28.05.2024

A study program with three degrees

Tübingen, Rome and Aix-Marseille universities offer joint triple Master’s in Palaeolithic Archaeology as pilot project of the CIVIS University Alliance

With its Master’s in Palaeolithic Archaeology the University of Tübingen is offering the first study program which entails degrees from three universities at once. The two-year program is taught at the University of Tübingen, the Sapienza University of Rome, and Aix-Marseille University (AMU). Successful graduates receive a Master’s certificate from all three universities. The English-language degree program is the first in Tübingen to be classified as a ‘multiple degree program’, as it has been developed by the three partners.

This four semester Master’s in Palaeolithic Archaeology grew out of the CIVIS University Alliance, which consists of the University of Tübingen and ten further European universities to cooperate on teaching and research. Combining archaeology and palaeoanthropology, the program is interdisciplinary and deals with a variety of aspects of human evolution in the Palaeolithic Age.

Students gain a sound knowledge of the technologies, societies and cultural development of humans in that era. With lab-based analysis, excursions and excavations, they experience research in practical terms; at the same time, researchers from the different universities contribute their expertise. Lecturers from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, where there are significant archaeological sites revealing the culture of Palaeolithic humans, are also involved.

Teaching in the first semester takes place in Tübingen, with the next two semesters being taught at Sapienza and Aix-Marseille. During the fourth semester students write their Master’s thesis at one of the three universities. Supervision is always provided by lecturers from two universities. Students receive financial support for their study visits abroad from the ERASMUS program and Baden-Württemberg scholarships.

This degree program also represents a new model and pilot project for the CIVIS University Alliance, as it involves the agreement of multiple partners to enable the triple degree. The cooperation with the University of Witwatersrand on the Master’s in Palaeolithic Archaeology will be expanded in the future, in order to train also young people from Africa so that they too can contribute to research on discoveries from their region. This is also part of the aim of CIVIS to strengthen cooperation with African countries.

“With the changing study locations and teaching in English, the Master’s is an excellent example of the possibilities of international study,” says Professor Dr. Monique Scheer, Vice-President for International Affairs and Diversity at the University of Tübingen. Tübingen’s President, Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. (Dōshisha) Karla Pollmann, emphasizes: “The students do not only gain professional skills, but also experience day-to-day life in Germany, France and Italy and thus learn about different European cultures and languages. At the same time, they are also made aware of perspectives of non-European scholarship.”

The degree program is open to candidates with a BA in Archaeology or an equivalent degree. Applications for the degree program may be submitted from June 1 onwards via the University of Tübingen application portal; applications close on July 15 (for applicants outside the EU) or September 15 (for applicants within the EU).

Further information:

• Information about the Master’s in Palaeolithic Archaeology in the list of degree programs: https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/study/finding-a-course/degree-programs-available/detail/course/palaeolithic-archaeology-master/ 
• About the degree program on the institute’s website: https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/250986 
• Website of CIVIS university alliance: https://civis.eu/en

Contact:

Prof. Nicholas J. Conard, PhD
University of Tübingen
Prehistory and Archaeological Sciences work group 
Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology
+49 7071-29-72416
nicholas.conardspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de 

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