Curious about studying with us in Germany but don’t know where to start?
Use our guide below for resources and instruction on how to apply to the MA in Cultural Studies at the University of Mainz.
Applications to MA programmes at the University of Mainz are submitted centrally via the JOGU-StINe platform. You can find more information on how to apply and any university-wide specific policies, especially regarding foreign academic qualifications, on the website of the Student Advisory Center. Note that non-German degrees must be recognised by the University of Mainz, and a language test is required for German at the B2-level or higher. More information is available on the international applicant page here.
If you have any questions about how and when to apply, contact our MA student advisor, Dr. Taylor McConnell, at any time at studienfachberatung-kaee@uni-mainz.de.
The MA programme in Cultural Studies is bilingual, with courses in both English and German, to better prepare you for advanced academic work and for a potential career abroad. This allows for flexible teaching and learning opportunities and enables cross-cultural readings on the everyday phenomena we examine in our field. While the language of instruction may differ across courses, all exams can be completed in either German or English.
The field of Cultural Studies (in German referred to as Kulturanthropologie) itself draws from multiple subject areas, including anthropology, ethnology, sociology, political science, and the humanities more generally. As such, we take an open approach to welcoming students from a wide range of subject backgrounds.
To apply for the MA in Cultural Studies, you will need to demonstrate the following:
- BA in Empirical Cultural Studies, European Ethnology, Media Studies, Cultural Anthropology, or a related degree
- Significant command of both German and English at the B2 reference level or above; an official test result is required for German
- Students with a non-German degree must apply for degree recognition from the University of Mainz. This application costs €60 and takes up to six weeks to be processed. Apply as early as possible and at least seven weeks before the degree application deadline of 1 September (winter semester) or 1 March (summer semester)
Additional information is available on the website of the Student Advisory Center in English and German.
Mainz is a vibrant, multicultural, working-class city with strong traditions yet an open embrace of newcomers. From the annual Fastnacht celebrations to the Saturday Marktfrühstück, Johannisnacht and more, Mainz has much to offer to its ever-growing student population. The Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz is also rare in Germany for having a core campus, located up the hill from the central railway station. Nearly all faculties are present on our campus, which stretches over two kilometres, with our social science and humanities hubs centrally located. It is only two-minute walk from the tram and bus stop at Friedrich-von-Pfeiffer-Weg to our offices in Philosophicum II!
Finding your first flat in Mainz can be intimidating. The demand for housing here is very high – especially in a city of 230,000 students and a student population of over 30,000! Begin your search for housing early and use existing contacts, if you have any, to help alleviate the hunt. Many platforms exist, like WG-gesucht or Kleinanzeigen, and housing is available through the Studierendenwerk Mainz in the vicinity of our campus. The sooner you apply, the better the chances of getting into the student halls.
Rent for a studio or one-room flat in Mainz can cover around €700–1100, in a shared flat between €400 and 600, depending on the location and condition of the building. Many students prefer to commute from surrounding cities like Rüsselsheim or Wiesbaden, as the housing costs are somewhat lower there. More affordable areas of Mainz include the neighbourhoods at the edge of the city, like Finthen, Mombach, Weisenau or Lerchenberg, but there is a very high concentration of student flats in the Mainzer Neustadt.
Your semester fee of ca. €350 covers unlimited public transportation in the Rhine-Main area, including the cities of Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Hanau, Wiesbaden, Offenbach and Mainz. You can choose to upgrade to a student Deutschlandticket, which then covers all public transportation in Germany (except high-speed trains like the ICE, IC or EC). All information on how to apply for the student Deutschlandticket will be provided by the General Students’ Committee (AStA).
Mainz is well connected to the German railway network and is a transit station for lines passing north to Cologne, Düsseldorf and Amsterdam, south to Stuttgart, Freiburg, Munich or Basel, west to Kaiserslautern, Saarbrücken and Paris, and east to Frankfurt, Erfurt, Leipzig and Berlin. The city has three S-Bahn stations (Mainz-Nord, Mainz Hbf and Mainz-Römisches Theater) to connect you to nearby cities and an extensive tram and bus network for local connections.
The University of Mainz lies along the main axis of the Mainzelbahn, connecting the city centre to Lerchenberg, with three tram stops – Universität, Friedrich-von-Pfeiffer-Weg, and Kisselberg – following the northern border of the campus. Multiple bus lines connect you from campus to all parts of the city and into the middle of Wiesbaden for those students commuting across the Rhine.
Mainz likes to party! As one of the Hochburgen of the German Karneval/Fastnacht/Fasching season, Mainz is busy with festival activity from November to February, culminating in the famous Rosenmontag parade, where politics meets tradition meets fun. Beyond this period of intense doughnut consumption and troupes of jesters running around town, the city is dotted with hubs of student activity and offers a wide range of entertainment and dining, uncommon in many other “student cities”.
The city is also surrounded by beautiful nature, from the Rhine, which serves as the border between Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse, to the Mainzer Sand, Lennebergwald, the vineyards of Rheinhessen or the various parks scattered across Mainz. Winter sports are also available further afield at the Großer Feldberg in the Taunus Mountains, while swimming pools and saunas are open year-round in the city and nearby (in Ingelheim, Budenheim, Wiesbaden, Hofheim or Bad Homburg, just to name a few). The University also maintains sport facilities available to students at no or low cost, directly on campus.
Mainz also hosts numerous associations (Vereine), catering to every special interest you might have. Joining one of these clubs is an easy way to make new contact, perhaps even a few friends, outside the usual confines of university study. There really is something for everyone here.
The University of Mainz does not charge tuition fees, only a semester fee of approximately €350. Students from other EU countries have unrestricted working rights. Non-EU citizens are permitted to work part-time during their studies, usually the equivalent of 180 days of full-time work a year.
Foreign students can apply for funding from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to finance their studies. One promising option is a “Study Scholarship – Masters Studies for All Academic Disciplines”, available from the DAAD. Many European countries support outgoing students through stipends from their national academic associations – look to see what support can be granted from your home country for international mobilities.
Mainz is a working-class city with adequately affordable housing and dining options, but as part of the Rhine-Main metropolitan region can be more expensive than other smaller university towns. A representative cost estimate for living in Mainz can be found on Numbeo.
A typical cost of living in Mainz for one year breaks down as follows:
| Housing (one-room or studio flat, Mainzer Neustadt) | €9,600–13,200 |
| Semester fee (subsidised food in University canteens, sports offering, public transportation, for two semesters) | ca. €700 |
| Entertainment (one meal out per week, one concert or show per semester, one sauna visit per month) | €1,200–1,800 |
| Travel to home country (return flights within Europe from Frankfurt, twice per year) | €400–800 |
| Groceries (discounter supermarket like ALDI, Lidl, Netto, etc.) | €900–1,200 |
| Utilities (electricity, gas, internet, mobile phone) | €2,400–3,000 |
| Total estimate | €15,200–20,700 |
| Note: Non-EU students must provide evidence of funds in the form of a blocked account (Sperrkonto) for €11,904 per year, or €992 per month. |
Further information on how to apply from outside the European Union will be added shortly. Please visit the website of the Student Advisory Center (Studierenden Service Center) and the International Office for information on application requirements and deadlines, and plan enough time for the degree recognition process (at least six weeks prior to the final application deadline).
Please note that non-EU students require a residence permit to study in Germany, and some may require an additional visa to enter the country. All non-EU students must provide evidence of funds of at least €992 per month or €11,904 per year of stay, transferred to a German blocked account (Sperrkonto), from which the funds will be released back to the student each month to cover minimum living costs. Consult your local German diplomatic mission for more information.
Information sessions for students interesting in applying to our MA programme will be held online via Teams each February and August. No prior registration is required! We welcome any questions or concerns about the application process and studying and living in Mainz.
