ObjectivesThis degree offers new perspectives on German literature and history since 1848 by crossing conventional boundaries between academic disciplines and encouraging you to consider how literature, history, culture and politics interact in modern Germany. It is designed to promote an independent approach to the study of literature and history, and to enable you to develop interpretive skills appropriate to both disciplines. Skills fostered by the degree include independent study, time management, oral and written presentation, and group discussion skills.
Entry requirementsEntry requirements BA German, German History or European Studies. Candidates from other disciplines but with degree-level knowledge of the German language are also encouraged to apply.
Academic titleModern German Studies (MA)
Course descriptionTwo core courses of 20 weeks each, two option modules of 10 weeks each and a 10-week research training course.
Core course 1
Literature, including:
Naturalism
-The New Woman around 1900
-Modernism/Impressionism
-Attitudes to the First World War and the German Revolution
-Literature and the Third Reich
-Post-War Literature
-Post-Wende Literature.
Core course 2
History, including:
-Germany’s National Unification in the Nineteenth Century
-The Political System of Imperial Germany
-The Impact of the First World War on German Society
-The Volksgemeinschaft in the Third Reich
-The Impact of Allied Occupation Politics on the two Germanys
-The Process of Political Liberalisation in West Germany in the 'Long 1960s'.
-Option modules
These include:
-The City in German Literature
-Crisis and Disorientation in the Post-War German Novel
-40 Years of a Divided Germany
-German Thought since 1848
-The German Bildungsroman
-Word and Image: Questions of Intermediality in Modern German Culture.
Teaching
Teaching takes place in small seminar groups, and you will have the chance to present discussion papers.
Assessment
Two essays of 4000 words for each core course and one essay for each option module. A dissertation of about 15,000 words. The research skills module is assessed by a review essay.
When to apply
We encourage you to apply as early as possible.
Interviews, by arrangement, are held throughout the academic year.