Course descriptions

A total of 44 credits must be acquired by attending lectures and seminars. These courses are freely selectable from a wide offer and typically worth 3 credits each. At least 18 credits must be earned from lectures and at least 12 credits from seminars.

Courses with other universities can be accredited upon approval by the director of studies. This requires the registration as a mobiltiy student with the host university, to be finalized prior to the start of the semester.

Every semester the different chairs offer colloquia to give students an insight into the current research discussion.

Four colloquia have to be attended over the course of the the programme. Regular participation and successful submission of an ungraded protocol or essay is required to obtain 2 credits.

The semester report is due after completing the first semester and is part of the introductory phase. Students are asked to reflect on their first experiences and look ahead to further content and formal study planning.

Based on the report, students receive in-depth academic advice from the selected supervisor. The formal requirements must be agreed with the respective supervisor individually (typically approx.3 pages).

The graded seminar paper (10 pages / 3,500 words) serves as an initial deepening of individuall interests and does not have to be related to a course attended. This paper prepares for the essays on readings and is supervised by a freely selected faculty member.

The three essays on readings (10 credits each) are an important preparation for the in-depth study.  Finding topics independently and developing the essays enable students to have deepened subject-specific discussions and the opportunity to expand on the interests they have gained in the basic subjects. This process also prepares for further and broad reading in a specific subject area.

The three essays will be graded and comprise up to approximately 20 pages/6,000 words each. A supervisor will have to be appointed, see list

At least one essay must be written on a philosophical and one on a historical topic. An essay written in the field of 'Literature and Cultural Studies' can be counted for both the philosophical and historical requirement, depending on the subject. Working on the essay can root from a subject-specific reading list. The essay can, but does not have to be directly related to a course.