German As a Minority Language and Literature – (M.A.)

The German as a minority language and literature MA produces proficient graduates in German who have a thorough understanding of the culture, language use, and literature of the Germans of Hungary.

In the form of a focus track worth 40 credits students acquire comprehensive knowledge of the structural system, branches of literature science, schools, topics in literature history, and the areas of culture, the interaction between language, culture, and literature and its mediations with a synchornic and diachronic approach of the German language. Furthermore, the major gives a good understanding of topics of minority studies, more specifically the language, language use, history, literary activity, culture, and sense of identity of the Germans of Hungary. In parallel with the training in systematic language and literature science of an interdisciplinary nature, during their training in theory and practice students attain general and specific knowledge of the methodology developed for schools of minorities which enable them to utilise their knowledge and skills in the German language and the field of ethnic and minority sciences.

Further branching of studies is possible in order to study certain areas more closely and prepare the student for a possible scientific career in the future.

It has always been characteristic of the programme to connect research with teaching activity by involving students in the process of data collection and research. One of the focuses of the Centre of Research and Teacher Training for Germans in Hungary (operating withing the Institute of Germanic studies) is research on topics relating to the past and present of the Germans of Hungary (history, language, literature, and culture). Two largescale projects (i.e., the Atlas of German in Hungary and the Dictionary of Regional German in Hungary) endorsed by the department attest to the high standards of research carried out. The Centre works in close co-operation with German organisations in Hungary, institutions of all levels of education, the German media in Hungary, local governments, and museums. The Centre has its own collection of archives (audio, library, corpora) which the students have access to. Associates of the Centre are senior publishers in the topic of Germans of Hungary and they are responsible for multiple series of texts.

Graduates will be able to make use of the knowledge and skills obtained in various fields of cultural life (publishing, written and visual media, cultural institutions, certain areas of public administration and economy), with the most outstanding students getting the opportunity to carry out scientific research in their PhD studies.