Explore Your Alternatives

Philosophy opens up a world of critical thinking, exciting perspectives, and enriching insights. It's the perfect field for those who want to better understand us humans and our interaction with the world, and who are willing to learn to engage in structured thought, thorough reading, and precise argumentation. At Goethe University, this discipline is taught in two areas:

Practical philosophy reflects on the reasons and goals of human actions, as well as moral and social norms. Specific questions pertain to ethics, political philosophy, legal philosophy, political theory, or the foundations of economics.

Theoretical philosophy explores the scope and limits of human thinking and knowledge. It delves into fundamental aspects of cognition, language, culture, or our world, investigating topics such as free will, the relationship between body and mind, or the nature of thought and reality.

At Goethe University, there are many courses in literature, linguistics, and cultural studies that deal with the analysis of the laws of languages, cultures, and societies. Linguistics, for example, provides the basic knowledge and methods necessary for the study and analysis of human languages. It is offered as a concentration in German Studies, English Studies, American Studies, and Romance Languages and Literatures (French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese) at Goethe University, and more broadly in the Empirical Linguistics program. In courses such as Scandinavian Studies, Sinology, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, and Languages and Cultures of Southeast Asia, in addition to the languages and their literatures, the respective cultural areas are considered as a whole and the social and cultural characteristics are described and researched. Our pages on available study places in the humanities and cultural studies, as well as in linguistics and literary studies, contain many more courses of study in this subject area.

A variety of disciplines in the humanities and cultural studies offer you deep insights into global contexts, the structures of other countries and cultures, and the peculiarities and characteristics of very different systems. First and foremost, of course, is History, which covers everything from the beginnings of humanity to the present day. In addition to political history and the history of international relations, the research interest of the university is directed more generally to the fundamental changes in economic, social, and cultural life in Europe and the non-European world.

Anthropology (Ethnologie) also plays an important role in this context. The main focus of the Bachelor's program in Anthropology at Goethe University is the reflexive use of concepts of cultural theory, which are necessary for the critical interpretation of the forms and diversity of human action strategies and institutions. Students of anthropology begin by studying various economic forms, kinship structures, religious concepts, political and communicative forms, as well as the significance of material culture, production and consumption. The discipline thus provides a scientific basis for understanding contemporary social phenomena and for describing and questioning concepts such as cultural change, ethnicity, nationalism, traditionalism, indigeneity, and globalization.

Are you passionate about making a difference in the world? You may find journalism to be a rewarding career as a reporter without borders. A degree in German Studies, for example, is a great way to train your writing skills and, thanks to the practical nature of the program at Goethe University, you can immediately get in touch with publishers and newspapers. Or maybe you are interested in researching and documenting endangered languages - after all, it is often not just the languages that are endangered, but also their speakers. If so, you will find all the necessary knowledge and methods in the Empirical Linguistics program.

You can also study anthropology (Ethnologie), which deals with societies around the world and focuses on people in their cultural environment. Societies outside of Europe have long been a focus of anthropology in Frankfurt, but today much more attention is paid to the global interconnections of people that result from migration, transnational relationships, global economies, and the social consequences of worldwide processes of upheaval.

In addition, humanity continues to face a major challenge: climate change. With a degree in Meterology or Geosciences, you will become a sought-after expert and can contribute to helping climate refugees and fighting global warming.

Are you interested not only in what binds people together, but also in what underlies the world around us? If so, there are a number of exciting majors to choose from.

Biophysics is a field of knowledge at the interface of physics, chemistry and biology with implications for medicine. It deals with the structure, properties, function and dynamics of living matter. Biophysicists also work in medicine, for example, in the development of new diagnostic or therapeutic options, in biotechnology, or in environmental analysis.

Meteorology is the science of weather and climate, but it is much more than that: it is a discipline of the Earth sciences, rooted in physics, that uses experimental, empirical, and theoretical methods to study processes in the atmosphere. In addition to physics and mathematics, there are links to chemistry, oceanography, hydrology and geography. Due to its proximity to the German Weather Service (Offenbach) and EUMETSAT (Darmstadt), Frankfurt is especially well-suited to the study meteorology.

The minor Archaeometry deals with the use and development of scientific methods for the discussion and solution of cultural-historical questions (scientific archaeology). Famous examples are radiocarbon dating, the study of ancient DNA, or isotope analysis. It is an interdisciplinary subprogram that involves the application of mathematical and scientific methods to the study of early historical periods (prehistory and early history, Near Eastern history, Greek and Roman history, early and high Middle Ages).

Our daily contact and interaction with technology and nature gives rise to a multitude of questions that can be successfully answered with the help of the natural sciences, and especially with the help of Physics. Physics is the science of the structure, properties, states, and motion of the matter that surrounds us, as well as the underlying forces responsible for them. There are many subfields of physics, such as astrophysics, atomic physics, solid state physics, nuclear and elementary particle physics, or optics, to name a few.

Geosciences study the physical, chemical, and biological processes of the Earth system, and in particular the relationship between humans and the environment. The study of earthquakes and volcanoes is as much a part of earth science as the study of life in past eras (Paleontology) and the study of minerals and rocks.

Studying Philosophy opens up a world of critical thinking, exciting perspectives, and rewarding insights. It is the perfect subject for those who want to better understand humankind and our interaction with the world, and who are willing to learn structured thinking, close reading, and careful reasoning. At Goethe University, the subject is taught in two areas: practical philosophy reflects on the reasons and goals of human action, as well as on moral and social norms. Specific questions concern ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of law, philosophy of the state, or the foundations of economics. Theoretical philosophy examines the scope and limits of human thought and knowledge. Questions are asked, for example, about the basic structures of cognition, language, culture, or our world; about the freedom of the will; about the relationship between body and mind; and about thought and reality.

In addition, a study of Human Geography could be an option for you. At Goethe University, Human Geography focuses on metropolitan studies, economic geography and social geography, i.e. it deals with the structure of societies and economies and the spatiality of human action and tries to show causes and effects of social inequalities from local (cities, regions) to global scale.

A degree in German Studies consists of more than just literary studies: After the second semester, you can also choose to focus on linguistics. Here you will learn to make theoretically sound and empirically validated statements about various aspects of language. The program focuses on grammar theory (phonology, morphology, syntax), meaning theory (semantics, pragmatics), psycholinguistics (language acquisition and processing), and historical linguistics. Later, you can also join the English-language Master's program in Linguistics or the interdisciplinary Master's program in Aesthetics. The phenomenon of aesthetic experience is approached from the perspectives of philosophy, literary studies, theater, film and media studies, art history and musicology, as well as from historical, empirical-psychological, ethnographic and ethnological perspectives.

The Bachelor's degree in Empirical Linguistics also provides the basic knowledge and methods necessary for the study and analysis of human languages. It deals with modern and ancient human languages with the aim of describing, typologically and historically-genetically classifying and explaining specific aspects of language and speech as well as general aspects. After successfully completing a degree in Empirical Linguistics in Frankfurt, students have many career options open to them, including law, health care, or clinical linguistics (e.g., in the diagnosis or therapy of speech disorders).

What is a human being? What makes a person human? There are many ways to explore these questions. For example, the field of History deals with the beginnings of humanity up to the present day. Anthropology (Ethnologie) is the study of human cultures in all their diversity. This knowledge is becoming increasingly important in today's age of growing global interconnectedness. Human Geography deals with the structure of societies and economies and the spatial aspects of human activity. It seeks to identify the causes and effects of social inequalities from the local (cities, regions) to the global level. Art History, as part of the historical and cultural sciences, studies and communicates the characteristics, functions, and effects of works of art in the fields of architecture, sculpture, painting, graphics, and applied arts since late antiquity, as well as industrial forms, photography, and audiovisual media. Emphasis is placed on European regions and their interactions with non-European areas. Sociopolitical contexts of the discipline are also part of research and teaching. The minor in Art, Media and Cultural Education enables you to support people in a variety of ways. Art education is characterized by the integrated cooperation of different fields of study: specialist knowledge, authentic artistic experiences and pedagogically reflected action are intended to develop comprehensive teaching skills. Areas of interest include the history and functions of art, phenomena of contemporary art, aesthetics and media theories, aesthetic learning and art education concepts, as well as the history of the discipline. In Frankfurt, the academic focus of the program is on the study of everyday cultures, especially youth culture, women's art education, and extracurricular professional fields.

In general, it is important to immerse youself in the language, culture, and social structures of the people you want to understand and help. This intercultural competence is taught in the Sinology program, for example. You will not only learn modern Chinese, but also the political, social, economic, and cultural structures as well as the historical foundations of modern China. An empirical study of everyday Chinese culture and the practice of ethnographic analysis during a semester abroad in a Chinese-speaking region are also part of the program. The "Languages and Cultures of Southeast Asia" program is similarly hands-on. The bachelor's program provides students with a solid grounding in the languages, literatures, and media of Southeast Asia, complemented by additional cultural and regional knowledge, such as Southeast Asian politics, economics, religion, and art. The focus of the program is on insular Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia.

If you want to pursue a career in development cooperation, you need a solid academic background. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development maintains a list of the most important professions in the field of development cooperation, including anthropologists and ethnologists, geographers, university lecturers and teachers, computer scientists, cultural scientists, philologists, and theologians.

The field of Human Geography at the univeristy has a dual focus. On the one hand, it explores economic geographical connections, such as globalization research and performative economies. On the other hand, it delves into urban geographical topics like the dynamics of metropolitan regions and the neoliberalization of urban areas. Graduates with a specialization in human geography often find career opportunities in the public sector and planning, including city and regional planning, transportation planning, economic development, city marketing, and city management. There are also career prospects in the private sector, such as consulting, market research, real estate, location planning, media, tourism, and hospitality.

Considering a degree in History might also be a valuable choice for you, especially with a focus at Goethe University on political history as well as economic and social history. This program involves studying the long-term economic and social structural changes throughout history, along with examining international relations.

Furthermore, a degree in Anthropology (Ethnologie) provides a platform for engaging with cultural theoretical concepts, essential for critically interpreting the diverse forms of human actions and institutions. Anthropology students initially explore various economic structures, kinship systems, religious concepts, political and communicative forms, as well as the significance of material culture, production, and consumption. This field equips students with the academic foundation to comprehend current societal phenomena and to describe and question concepts like cultural change, ethnicity, nationalism, traditionalism, indigeneity, and globalization.

At Goethe University, there are numerous humanities and cultural studies programs that provide deep insights into other countries and languages, strengthen your intercultural competence, and include overseas stays as an integral part of the curriculum. In our globalized world, this is a significant competitive advantage, especially because you don't have to limit your future job search to just one job market. You might think of English Studies and American Studies as your first options, as well as Romance Languages (French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese). However, there are also exciting programs like Scandinavian Studies, Japanology, Korean Studies, as well as Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures (especially Malaysia and Indonesia) where you can learn a lot about the respective countries, their economic and political structures, and international relationships.

Another example to mention is the Sinology program: Here, you not only learn modern Chinese but also acquire knowledge about the political, social, economic, and cultural structures, as well as the historical foundations of modern China. Additionally, you'll engage in an empirical study of Chinese everyday culture and practice ethnographic analysis during your semester abroad in a Chinese-speaking region. You can find many more programs in the fields of humanities, cultural studies, language, and literature on our pages listing available courses of study.

Philosophy opens up a world of critical thinking, exciting perspectives, and enriching insights. It's the perfect field for those who want to better understand us humans and our interaction with the world, and who are willing to learn to engage in structured thought, thorough reading, and precise argumentation. At Goethe University, this discipline is taught in two areas:

Practical philosophy reflects on the reasons and goals of human actions, as well as moral and social norms. Specific questions pertain to ethics, political philosophy, legal philosophy, political theory, or the foundations of economics.

Theoretical philosophy explores the scope and limits of human thinking and knowledge. It delves into fundamental aspects of cognition, language, culture, or our world, investigating topics such as free will, the relationship between body and mind, or the nature of thought and reality.

Are you passionate about making a difference in the world? You may find journalism to be a rewarding career as a reporter without borders. A degree in German Studies, for example, is a great way to train your writing skills and, thanks to the practical nature of the program at Goethe University, you can immediately get in touch with publishers and newspapers. Or maybe you are interested in researching and documenting endangered languages - after all, it is often not just the languages that are endangered, but also their speakers. If so, you will find all the necessary knowledge and methods in the Empirical Linguistics program.

You can also study anthropology (Ethnologie), which deals with societies around the world and focuses on people in their cultural environment. Societies outside of Europe have long been a focus of anthropology in Frankfurt, but today much more attention is paid to the global interconnections of people that result from migration, transnational relationships, global economies, and the social consequences of worldwide processes of upheaval.

In addition, humanity continues to face a major challenge: climate change. With a degree in Meterology or Geosciences, you will become a sought-after expert and can contribute to helping climate refugees and fighting global warming.

A degree in German Studies consists of more than just literary studies: After the second semester, you can also choose to focus on linguistics. Here you will learn to make theoretically sound and empirically validated statements about various aspects of language. The program focuses on grammar theory (phonology, morphology, syntax), meaning theory (semantics, pragmatics), psycholinguistics (language acquisition and processing), and historical linguistics. Later, you can also join the English-language Master's program in Linguistics or the interdisciplinary Master's program in Aesthetics. The phenomenon of aesthetic experience is approached from the perspectives of philosophy, literary studies, theater, film and media studies, art history and musicology, as well as from historical, empirical-psychological, ethnographic and ethnological perspectives.

The Bachelor's degree in Empirical Linguistics also provides the basic knowledge and methods necessary for the study and analysis of human languages. It deals with modern and ancient human languages with the aim of describing, typologically and historically-genetically classifying and explaining specific aspects of language and speech as well as general aspects. After successfully completing a degree in Empirical Linguistics in Frankfurt, students have many career options open to them, including law, health care, or clinical linguistics (e.g., in the diagnosis or therapy of speech disorders).

What is a human being? What makes a person human? There are many ways to explore these questions. For example, the field of History deals with the beginnings of humanity up to the present day. Anthropology (Ethnologie) is the study of human cultures in all their diversity. This knowledge is becoming increasingly important in today's age of growing global interconnectedness. Human Geography deals with the structure of societies and economies and the spatial aspects of human activity. It seeks to identify the causes and effects of social inequalities from the local (cities, regions) to the global level. Art History, as part of the historical and cultural sciences, studies and communicates the characteristics, functions, and effects of works of art in the fields of architecture, sculpture, painting, graphics, and applied arts since late antiquity, as well as industrial forms, photography, and audiovisual media. Emphasis is placed on European regions and their interactions with non-European areas. Sociopolitical contexts of the discipline are also part of research and teaching. The minor in Art, Media and Cultural Education enables you to support people in a variety of ways. Art education is characterized by the integrated cooperation of different fields of study: specialist knowledge, authentic artistic experiences and pedagogically reflected action are intended to develop comprehensive teaching skills. Areas of interest include the history and functions of art, phenomena of contemporary art, aesthetics and media theories, aesthetic learning and art education concepts, as well as the history of the discipline. In Frankfurt, the academic focus of the program is on the study of everyday cultures, especially youth culture, women's art education, and extracurricular professional fields.

In general, it is important to immerse youself in the language, culture, and social structures of the people you want to understand and help. This intercultural competence is taught in the Sinology program, for example. You will not only learn modern Chinese, but also the political, social, economic, and cultural structures as well as the historical foundations of modern China. An empirical study of everyday Chinese culture and the practice of ethnographic analysis during a semester abroad in a Chinese-speaking region are also part of the program. The "Languages and Cultures of Southeast Asia" program is similarly hands-on. The bachelor's program provides students with a solid grounding in the languages, literatures, and media of Southeast Asia, complemented by additional cultural and regional knowledge, such as Southeast Asian politics, economics, religion, and art. The focus of the program is on insular Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia.

If you want to pursue a career in development cooperation, you need a solid academic background. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development maintains a list of the most important professions in the field of development cooperation, including anthropologists and ethnologists, geographers, university lecturers and teachers, computer scientists, cultural scientists, philologists, and theologians.

Philosophy opens up a world of critical thinking, exciting perspectives, and enriching insights. It's the perfect field for those who want to better understand us humans and our interaction with the world, and who are willing to learn to engage in structured thought, thorough reading, and precise argumentation. At Goethe University, this discipline is taught in two areas:

Practical philosophy reflects on the reasons and goals of human actions, as well as moral and social norms. Specific questions pertain to ethics, political philosophy, legal philosophy, political theory, or the foundations of economics.

Theoretical philosophy explores the scope and limits of human thinking and knowledge. It delves into fundamental aspects of cognition, language, culture, or our world, investigating topics such as free will, the relationship between body and mind, or the nature of thought and reality.

The field of Human Geography at the univeristy has a dual focus. On the one hand, it explores economic geographical connections, such as globalization research and performative economies. On the other hand, it delves into urban geographical topics like the dynamics of metropolitan regions and the neoliberalization of urban areas. Graduates with a specialization in human geography often find career opportunities in the public sector and planning, including city and regional planning, transportation planning, economic development, city marketing, and city management. There are also career prospects in the private sector, such as consulting, market research, real estate, location planning, media, tourism, and hospitality.

Considering a degree in History might also be a valuable choice for you, especially with a focus at Goethe University on political history as well as economic and social history. This program involves studying the long-term economic and social structural changes throughout history, along with examining international relations.

Furthermore, a degree in Anthropology (Ethnologie) provides a platform for engaging with cultural theoretical concepts, essential for critically interpreting the diverse forms of human actions and institutions. Anthropology students initially explore various economic structures, kinship systems, religious concepts, political and communicative forms, as well as the significance of material culture, production, and consumption. This field equips students with the academic foundation to comprehend current societal phenomena and to describe and question concepts like cultural change, ethnicity, nationalism, traditionalism, indigeneity, and globalization.

How did money actually come into existence? The degree program in Archaeology of Coins, Currency, and the Economy of the Ancient World focuses on two important institutions: economy and money. The economy is the foundation of life and community in any society. It represents the sum total of goods and services needed to meet people's needs. Embedded in this concept is money, which in various forms serves as a measure of value, a medium of exchange, a means of payment, and a store of wealth. The introduction of coins around 600 B.C. marks the lower boundary, while the end of the Western Roman Empire just before 500 A.D. marks the upper boundary of the time period examined in this program.

From a more contemporary perspective, it may come as a surprise that the field of history, particularly in the areas of "Modern History" and "Economic and Social History," addresses these issues. In Modern History, research interests extend beyond political history and the history of international relations to include fundamental changes in economic, social, and cultural life in Europe and the non-European world during the 20th and 21st centuries. Economic and Social History, on the other hand, focuses on long-term economic and social structural change throughout history, complementing classical political history in different time periods. This field explains the emergence and significance of economic booms and crises, the formation and development of social classes and strata, and the interplay between economic and social development. It draws heavily on social science and economic theory. In addition to the traditional topics of economic and social history, the university places particular emphasis on corporate history as a sub-discipline within this field. Another area of interest for the department is the emergence of the "homo oeconomicus" as a specifically modern model of behavior, linking processes of social change with patterns of action and discourse in their respective historical contexts. Furthermore, the department has a special focus on the regional economic and social history of the Rhine-Main area.

At Goethe University, there are numerous humanities and cultural studies programs that provide deep insights into other countries and languages, strengthen your intercultural competence, and include overseas stays as an integral part of the curriculum. In our globalized world, this is a significant competitive advantage, especially because you don't have to limit your future job search to just one job market. You might think of English Studies and American Studies as your first options, as well as Romance Languages (French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese). However, there are also exciting programs like Scandinavian Studies, Japanology, Korean Studies, as well as Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures (especially Malaysia and Indonesia) where you can learn a lot about the respective countries, their economic and political structures, and international relationships.

Another example to mention is the Sinology program: Here, you not only learn modern Chinese but also acquire knowledge about the political, social, economic, and cultural structures, as well as the historical foundations of modern China. Additionally, you'll engage in an empirical study of Chinese everyday culture and practice ethnographic analysis during your semester abroad in a Chinese-speaking region. You can find many more programs in the fields of humanities, cultural studies, language, and literature on our pages listing available courses of study.