Vocational Orientation
"So… how can you use this knowledge later on?"
With a degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology, you can work in many areas - for example in science, in museums, in adult education, in development cooperation, in cultural work, in the media industry or in consulting. Some Anthropologists also work as freelance authors or filmmakers. On our website you will find a wide range of information on career prospects and reports on the experiences of our graduates. The BA- as well as the MA-studies offer an academic preparation for jobs in the following fields by focusing on methodological and ethnological core competencies as well as on socially relevant topics:
- Research
- Education
- Development Cooperation
- Journalism and Media
- Government Service
- Diplomatic Service
- International Organizations
- Health Care Services
- Migration and Integration Services
- Museums and Cultural Management Services
- Tourism
- Organizational Consulting and Management Consulting
Following the master's program, a doctorate in anthropology can be pursued. Within the framework of the study program, we regularly offer lectures or seminars which provide insights into specific fields of anthropological work. In the winter semester of 2022/2023, a new series of lectures was launched as part of our Anthropological Colloquium: “Ethnolog:innen im Beruf”. In addition, you will find links to further information and consulting services on this page. The journal Ethnoscripts, which is published by our institute, had in its issue 4/2 the main topic "Ethnolog:innen im Beruf". In it, Anthropologists from various fields of work report on their professional practice. Copies of the journal are still available in the institute's library, please click here for the table of contents.
Master-Portraits
You can find testimonials from our graduates here.
Professional internships
Internships offer an important element of career orientation during studies. They allow initial insights into a professional field and often provide initial contacts that can be very helpful in the subsequent job search. Students are strongly encouraged to do internships during their studies. A professional internship can be acknowledged in the main study period via a “Leistungsschein”. More information is available from the student advisory service. An important result of the Hamburg Graduate Study: students who made an internship had an easier start into their professional life than other graduates.
Graduate Studies
In the year 2000, our institute conducted a survey of its graduates from 1990 to 1999. The report "From Studies to Work: Results of a Survey of Graduates of the Social and Cultural Anthropology Program at the University of Hamburg" can be found here (available in German language only).
Ethnological professional associations
Bundesverband freiberuflicher Ethnolog_innen e.V. (bfe)
Bundesverband freiberuflicher Kulturwissenschaftler e.V.(BfK)