure with enrollment in an undergraduate degree program (Studienorientierungsverfahren).

The language of study and examination is German. Individual courses may be held in English. A good knowledge of English is expected for the study of literature. Therefore, knowledge of English is required. However, formal proof of English proficiency is not required. German language skills to the extent of DSH-2 (Testdaf4) are required for foreign students.

International applicants *without* a German-language university entrance qualification must provide evidence of German language proficiency in accordance with the university's matriculation regulations (see also information on proof of linguistic study ability / DSH language test).

The minor comprises 60 ECTS and can be combined with any major subject at the University of Tübingen to the extent of 120 ECTS. Special reference is made to the major subject Prehistory, early history and archeology of the Middle Ages MA; the dates of the courses of these two subjects are coordinated.

Paleoanthropology deals with the biology of humans and their evolution on the basis of the human skeleton embedded in a geoecological-paleontological, human-genetic, primatological and cultural-historical framework. A major educational focus of this course is to provide basic knowledge of the comparative anatomy of the human skeleton, the functional morphological, evolutionary genetic and evolutionary theoretical backgrounds, and human developmental history and primatology. In addition to gaining insight into the methods of molecular genetics, students should be able to acquire practical skills in general and comparative osteology (determination of skeletal elements, age and sex determination, differentiation of human and animal bones) as well as collection care.

Students in this program will learn basic techniques of scientific work in their studies. They will also acquire basic knowledge of human evolution and its geoecological-paleontological, genetic, and developmental frameworks, as well as the ability to perform basic processing of human skeletons. They gain practical experience with museum work and collection care. This also includes theoretical and practical knowledge of current issues, areas of application and limitations of scientific methods.

The study programs of the Institute for Archaeological Sciences are linked to the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment Tübingen, Schöningen. From October 2009, the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (SHEP) was established at the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen. In May 2017, SHEP was confirmed as an institute of the Leibniz Association. SHEP comprises the following seven research groups of the Department of Geosciences:

1. Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology (Prof. Nicholas Conard Ph.D.)

2. Archaeo- and Paleogenetics (Juniorprof. Dr. Cosimo Posth)

3. Biogeology (Prof. Dr. Hervé Bocherens)

4. Geoarchaeology (Prof. Dr. Christopher Miller)

5. Micropaleontology (Dr. Annett Junginger)

6. Paleoanthropology (Prof. Dr. Katerina Harvati)

7. Paleontology (Prof. Dr. Madelaine Böhme)

The close scientific cooperation with the other sites of the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung is particularly evident in the collaborations with, for example, the Section of Paleoanthropology in Frankfurt or the Research Unit for Quaternary Paleontology in Weimar. The SHEP-Tübingen is concerned not only with various aspects of the biological and cultural evolution of humans and the great apes, but also with climate and environmental evolution throughout the Cenozoic. The Senckenberg - University of Tübingen cooperation also concerns teaching as well as Senckenberg's care of the extensive paleozoological, paleobotanical, archaeobotanical, archaeozoological and geoarchaeological collections of the University of Tübingen. These internationally renowned collections are a unique selling point of SHEP.

The research environment of the geoscientific working groups at the University of Tübingen is characterized by diverse national and international scientific collaborations:

• Priority program EarthShape: Earth Surface Shaping by Biota

• Collaborative Research Center ResoursesCultures

• Institut für Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie (INA)

• Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (SHEP)

• Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum - GFZ

• Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung - UFZ

• Alfred-Wegener Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung - AWI

The first year includes the obligatory modules "Human skeleton anatomy", Biology for Archaeologists", "Introduction into statistics", "Determination  of age and sex". In the second year, students  visit the obligatory modules "Evolution and Quaternary Ecology", "Molecular and Human Genetics", and "Vertebrate Palaeontology". The last year includes the obligatory modules "Fossil History", " Biological Fundamentals of Human Evolution - Evolution of Primates", as well as one compulsory module. For further details: Module handbook B.Sc. Paleoanthropology

Information about the Exchange programs: Division of International Affairs.

Optional time abroad
You may choose to spend some time abroad as part of any study program. You should start planning it 12 to 18 months before your departure. 
Here you will find general information and advice on studying abroad. In addition, some departments have their own subject-specific services providing information on studying abroad.

In the winter semester 2023/24, approximately 200 students are studying in the field of archeological sciences:

The module handbook describes the objectives and the structure of a study program. You will find more detailed information on the type and scope of all modules as well as their courses, requirements and examinations in the module handbook of the B.Sc. Paleoanthropology minor subject. An ideal course plan in the module handbook helps you to plan your studies. The module handbook and the examination regulations help you to understand the framework of your studies and to select the right modules/courses.

The study and examination regulations of the B.Sc. Paleoanthropology minor subject contain legally binding regulations for a study program. Among other things, they specify which modules of a study program must be completed and which examinations must be taken in order to successfully complete the study program. The study and examination regulations also regulate how often examinations can be repeated, which deadlines apply to the examinations of a study program and how the final grade is calculated. The examination regulations and the module handbook will help you to understand the framework of your studies and to select the right modules/courses.

The Career Service of the university gives advise to students about vocationaly orientation and the career start.

Internships and jobs: Praxisportal.

Advice and internships
The University’s Career Service assists with careers orientation and getting started in your profession. Jobs and internships can be found in the Praxisportal.

Usually, a bachelor progam is followed by a consecutive master progam. Possible consecutive programs are

• Master of Science Archaeological Sciences and Human Evolution

• Master of Arts Archeology of the Middle Ages

• Master of Arts Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology

Admission to doctoral studies with a bachelor's degree is not possible. For admission to doctoral studies, the completion of a master's degree is required.

Here you can find information about the alumni association Alumni Tübingen.