You should harbor a fascination for historical connections and the study of material culture: What can buildings, images, and objects tell us about a culture’s unique characteristics?

You should also be excited to work with archaeological artifacts and to undertake self-organized trips to museums and excavation sites both in Germany and abroad. If you are interested in field archaeology (excavations), you should be in fairly good physical condition.

Good written and spoken communication skills will help you succeed in your studies. You should be interested in different cultures and be prepared to learn modern foreign languages in order to be able to read academic literature. It is possible to make up for insufficient Latin knowledge in the BA program with a Latin course. What you learn in this course will also suffice for further programs of study (master’s and doctorate degrees).

This subject is a subject of specialization in the ALPHA (B.A.) degree program. You can also study this subject as a minor within the two-subject bachelor’s degree program.

If you choose the subject as a minor, you will generally complete only a portion of the modules and classes taught to students of the major subject. As a result, you will focus on a selection from the content listed below.

Program structure and specializations

Introduction phase

In the first semester, you will attend courses that will give you an introduction for your studies in an ancient studies subject. There are methodological and content-related overlaps between some of the specializations offered on the ALPHA BA degree course. Pursuing the research-oriented degree program is also very different from learning at school.

Advanced phase

You will learn about pre- and protohistory from the beginning of mankind through the Neolithic and Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Roman period to the early Middle Ages. You will primarily be looking at the geographical area of Europe. In the advanced modules, you will also learn to work critically and academically. In order to acquire a broader archaeological knowledge base, you can choose another subject as a minor in a related area or take further courses in Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology or other ALPHA subjects. You will also complete internships to find out which type of work could suit your ideas and interests. During your last semester, you will write your final thesis.

Individual specialization

By choosing certain advanced modules in the BA degree program, you will set your own thematic focus. Aside from the more common areas of emphasis (Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman era, etc.), Mainz offers the unique option of specializing in the fields of Pleistocene archaeology or specific practical fields (surveying, mining archaeology).

Stay abroad

Would you like to live abroad for a semester or a year? Do you want to learn another language and get to know a new culture? Or gain a different perspective on your particular subject? A stay abroad provides you with the perfect opportunity to achieve this and is possible with every degree program – either self-organized or by taking advantage of one of the popular exchange programs. This is made possible by various cooperation agreements and partnerships with foreign universities.

For more information on this topic, please visit our websites on studying abroad. Visit our student exchange platform for an overview of cooperating universities in your field.

This program of study does not require you to spend time abroad, but you nevertheless have the opportunity to do so.

The recommended study abroad period for this program of study is after the 3rd semester.

Internships

As part of your studies, you will complete an internship lasting at least four weeks in a relevant field (excavation, surveying, museum, preservation of historical monuments…). Additionally, you will take part in at least one excursion (of at least 6 days).

Voluntary internships are another good opportunity to obtain more in-depth insight into a professional field.

An internship allows you to discover whether everyday life in a particular occupation suits your career expectations and interests. You can gain qualifications for a professional field and acquire important professional and personal skills to start a career. An internship helps you both shape your career path, and mold the remainder of your course sequence – in particular by selecting specializations that suit your practical experience.

You can find further information and relevant internships on the Career Service website.

As a student of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology (and depending on your chosen focus area), you will gain skills in excavation techniques, museum didactics, handling archaeological data, monument preservation, and in the professional fields chosen for external internships (e.g. monument preservation, museums, excavation companies).

Typical professional fields:

• University – entry-level academic staff member (teaching, research, academic self-administration)
• Research institutes – graduate assistant or academic staff member (research, public relations, editing, project management)
• Museums – transition to a profession in project-related work or as a trainee and later as a curator (research, mediation)
• Preservation of historical monuments, especially through the organizations responsible for each state’s archaeological sites
• Excavation companies

Other potential professional fields:

• (Archaeological) publishing houses, such as the Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft (with Zabern, Theiss)
• Media (e.g., ZDF)
• Ministries of culture
• Science management, e.g., JGU’s staff units
• Tourism

Good to know:
In general, a consecutive master’s degree is usually required for transitioning to a job at a university, in research and education, and for jobs in science-adjacent fields. A doctorate is essential for a career path in academia.

Not sure what to do after graduation? Don’t worry!

A university degree generally does not prepare you for a single profession but qualifies you for a wide range of career paths – for example, in research, in a typical profession related to your field of study, or in one of many other academic fields.

This is why career orientation is also part of your studies. Gaining practical experience is key, and you can do so through internships, working student positions, part-time jobs or voluntary work, for example.

JGU’s Career Service will support you throughout the entire process with information, advice, workshops and numerous events – from career orientation and working on your profile and skills to finding your dream job and successfully applying for it.