The subject of Cultural Anthropology (also known elsewhere as empirical cultural studies or European ethnology) explores "culture" as dynamic negotiation processes, with a focus on research into everyday culture. "Culture" is understood as the ways in which people shape their living environments and give them meaning, and the conventions according to which they interact, communicate and differentiate themselves from one another. Cultural anthropology is characterized by a micro-analytical view of situations, events and spaces, analysing them in their interrelationships between the local and the global as well as between the present and history. Particular attention is paid to the relationships that people enter into with objects and their material environment. She works with ethnographic-qualitative methods of field research (in particular with participant observation and interviews) as well as with historical, image, text and object-analytical tools of investigation.
The subject area Cultural Studies and European Ethnology at the University of Basel focuses on the following areas in teaching and research:
The Bachelor's degree subject focuses on introductions to theoretical and methodological instruments of cultural analysis and their application in various thematic fields and in conducting your own empirical surveys. Conferences, workshops and excursions abroad complement the program.
| Degree | BA in Cultural Anthropology |
| Type | Subject |
| Start date | February, September |
| Credit points | 180 |
| Study structure | The Bachelor's degree is the first degree before the Master's degree. It comprises a total of 180 credit points (CP). Cultural Anthropology is studied as one of two subjects, each worth 75 credit points. In addition, there is the free elective area (30 CP). One credit point corresponds to approximately 30 hours of work. |
| Combination of subjects | Cultural Anthropology can be profitably combined with many other subjects. In addition to subjects from the Faculty of Humanities, a non-faculty subject can also be considered as a second Bachelor's subject. The free elective area is freely available to all students. It is generally used to acquire general skills (foreign languages, IT, rhetoric, etc.), for interdisciplinary learning (non-subject or interdisciplinary courses), to further deepen one's own subject studies or to acquire a certificate. |
| Language of instruction | German, English |
| Subject area | Cultural Studies and European Ethnology |
The Student Administration Office at the University of Basel is responsible for admitting students to bachelor’s programs in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. This is based on the admission regulations of the President’s Office:
Holders of a Swiss federal Maturität certificate will be admitted to all bachelor’s degree programs.
If you have any further questions, please consult the information provided here.
Students must register for their bachelor’s or master’s degree program within a specified timeframe – even in cases of delayed registration.
The University of Basel organizes regular information events for bachelor’s and master’s programs. Details can be found on the events page of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Some subject areas also offer their own separate information or welcome events. Please consult the page for the relevant subject area for event dates and locations.
Students who have earned 60 CP in the subject to be examined or 120 CP in the degree program and have completed the seminar papers that count towards the degree in the subject to be examined or in the degree program may register for the Bachelor's examination. Proof is provided by submitting the module assignment.
Only one subject per session can now be examined. This means that the two Bachelor's examinations can be spread over two sessions (note: only for subjects - it is not possible to separate the two examinations for degree programs).
BA examinations: Due to the free availability of AI text generators (such as ChatGPT), the Faculty of Phil.-Hist. has decided to adapt the way in which the BA examination is conducted. This adjustment is intended to ensure that students are able to do their own work. From spring semester 2023, the BA examinations will once again be written in the university rooms under supervision. These will be digital "bring-your-own-device" examinations. The examination dates remain unchanged.
Please note the updated information sheet on the procedure for BA examinations and the new registration form (subject, degree program). If you have any questions, please contact the Student Administration.
The Bachelor's degree entitles students to a subsequent Master's degree. This can also be completed in a different subject area, depending on the use of the elective area in the Bachelor's degree