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The curriculum of the modularized master's degree program in German Literature at the Institute of German Studies: Literature, Language, Media at KIT covers medieval, early modern, modern and contemporary literature in its cultural and media contexts.

A special feature of the text and cultural studies-oriented master's degree program is its focus on the subject area of "knowledge". In the environment of our natural science and technology university, productive synergies arise with regard to this topic, which represent a unique selling point of the master's program. The program benefits in particular from its close cooperation with the degree programs History of Art, Liberal Arts and Sciences, European Culture and History of Ideas and Science - Media - Communication.

The Karlsruhe master's degree program is given a special character by annually changing focal points on which courses and workshops are offered. There are also research-led events that accompany ongoing projects.

Furthermore, thanks to various cooperations with cultural institutions in the Karlsruhe area, the master's program in German Literature gives you the opportunity to gain experience in the field of literature and knowledge transfer as well as archive and museum work during your studies. Each academic year, a practical seminar is offered in cooperation with one of these institutions.

Program structure

The program has a standard duration of 4 semesters and a total of 120 credit points (CP). In terms of content, it is divided into different "subjects": into a compulsory subject "Interdisciplinary Humanities" - and 3 compulsory elective subjects, from which you choose two:

• Modern German Literature (NdL)

• Medieval Studies

• Literature, Culture, Language and Media (LKSM)

Each subject comprises two modules, each module comprises two courses, usually an advanced seminar and a colloquium or a master's course. Such a course is a lecture that regularly includes interaction between the teacher and students.

Depending on your personal focus in the master's degree, there are various career prospects. With a master's degree in German Literature, you can aspire to managerial positions in language and literature teaching, in the press and public relations departments of companies and public institutions and as an editor in the publishing industry. You are qualified for journalistic activities in all areas of the media, communication training, politics and business, as well as for work in editorial offices and publishing houses, in cultural and public relations work, in libraries and documentation, in the education sector (textbook publishers, adult education, adult education centers, German as a foreign language) and in areas related to education (competent authorities such as ministries).

With a good master's degree and academic ambitions, you may also be interested in pursuing a doctorate and a subsequent career at a university or research institution.

Characteristic features of German Literature M.A. at KIT

• the focus of the master's program is on the subject area "Knowledge"
  
• close cooperation with the degree programs History or Art, European Culture and History of Ideas and Science - Media - Communication
  
• changing annual topics are also offered with a specially designed master class and a practical seminar
  
• inter-university colloquia with students and lecturers from several universities based on the concept of research-led teaching
  
• in addition, guest lectures, practical exercises and excursions are regularly offered
  
• various collaborations with cultural institutions in the Karlsruhe area to enable students to gain experience in the field of literature and knowledge transfer as well as archive and museum work during their studies.
  
• integration into the EUCOR university network enables participation in courses at the universities of Freiburg, Basel, Strasbourg, Colmar and Mulhouse
  

What KIT has to offer

• central campus close to the city forest and right next to the city center
  
• 24-hour library offering single and group working places
  
• wide range of inexpensive catering options (dining hall, cafeteria, Koeri and Pizzawerk)
  
• numerous interdisciplinary offers for personal and professional development, e.g. Lernlabor, Schreiblabor and Perspektivenlabor
  
• study abroad, e.g. via Erasmus
  
• excellent university sports facilities with a large selection of sports
  
• comprehensive cultural offerings with university orchestras, choirs and theater groups
  
• extensive support for career entry and self-employment
  
• internationally oriented degree programs and diverse exchange programs
  
• modern laboratories and practical teaching methods
  
• Lernraum app
  
• diverse student initiatives, clubs and opportunities to actively participate in campus life
  
• stay in touch after graduation via the alumni network
  

Admission requirements

The requirements for admission to the master's degree program in German Literature are based on the current admission regulations:

• bachelor's degree
  a successful bachelor's degree (or at least an equivalent degree) in German Literature or a degree program with at least 50% literary studies at a university, university of applied sciences, university of cooperative education or at a foreign university. The program must have been completed within a standard period of study of at least three years and with a minimum number of 180 ECTS credits.
  
• minimum knowledge and minimum achievements in the following areas
  • knowledge of literary history, in particular in the field of German literature, amounting to 60 CP
    
• selection interview
  participation in an approx. 30-minute selection interview in accordance with § 8 of the statutes for the university's own admission regulations for the master's degree program in German Literature
  
• further admission requirements
  proven knowledge of either two modern European foreign languages or Latin or Greek and one modern European foreign language
  

Language requirements and certificates

You need sufficient knowledge of German for the master's degree program in German Studies. Your German language skills must correspond to at least level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Proof of sufficient German language skills

Your school-leaving certificate is sufficient proof of your German language skills if

• you obtainted it at a German-speaking school in Germany or abroad
• you are a graduate of a bilingual secondary school in Germany or abroad and have passed a bilingual German examination, such as the AbiBac or the Gemischtsprachiges International Baccalaureat (GIB)
• you obtained your degree at a foreign school, but there is another official agreement with the respective country on the recoginition of your school-leaving certificate or language certificate as proof of language proficiency for university studies in Germany

A complete list of foreign school-leaving and language certificates that are recognizes as proof of sufficient German language skills can be found on the webste of the Kultusministerkonferenz (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany).

If you have not obtained your higher education entrance qualification (HZB) at one of the above-mentioned institutions, you must provide a separate language certificate - regardless of your nationality. Only the following are accepted

• the passed „Prüfungsteil Deutsch“ of the Feststellungsprüfung,
• the passed DSH with an overall result DSH-2,
• the passed TestDaF level 4 in all four parts of the examination (reading comprehension, listening comprehension, written expression, oral expression)
• a comparable, recognized certificate of sufficient German language skills

To find our which other recognized certificates can be accepted by KIT as comparable, please contact

• as a German or German-equivalent applicant: Studierendenservice
• as an applicant with non- EU citizenship: International Students Office

Please note:
Language certificates are extremely important application documents that can prevent your enrollment if you do not submit them on time. Therefore, check early on in the application process whether you have the necessary language certificates for your degree program and, if necessary, plan to take one of the language tests mentioned above. The deadline by which you must submit language certificates corresponds to the enrollment deadline stated in your admission offer. In justified cases, you can apply for an extension of this deadline. The extension can be granted until the start of the lecture period at the latest.

Weitere Ansprechpersonen:

• KIT-Fakultät für Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften
• Institut für Germanistik
• Fachstudienberatung
• Prüfungsausschuss
• Informationen zum Auslandsstudium
• Fachschaft GeistSoz

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