Master of English Literatures and Literary Theory – (M.A.)

If you love literature, this is the ideal course for you. You will get to read a large number of exciting novels, short stories, plays, poems, essays and letters besides looking at films and seeing performances of great drama on stage or on DVD.
Freiburg's MA in English Literatures and Literary Theory is the standard MA course that takes you from a BA in British and/or American Literature to a PhD in English or American or postcolonial literature. It offers a wide range of exposure to British and/or American texts of all genres and particularly concentrates on early British literature (pre-1800) in order to ensure a complete coverage of the full range of literature in the English language.

Besides providing immersion in literatures from different countries, centuries and genres, the MA in English Literatures and Literary Theory also focuses on introducing students to literary theories and their application in literary research. An understanding of the various theoretical approaches is necessary when embarking on the writing of a research project like an MA thesis or a PhD thesis. The Freiburg English Department specializes on the areas of cultural studies, postcolonial literary theory, narratology, feminism, ethnic studies, law and literature and ethical approaches to literature.
Although we offer courses in all genres and periods, special emphasis is given to fiction and drama, to the Renaissance, the C18 and C19 novel, to American and British drama in the 18th and 19th centuries, to modernist and postmodernist writing, and to the short story as a genre.

This MA course moreover has a linguistic component since it was felt that to study literature, which is after all written in language, one needs to have a good grasp of linguistic concepts to analyse the language of literary texts. At the same time, theoretical models and approaches, particularly those based on structuralism and poststructuralism, frequently use concepts and terms derived from linguistics so that here too a good knowledge of the basic linguistic groundwork comes in handy.
Students graduating from this MA course have a number of career options. Besides continuing with an academic career and doing a PhD, they are qualified to engage in all kinds of cultural work (organising conferences and exhibitions, journalistic and broadcasting work, working for publishers as readers or promotion agents, theatrical careers, etc.). Having been inspired to be creative and to love the arts, you will find your way by making a niche for yourself and your interests in the world.