Master‘s Programme in Intercultural Literature Studies - General120 Credits

Second-cycle courses and study programmes shall be based fundamentally on the knowledge acquired by students during first-cycle courses and study programmes, or its equivalent.

Second-cycle courses and study programmes shall involve the acquisition of specialist knowledge, competence and skills in relation to first-cycle courses and study programmes, and in addition to the requirements for first-cycle courses and study programmes shall:

• further develop the ability of students to integrate and make autonomous use of their knowledge,
• develop the students‘ ability to deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations, and
• develop the students‘ potential for professional activities that demand considerable autonomy, or for research and development work. Ordinance (2006:173).

For a Degree of Master (120 credits) the student shall:
Knowledge and understanding

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the main field of study, including both broad knowledge of the field and a considerable degree of specialised knowledge in certain areas of the field as well as insight into current research and development work, and
• demonstrate specialised methodological knowledge in the main field of study.

Competence and skills

• demonstrate the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations even with limited information
• demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate issues critically, autonomously and creatively as well as to plan and, using appropriate methods, undertake advanced tasks within predetermined time frames and so contribute to the formation of knowledge as well as the ability to evaluate this work
• demonstrate the ability in speech and writing both nationally and internationally to clearly report and discuss their conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in dialogue with different audiences, and
• demonstrate the skills required for participation in research and development work or autonomous employment in some other qualified capacity.

Judgement and approach

• demonstrate the ability to make assessments in the main field of study informed by relevant disciplinary, social and ethical issues and also to demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
• demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used, and
• demonstrate the ability to identify the personal need for further knowledge and take responsibility for their ongoing learning.
  

Upon completion of the programme, students will be able to:
Knowledge and understanding

• demonstrate deep and broad knowledge and understanding of the subject area of intercultural literature studies and, when applicable, of the selected specialisation, defined as the study of the cultural encounters that are depicted in, are reflected in, and have given rise to literary texts.

Competence and skills

• demonstrate a good ability to apply this knowledge and understanding in the form of text analyses that demonstrate a high degree of theoretical and methodological awareness of the interaction between language, literature and culture
• argue for complex interpretations and assessments of literary texts and literary criticism
• independently plan and complete a well-defined research task within the main field of study of intercultural literature studies and, when applicable, of the selected specialisation.

Judgement and approach

• actively interact with others in a constructive critical environment
• demonstrate the ability to reflect, in a well-informed and knowledge-based manner, on the possibilities of literature to contribute to greater intercultural understanding.
  

The programme is made up of compulsory, elective, and optional courses comprising a total of 120 credits. Students can choose either a general programme or a specific specialisation, of which there are three: literature in English, literature in French, and literature in German. Central to the programme are five compulsory courses (60 credits) in which students problematise theoretical and methodological issues within the research field of intercultural literature studies and define their own area of study within this research field. The programme includes the study of a large number of texts from research conducted in the field, and students complete a research project in the form of a final Master’s thesis. The programme is supplemented with elective and optional courses in the main field of study as well as courses in literary studies at second cycle.
The compulsory courses for each specific specialisation are taught in the language of that specialisation. Other courses are taught in English.
All students from all specialisations take the compulsory courses together as a group.

In addition to the compulsory courses corresponding to 60 credits, the following are required for the specific specialisations:

• for specialisation in literature in English: compulsory courses corresponding to 30 credits in literature in English as described in this programme syllabus, and 30 credits in elective or optional courses in the main field of study or literary studies courses at second cycle.
• for specialisation in literature in French: compulsory courses corresponding to 22.5 credits in literature in French as described in this programme syllabus, and 37.5 credits in elective or optional courses in the main field of study or literary studies courses, of which a maximum of 7.5 credits can be at first cycle and at least 7.5 credits must be in literature in French.
• for specialisation in literature in German: compulsory courses corresponding to 22.5 credits in literature in German as described in this programme syllabus, and 37.5 credits in elective or optional courses in the main field of study or literary studies courses, of which a maximum of 7.5 credits can be at first cycle and at least 7.5 credits must be in literature in German.

The School of Language, Literatures and Learning that has responsibility for the programme collaborates with other universities, both national and international, where courses relevant to intercultural literature studies are offered. Information about this collaboration can be found in the programme room and can also be obtained from the programme director or a study and career counsellor.

All compulsory courses (*) are included in the main field of study intercultural literature studies and are at second cycle. Students in all specialisations take the joint courses. In addition to these, students take the courses that are specific to each specialisation.

Joint Courses

Year 1
Intercultural Literature Studies: Academic Writing (7.5 credits) *
Introduction to Intercultural Literature Studies (7.5 credits) *
Intercultural Literature Studies: Literature and Gender - Literary Theory and Criticism (7.5 credits) *
Literatures of Migration: Past and Present (7.5 credits) *

Year 2
Elective or optional courses in literary studies (30 credits)

Specific Courses for Each Specialisation

General Programme

Year 1
Elective and optional courses in literary studies (30 credits), of which at least 22.5 credits are for elective courses

Year 2
Intercultural Literature Studies: Master’s Degree Thesis (30 credits) *

Specialisation Literature in English

Year 1
Conflict and Creativity in Literature in English (7.5 credits)
Migration, Climate and Anxiety in Literature in English (7.5 credits)
World Literatures in English (7.5 credits)
Literature, Censorship and Cancel Culture in English (7.5 credits)

Year 2
Intercultural Literature Studies: Master’s Degree Thesis with Specialisation in English (30 credits)

Specialisation Literature in French

Year 1
The French-Speaking World: Literature, Culture and Translation (7.5 credits)
French IV: The French Chanson in Original Form and in Translation (7.5 credits)
French IV: French Literary Criticism (7.5 credits)
Elective or optional course in literature in French (7.5 credits)

Year 2
Intercultural Literature Studies: Master’s Degree Thesis with Specialisation in French (30 credits)

Specialisation Literature in German

Year 1
German: Forms and Conditions for Drama and Prose (7.5 credits)
German: Intertextuality and Intermediality in Theory and Practice (7.5 credits)
German: Modern Women Writers (7.5 credits)
Elective or optional course in literature in German (7.5 credits)

Year 2
Intercultural Literature Studies: Master’s Degree Thesis with Specialisation in German (30 credits)

Elective Courses in the Programme:

• World Literatures: Asia and Europe (7.5 credits)
• World Literatures: North and South America (7.5 credits)
• Intercultural Literature Studies: Literature and Politics in Contemporary Africa (7.5 credits)
• Intercultural Literature Studies: Fiction in its Original Language (7.5 credits)
• Intercultural Literature Studies: Translation Project (7.5 credits)
• Intercultural Literature Studies: One-Year Master’s Degree Thesis (15 credits)
• Intercultural Literature Studies: Theory and Method (7.5 credits)

All elective courses are in the main field of study intercultural literary studies and are at second cycle. Courses that are compulsory and that are specific to each specialisation, including general, are also elective courses for the other specialisations in the programme. Note that the entry requirements differ for each of these courses, depending on specialisation.

Degree of Master of Arts (120 credits), Main Field of Study: Intercultural Literature Studies

For studies in accordance with a specific specialisation:
Degree of Master of Arts (120 credits), Main Field of Study: Intercultural Literature Studies, Specialisation: XXX

If a student wants to take a one-year Master’s Degree, then the course Intercultural Literature Studies: One-Year Master’s Degree Thesis (15 credits) is compulsory.

The programme offers students the opportunity to complete an internship that forms the basis of extended academic specialisation and can lead to the formation of a professional network.