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Degree:	Master of Arts
Application required:	Limited intake
Course start:	winter semester / summer semester
Course duration:	4 semesters
Form of course:	full-time
Language requirements:	no additional languages
Prerequisites:	B.A. in English (or equivalent recognised course) and at least 10 consecutive weeks spent in an English-speaking country (see admission regulations for further details)
Other:	post-graduate course (consecutive)
Language of instruction:	generally English

Faculty of Modern Languages

 

Further information on the course can be found on the website of the Anglistischen Seminar under “Studium” or also in the guide to the English Department.

Programme overview

English Studies deals with exploring the English language as disseminated globally in the present day. It also studies its historical development, and the literatures and cultures of the English-speaking world. The United Kingdom and North America have traditionally been the main focus; however, classes are also held on other English varieties, literatures and cultures. The most important areas of English Studies are included, with different weighting, in the Master’s course (see below). They are Linguistics, Literature (including Cultural Studies) and Language Practice.

The subject of Linguistics is the academic description of language and its function in human societies. Modern linguistics is a very differentiated and specialized discipline with a host of sub-areas. Some are concerned e.g. with describing the language system (written and sound system, grammar, vocabulary etc), and native or foreign language acquisition, or they examine the similarities and diversities of languages through contrastive study and typology. Other areas explore the differences between spoken and written language, changing conditions of standard language to dialects, translating from one language to the other. However, Linguistics does not just describe aspects of language as an academic exercise. Linguistic research also aims to optimize language acquisition, design dictionaries, and contribute to machine translation. Given the current position of English as a world language, these applied research interests are of particular importance. In addition, due importance is attached to the development of English in the course of its approximately 1500-year history.

The subject of English Literature is English-language literature from its beginnings to the present. The main goal of lectures and seminars is to transmit knowledge about its (main) works and periods, also developing a systematic approach to aesthetically and culturally significant texts. Literature is not seen in isolation but as an activity tied into a variety of social, political and cultural situations. These conditions of origin and reception are also the subject of literary study, as is literary theory. Cultural Studies take up cultural phenomena of the English-speaking world from the Middle Ages to the present. Literary studies with a cultural focus place works of literature within the whole complex of culture, thus examining the relationship between works of English literature and epoch-specific cultural topics. The focus here is e.g. on topics like the commercialization of literature, relations between literature and other media and the question of creating identity and culture-specific values.

The practical language classes serve a dual purpose. On the one hand, they assist students in systematically improving their proficiency in English. On the other, they aim to convey contrastive and systematic insights into the structures of English and thus lead to thinking about language in practice. This is why practical language courses are offered at Master level in Advanced Writing, Stylistics and Advanced English in Use.

 

Study abroad

An indispensable supplement to studying English is getting to know the English or American culture and way of life at first hand. Students on the Master’s programme English Studies should absolutely spend one or two semesters in an English-speaking country, if they have not already done this during their Bachelor course or between the B.A. and M.A. It goes without saying that this will also improve their language skills. There are different ways of organizing study abroad at relatively low cost. Recipients of German student grants (BAföG) can obtain an increased grant while abroad in the USA, the UK and Ireland. Furthermore, the English Department has annual exchanges with different British universities through the European Union’s ERASMUS mobility scheme. Students can also apply for a (partial) scholarship through the Heidelberg Exchange Program (options to study at over sixty universities in the USA and Canada), apply to the DAAD and Fulbright Commission (USA) for scholarships to study at British, US and Canadian universities, or take a post as assistant teacher in an English-speaking country. The English Department website gives a lot of other information on study abroad.

 

Course structure

The post-graduate Master’s course in English Studies aims to expand and, above all, deepen the methods and knowledge acquired in the first degrees in English (see bachelor degree programmes). It has a strong research emphasis and combines both traditional skills in Literature and Linguistics with new cultural and communication techniques. Students are to be trained to handle information critically for independent academic work and, at the same time, for information-oriented, literary or linguistic professions.

The prerequisites for undertaking the M.A. in English Studies in Heidelberg are listed in the admission rules. With English studies as the major, the course (4 semesters) comprises coursework and examinations totalling 70 credits, a minor worth 20 credits and a Master’s thesis in the major, bringing 30 credits. At the very beginning of the programme the students choose one of two main options: linguistics and literature. The former covers the whole breadth of historical and modern linguistics. The latter ranges over English and American literary studies right up to cultural and comparative studies. However, both options allow for a deepening of individual fields through personal choice. All course offerings guarantee an emphasis on research.

The module handbook contains more information on the course structure, modules and relevant classes. The general part of the M.A. examination regulations deals with dates, deadlines, grades, credit transfer and examinations procedures.

A minor can be basically any subject for which there is an equivalent course at Master’s level (see subjects Studienfächer). If the major is Linguistics, for example, English Literature can also be chosen as a minor, and vice versa. The minor subject can also be replaced by the module Methodology and Research Practice, which further intensifies the research bias of the course.

A minor worth 20 credits is also available for students of another modern language (not English) as their major, likewise with the choice of Linguistics or Literature. This subject deals with advanced questions and methods relating to historical and modern linguistics, or English and American literature and cultural studies; thus depending on their major, this minor taken in the English Department will enable them to enrich their studies through some comparative literature or contrastive linguistics. The module handbook also contains detailed information on modules in minor subjects.

Minors

In the M.A. in English Studies, minors are worth 20 credits. Here is a list of all minors available.

 

Focal areas of teaching and research

The different chairs in English Studies, along with the wide range of academic staff, contribute to achieving the objective of the courses in English Studies in Heidelberg – to make linguistics, literary and cultural studies as broad and diversified as possible, but also to present them in the whole of their historical depth. Core courses cover British and North American literature, and literary and cultural theory. However, there are also lectures in new anglophone literature and cultures. Early modern literature has its place here along with experimental texts and up-to-date publications – one popular class is even called “Hot off the press”. Core courses in Linguistics cover the standard description of British and American English and their regional varieties. However, recent international varieties are receiving increasing attention. Classes describing present-day English are as normal a part of the curriculum as those on processes of language change or older language levels, the knowledge of which is essential for an appropriate understanding of historical texts.

 The English Department has regularly achieved top places in different rankings in the last few years. This is, above all, the result of its strong research component. With five chairs, five research assistants, a number of additional professorships and numerous other academic staff, there is a continual exchange between teaching and research, reflected in the high number of doctorates.

Research interests in Literature and Cultural Studies include

• hypertexts and fringe forms of literature
• the novel, drama, poetry of the British Isles
• anglophone und Anglo-Irish literature
• issues arising in literary and cultural studies (e.g. gender studies, narratology)
• American transcendentalism

Research interests in Linguistics include

• Dialectology
• Corpus linguistics

 

Formalities

Application and admission

There is an entry restriction and an admission restriction. Please consult the admission regulations hier.

German students
German students can enrol without prior application at the Central University Administration building by the beginning of lectures. They are required to show the written statement of admission issued by the representative of the desired Master’s programme, confirming that preconditions according to the admission regulations have been met. Please inquire from the English Department about further procedure.

International students
International students must apply in writing to enable due examination of their previous academic achievements. The closing date for international applicants is 15 June for the winter semester, and 15 November for the summer semester. The application must go directly to the International Relations Office. Please use the following M.A. application form and enclose the necessary documents.

Current information on application procedure

Examination regulations

Examination regulations master’s degree programme English Studies
Examination regulations for master’s degree programmes – general part 

Examinations board

The respective examinations board or office is responsible for credit transfer, recognition, and examination issues. Further details are available from the academic advisor.

Fees

To study at Heidelberg University, fees must be paid at the beginning of each semester.

 

Academic advisor

General advice (on taking English Studies, application procedures etc):

E-Mail: studium@as.uni-heidelberg.de

Dr. Heiko Jakubzik (B.A. and M.A.)
Kettengasse 12, Room 318
Thu 14.00 - 15.00h und Fri 10.00 - 11.30h
Phone 06221/ 54-28 38
E-Mail: heiko.jakubzik@as.uni-heidelberg.de

Please check for on the English Department website for any changes ("Aktuelles"), and possibly altered office hours during the university vacation ("Personen").

 

Contact

Anglistisches Seminar
Kettengasse 12
D-69117 Heidelberg

Internet www.as.uni-heidelberg.de

Map

Office

Phone: +49 (0)6221-54-2836
Fax: +49 (0)6221-54-2877

Student representative body

E-Mail: fachschaft.anglistik@urz.uni-heidelberg.de
Internet: http://www.as.uni-hd.de/fachschaft