The B.A. Interdisciplinary American Studies (IAS) is a mono-bachelor program, meaning that you will not have to choose an additional minor ("Nebenfach"). The program can be completed in either three or four years, depending on whether you will use the mobility option to spend an extra year at a partner university abroad and/or doing internships. You can start the program during the winter or summer semester. The B.A. program consists of four main parts: The core curriculum in Literary and Cultural Studies, the elective curriculum, academic English, and professional skills.
Core Curriculum
During the first year, the basic modules in Literary and Cultural Studies will introduce you to the main methods and concepts used to study American literature and culture. Each of these modules consists of a lecture and a seminar, accompanied by a tutorial. In the advanced and focus modules, students deepen their knowledge of American literature and culture and apply the skills acquired in the basic modules in a series of thematic seminars. The Literary and Cultural Studies lecture series provides an overview of the history of American literature and culture, enabling you to identify connections between these fields.
Elective Curriculum
As an IAS student you will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in selecting topics for the three modules of the Elective Curriculum. Depending on your interests, you can take courses in fields as diverse as history, media studies, political science, sociology, art history, economics, or law. These courses are outside of the core curriculum, but should either relate to the study of America or deal with theories and concepts that are relevant to American Studies.
Academic English
Along with knowledge of the subject matter and theoretical background related to your program of studies, you will also acquire advanced language skills in Academic Writting & Oral Communications courses, with the option of taking a translation course towards the end of your studies.
Professional Skills
Professional skills (Schlüsselqualifikationen) are career-oriented skills reaching beyond the realm of academia. The Transdisciplinary Course Program offers a wide range of courses on journalism, digital humanities, international business and management, rhetoric and communication, academic writing, and many other subjects. In addition, students can get credits for internships, activities in student theater or music groups, software/programming courses or language courses at the University's Language Center.
