During my undergraduate studies (BA International - German/Spanish) at University College Cork, I developed a deep passion for languages and cultural studies. I spent the third year of this degree at LUH, where I studied for 11 months as part of the Erasmus program. However, with my Bachelor's degree in my pocket, I was then unsure which Master's degree I wanted to study afterwards. I couldn't find a program in my home country of Ireland that included everything I was interested in: languages and cultural studies as well as a study abroad program or internship. So when I heard about the Master Atlantic Studies at LUH, I knew it would be right for me. The wide variety of seminars offered in many different departments of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities ensures that each student* will find electives that match his/her interests. As a native English speaker, I was also pleased that many courses were offered in English. The study abroad/internship component of the program particularly appealed to me. Since I had already studied abroad once, namely in Hanover, I wanted to gain work experience abroad this time, since I didn't have the opportunity to do so during my bachelor's degree. I did my internship at a small NGO, the Centre Euro Africa in Barcelona, where I was not only able to improve my Spanish skills, but also got an insight into the world of NGOs. Since completing my Master's degree, I have been working as a Junior Press and Public Relations Officer at the German Foundation for World Population in Hanover, which focuses on sexual and reproductive health and rights in East Africa. The Master Atlantic Studies was the perfect degree to prepare me for this job. I took courses during my studies that focused on East African politics and culture, as well as sexual and reproductive health in Africa, which has benefited me greatly in my current job. If you are looking for a diverse and interesting master's program that includes study abroad or an internship abroad for a semester, I believe the Atlantic Studies master's program may be just right for you, as it was for me.

Leigh-Ann McSweeney

I chose the Atlantic Studies in History, Culture and Society master's program about four years ago because it covered exactly what I was looking for in a master's program: Interdisciplinarity and Interculturality. The program allowed me to gain insight into different academic fields and to set my own focus. Since I had studied "International Communication and Translation" in my bachelor's degree and was aware very early on that I would like to work in an intercultural field after my studies, I mainly chose seminars that dealt with the topics of "migration" and "racism". During my 6-month research stay in Costa Rica, I was finally able to take a closer look at these topics. Not only is the course of study itself diverse, but so are the extracurricular offerings at LUH. During my time at LUH, I participated in various programs that prepared me for professional life, such as the qualification program "With Leibniz to Bahlsen" and seminars on intercultural communication. During my studies, I kept hearing, "And what can you do with that later?" My advice to you: don't let this question confuse you. After submitting my master's thesis, I was also initially unsure about where it should go for me professionally . But the uncertainty quickly dissolved into thin air, because after a short time I received many invitations to job interviews and even some acceptances. Since October 2016, I have been working as a project coordinator at the Ethno-Medizinisches Zentrum e.V. - a non-profit association in Hanover, which contributes programs to the integration of migrants and refugees in social and health care in Germany nationwide. One component of the EMZ e.V. is the interpreting service. As part of my job, I am responsible, among other things, for the coordination and implementation of interpreter training and continuing education. My work is not only extremely meaningful, but also versatile: every day I come into contact with people from the most diverse corners of the world. And my master's degree in Atlantic Studies plays a big part in that. So if you are also a culturally open-minded person and interested in new people and foreign lifestyles, then "Atlantic Studies" is the perfect degree program for you.

Azar Hagshenas