Master's Programme in German Language Studies

Presentation

Start-up Date

Autumn

The Degree

The Master´s programme leads to the degree of Master of Philosophy in German. It is a two-year programme. (120 ECTS credits).

Objectives and content

The Master programme in German will give a thorough knowledge of German language and literature. There is also great focus on increasing the students' competence in usage of modern German, both through a separate offer in practical German and through working with varied written and oral assignments in connection to the curriculum in all the courses. During the programme the students will develop their ability to critically reflect on central theoretical and methodical problems within the part of the subject they specialize in. This is especially important considering the work on their MA thesis.

Programme profile

The linguistics component deals with various issues related to the German language. The subjects vary from German grammar in the broad sense to contrastive linguistics, translation theory, semantics/lexicology, sociolinguistics, varieties of German (German in Germany, Austria and Switzerland), phraseology, language learning and language didactics. In several areas, the subjects may also be presented in a historical perspective.

The literature component offers literary and cultural subjects taken from all areas of the German language. The approach may be historical, with the emphasis on literary periods from the Baroque to the present, or it may focus on authorship, text analysis, genres and literary theory. Common to all courses is their discussion and analysis of literary and methodological questions.

Required Learning Outcomes

Required Learning Outcomes

KNOWLEDGE

The candidate

• has broad general knowledge of main theories, terminology, and methods within German as a scientific discipline
• has basic knowledge about the central problems and methods in his/her chosen discipline and in-depth knowledge of a limited area
• has knowledge of and is able to use relevant communication genres

SKILLS

The candidate

• can develop and present a project in German (written and orally)
• can reflect over linguistic nuances between Norwegian and German, and utilize this when using oral and written German
• can use a precise linguistic and literary set of terminology when discussing textual types and hypothesis related to his/her own research
• can express him/herself precisely about academic issues, analysis, interpretations and conclusions related to their own discipline
• can work independently and long term with problem solving based on acquired academic knowledge
• can understand and critically assess theories, methods and interpretations related to their own discipline
• is able to attain and make use of knowledge related to new areas within the academic field

GENERAL COMPETENCE

The candidate

• can translate from German to Norwegian and from Norwegian to correct German both orally and in writing
• can find relevant sources and bibliographies both online and in encyclopaedias, and use these critically in his/her own work
• is able to do a limited research or development project under supervision and in line with current ethical norms
• is able to use those methods and analytical tools necessary to complete an independent research project within his/her chosen area
• is able to independently continue developing competence and specialization

is able to participate in the public debate where it is relevant to the academic field

Admission

Start-up Date

Autumn

Prerequisites

The Master's Degree in German usually builds on a Bachelor's Degree with specialization in German of at least 90 credits or a similar education. If an applicant has graduated from an institution where the requirement is a specialization of a minimum of 80 credits, this will also be accepted.

Who may apply

Self-financing degree students.

Study Period Abroad

Study period abroad

Students can take up to two Master's courses in the first year at a foreign higher education institution, and have these approved as a part of the MA Degree.