English and American Studies (B.A.)
The degree program covers all relevant areas of English and American Studies. It also allows students to specialize in one of five key areas: American Studies, British Studies, Cultural Studies, Linguistics or Literary Studies. It is also possible to work towards a General Studies degree.
Fact Sheet
- Degree
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
- Admission
- No Admissions Restrictions
- Duration of studies
- 6 semesters
- Teaching language
- German and English
- Faculty
- Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology
- Start of degree program
- Winter semester
- Number of students
- 150-250
- Special ways to study
- 2-subject Bachelor, Part-time degree program
- Special features
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Those who expect mainly English lessons will be disappointed. Good English skills are already required at the beginning of the study.
Program overview
What is the degree program about?
Scholars in American Studies, British Studies or English linguistics deal scientifically with the language, literature and culture of English-speaking societies. The four sub-disciplines that make up the program are linguistics, literary studies, cultural studies and language practice. While British Studies focuses on the linguistic and cultural region of Great Britain, American Studies deals mainly with the United States and Canada. Other English-speaking regions that may play an important role are the Caribbean region, India, Australia and South Africa.
Questions asked in the course include: Why did English become a world language? What influence has the history of colonization had on British and American self-understanding? Why is Shakespeare a British icon, and why are his plays still popular? How are different cultural groups changing American and British society today? How can a literary text have very different meanings, and how can I figure them out? What role do popular novels and television series play in the formation of a national identity?
Students complete a series of modules. Each module consists of individual courses. The choice of modules is governed by the relevant Study and Examination Regulations (FPO). In addition, ‚key qualifications‘ must be acquired and foreign language skills must be demonstrated.
For our BA English and American Studies, the degree program looks as follows:
The structure of the program (additional ‚key qualifications‘ must also be acquired)
Basic modules in the 1st and 2nd semester (All basic modules must be completed)
- Language
- Linguistics
- Literature
- Culture
Specialization starting in the 3rd semester (selection of one of the following fields of study)
- American Studies
- British Studies
- Cultural Studies
- General Studies
- Linguistics
- Literary Studies
Bachelor thesis
American Studies, British Studies, Cultural Studies, General Studies, Linguistics, Literary Studies
- Good to very good knowledge of English is already required at the beginning of the course.
- A willingness to read – attentively and quite a lot.
- You should enjoy engaging with other cultures: An extended stay in an English-speaking foreign country should be an essential part of the English or American Studies program. In principle, students should also try to use semester breaks to travel extensively to English-speaking countries and to read English-language books and watch English-language films and television programs in their free time.
As in the humanities in general, there are a variety of ways to start a career, because there is no clear-cut job description for graduates of English and American Studies. You may find them for example…
- wherever solid language and cultural skills in English are required in combination with a sound scientific education
- in cultural institutions and libraries
- in journalism and publishing
- in management consultancies
- in adult education
- in cultural and event management
Since English language graduates can usually move around abroad with confidence and communicate well, they are also in demand at internationally active companies and at NGOs (non-governmental organizations). In some industries, for example in publishing, a doctorate can be useful, but it is not a guarantee for an academic career. Prospective graduates who do not want to go into the teaching profession should make intensive efforts to obtain additional qualifications during their studies. This is usually done through internships, which can help to get a more precise idea of the working world and one’s own career goals.
Possible combinations without overlaps
- Archaeological Sciences
- Archaeological Sciences
- Art History
- Book Studies
- Business and Economics
- Chinese Studies
- Computational Linguistics
- Cultural History of Christianity
- Digital Humanities and Social Sciences
- Education
- French Studies
- Geography: Cultural Geography as a two subject Bachelor's degree program
- German studies
- Greek Philology
- Hispanic Studies
- History
- Indo-European and Indo-Iranian Studies
- Islamic Religious Studies
- Italian Studies
- Japanese Studies
- Latin Philology
- Medieval Latin and Neo-Latin
- Oriental Studies
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Scandinavian Studies (BA)
- Sociology
- Theater and Media Studies
With these subject combinations, there are generally no overlaps in the timetable.
Application for a Degree Program
Admission Requirements and Application
Admission
- 1st semester: No Admissions Restrictions
Application deadline
- Winter semester: 30.09.
- Summer semester: nicht möglich
Language skills
- English language skills at A-level (CEFR B2+) are required.
- German language skills for international applicants: DSH 2 or equivalent
Details and notes
The application deadline for the winter semester for international applicants is July 15th.
In addition to the general qualification for university entrance (Abitur), there are other access options for studying at FAU.
