British and North American Cultural Studies

The Master of Arts in British and North American Cultural Studies (MiBNACS) focuses on English-speaking cultures in Great Britain and North America. This means that we study the world of Shakespeare just as much as the world of Walt Disney, and we work with the dialects, literature, media and theoretical and methodological concepts that have developed and proliferated over the past few decades.

MiBNACS is a transatlantic program of study. The British and American schools of cultural theory are sometimes conflicting, but often complementary; we give them each equal treatment. Our instructors possess a wide range of specializations, which extend from the Indian subcontinent to Canada, to African-American culture, to detective novels – so a vast spectrum is available for master’s thesis topics.  

The Master of Arts in British and North American Cultural Studies is made up of modules. Each module can consist of a variety of course types, including seminars, lectures and tutorials – all focusing on a specific theme. The modules include both required and elective seminars. 

The course of study includes the following modules:

• Cultural Studies (required):
  • Foundations of Cultural Studies
  • British and Postcolonial Cultural Studies
  • North American Cultures
• Interdisciplinary Perspectives (elective, choose 1 of the 3):
  • Media Studies 
  • Multilingualism and the Politics of Language
  • Theories of Cultural Studies
• Core Texts
• Research and Teaching
• Supplementary classes

Language and Acceptance Requirements

We welcome applications from candidates with an undergraduate degree (BA or equivalent) with a high GPA. The Master of Arts in British and North American Cultural Studies requires an excellent command of the English language: you must have a level equivalent to CEFR C1, certified by TOEFL (PBT 600, CBT 250, iBT 100), IELTS (7.5–8.0), or Cambridge (CAE/CPE). A working knowledge of German is recommended.