What to expect from the program?

The Digital M.A. GSPSA is designed for interested people who want to systematically study theories of globalization processes, peace and security, and Africa’s role in them. You will learn what an interdisciplinary and transregional approach to peace and security can look like and what it means to immerse yourself in an intercultural experience in the Global South and the Global North.

With its blended learning approach, the Digital M.A. GSPSA is also suitable for working professionals who want to continue their work and study at their own pace. Moreover, you can study from everywhere in the world without compromise and still have the full benefits of this distance-learning master’s program.

Program Structure

The Digital M.A. GSPSA is a fully modularized two-year master’s program with a duration of four semesters. All courses and exams are offered completely digitally and online. Each module combines different teaching methods to provide the best possible learning experience for our students. These include asynchronous methods such as blended learning and flipped classroom scenarios. In addition, we offer synchronous learning units in seminars and e-tutorials.

First Semester

The first semester offers three core modules, each of which is structured into a mandatory lecture alongside an e-tutorial as well as an electable seminar. Therefore, the first semester introduces all students to the study of globalization in more general to provide them with the necessary requirements for successful completion of the program. These modules are:

• 710 Global History
• 720 International Studies
• 730 Methods in Global Studies

Second Semester

The goal of the second semester is twofold. First, it provides practical exercises for our students in the form of an online internship and an online German course. In addition, two compulsory modules will cover different world regions and their relationship to peace and security in Africa under global conditions and vice versa. The summer break will be introduced by a virtual joint Summer School with the Erasmus Mundus Master in “Global Studies – A European Perspective”.

• 810 Internship & German language course
• 820 Regions in Globalization Processes: Africa and Near East
• 830 Regions in Globalization Processes: Europe

Third Semester

The third semester focuses on conflict management and the challenges to peace and security in Africa under the global conditions, with an emphasis on theories of peace and security and their interconnectedness with human rights and gender.

• 910 Human Rights, Gender and Peace and Security
• 920 Theories of Peace and Security
• 930 Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa and comparative experiences of African conflict management

Fourth Semester

During the fourth semester, students are expected to write their master’s thesis in combination with biweekly seminars, reading groups, and colloquia to discuss progress and problems and to guide further development of the master’s thesis.

• Master Thesis
• Colloquia, Seminars and Reading Groups