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Students and alumni of the M.A. Visual and Media Anthropology share their stories.
On-campus workshops at HMKW Berlin
Journal of Visual and Media Anthropology

M.A. Visual and Media Anthropology

Study 100% online with additional On-Campus Workshops

The advanced graduate degree program M.A. Visual and Media Anthropology (VMA) was originally developed and offered at the Freie Universität Berlin from 2008-2019, a university of excellence in Germany. The VMA program has been offered exclusively at HMKW Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Germany since winter semester 2019/20.

The advanced graduate degree equips students who already have a professional background in film, photography, journalism, communication studies, online marketing, digital/social media or any other field related, with an in-depth knowledge of Visual and Media Anthropology. The program provides the essential needed to become professional documentary filmmakers, documentary photographers and experts for virtual environments and immersive video.

Students develop innovative perspectives with the potential to lead the future of digital anthropology in science, virtual platforms, TV broadcasts, museums, online news platforms, cultural institutions, film festivals, galleries, governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Apply here.

Study program

The program equips students with knowledge about the ethical correct production of classical, scientistic, immersive and artistic audio-visual media for the representation of national, and transnational cultures, with a focus on Asian, African, European, North American and Latin American “native” or “indigenous” communities.

The program includes classes about the Theory and History of Ethnographic Film, Documentary Photography, Digital Anthropology, Camera, Sound, and Editing classes, Social Media Activism and Marketing, Qualitative Ethnographic Methods, Decolonization of the Image, Migration, Extremism and Conflict Research, Virtual Environments and building in VR, Gender, feminist and queer theory, Environmental Anthropology, Climate Change and Visual Culture. Part of the master's program is the student's own ethnographic field research, which is supervised in colloquia.

All course content is delivered 100% online by an international team of professors and lecturers with over a decade of online teaching experience. Students can study at a time and place convenient to their lifestyle. All that is needed is a good internet connection, and a laptop or smartphone. Distance Learning is offered via the world-best Learning Management platform LMS Canvas and through Zoom-live-streams of classes, online presentations and discussions. The program was one of the winners of the Best Practice in Online Teaching by CEDIS Center for Digital Systems Freie Universität Berlin. The advanced graduate degree program is 100 % equivalent to other M.A. programs, and prepares graduates for PhD studies.

Here you can find more information about Distance Learning.

Meet your fellow students for additional On-Campus-Camera-and Sound-Workshops in Berlin, Germany. Optional 2-5 days hybrid On-Campus-workshops are offered for students to build hand on technical experience. Students must assume additional (travel, room) costs arising from in-house workshops (not mandatory) and fieldwork periods. We offer hybrid classes via live-stream in case you cannot travel to Berlin.

Applicants: This program is designed for students who have an undergraduate degree (BA) in any subject, and also for professionals who want to conduct a second MA degree.

Target jobs: Career prospects for graduates of the Master's program in Visual and Media Anthropology are especially in the cultural and social science-oriented TV, print and online media sector as editors at TV stations, film production companies and online platforms, as well as in leading positions or as curators at film festivals, in film archives, museums and cultural institutes with media exhibition concepts.

The master's program in Visual and Media Anthropology is designed to prepare students for later positions as experts in visual anthropology (ethnographic film, ethnographic photography) in the following areas, among others:

Editor, writer, director at cultural studies-oriented TV stations and film production companies.
Creation of photography and video material for companies in the cultural and environmental sector (websites and for social media and networks)
New media industry
Museums & International Art Market
Social-anthropological analysis and development of new social media applications and mixed-reality environments
Big data analysis
Immersive or virtual reality industries
Scientific digital development of platforms for education and teaching
Press and media, public relations, social media marketing
Film archives and documentary film festivals
Representation of indigenous groups and organizations
Universities and non-university scientific institutions
Jobs in governmental and non-governmental organizations in the sustainable development sector in developing or emerging countries with a focus on media use and media education

First Semester: Basic Modules (30 CP): Visual Anthropology, Media Anthropology
Second Semester: Profile Modules (30 CP): Basics and Varieties of Ethnographic Film Production, Communication/Mediascapes, Applied Visual & Media Anthropology
Third Semester: Project Modules (30 CP): Internship, Film- or Media Project
Fourth Semester: Supervision Courses (30 CP)

A good degree (university or university of applied sciences)
Proficiency in English (fluent in both written and spoken) is a must
1-year professional experience after the BA
Participants should have basic technical skills in film, video or photography
Participants must have adequate electronic equipment in order to deal with various multimedia materials; high-speed Internet access, a fast computer and a personal email account are compulsory. Possession of a basic digital camera and editing software is mandatory.
All applicants are submitted to an internal assessment process prior to acceptance

Our students conducted internships in following institutions:

Berlinale Talentcampus, Berlin
Stiftung der deutschen Kinemathek, Filmmuseum, Berlin
Ben & Julia Studio
Gegenlichtfilm+TV Produktion, Berlin
Humboldt Forum, Berlin
Harrison Atelier One, Oakleyville Fire Island Pines, NY
credo:film Filmproduktion, Berlin
CCtv China Central Television, Berlin Bureau
Mus’Art Museum, Kumbo, Cameroon
AK KRAAK, Filmarchiv und "Tiefsehmagazin"
The arts therapy group for youth in Evangelisches Johannestift, Berlin
INTER ARTE, german artists network, Berlin
Ensemble für Städtebewohner
Gotanda Film Filmproduktion, Berlin
Michael Gautsch Filmproduktion", Berlin
Biografilm Festival, Bologna, Italy

With following artists our students worked together during their internship:

Mikesch, DOP and film maker, Berlin
Björn Melhus, video artist and film maker, Berlin
Johan Grimonpres, "Zap-o-matic"
Sarah Pucill’s Studio Artist, Filmmaker, Photographer
Azubuike Erinugha, film maker, Nigeria

Overview

Type	Distance learning (flexible e-learning in virtual classrooms, webinars etc.)
Degree	Master of Arts (M.A.)
Location	Berlin
Language	English
Tuition fees	4020,- € per semester (16.080,- € in total for the two year's program)
Duration	4 semesters (2 years)
Start	Winter term (October)

How to Apply
⟶ Please use our Online Application form

More information about the application process

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

For admission requests, please e-mail vma[at]hmkw.de

Student Testimonials

Gemma Lynch, student of M.A. Visual and Media Anthropology

„I wanted to be able to discuss creative ideas in depth and create networking opportunities. I certainly never focussed on one project at the level of detail I am now, and that is thanks to the masters." –
Gemma Lynch

Interview → Gemma about her VMA studies

„[The scholarship] is a unique opportunity that is so fundamental for your professional development, it is a privilege. It’s a lot of work to be able to meet the requirements but once the goal is achieved you realize how much it was worth all the effort made." –
Arturo Calderón, DAAD scholarship holder

Interview → Arturo about his DAAD scholarship that enabled him to study the VMA program