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Bachelor

Studienaufbau_Bild_30 LP_englisch

Studienaufbau_Bild_30 LP_englisch

Studienaufbau_Bild_60 LP_englisch

Studienaufbau_Bild_60 LP_englisch

Studienaufbau Bild_90 LP_englisch

Studienaufbau Bild_90 LP_englisch

The institute offers the following bachelor programs:

Please find here an overview of our bachelor and master program.

Checklists are a clear compilation of the modules included in your program and for information purposes only. They do not replace studying your study and examination regulations!

Checklist for the BA program English Philology 30 ECTS Checklist for the BA program English Philology 60 ECTS Checklist for the BA program English Philology 90 ECTS First-year students can find support here.

Doctoral Degree

Information regarding acquisition of a doctoral degree be found here.

Friedrich Schlegel Graduate School of Literary Studies

Didactics of English

If you are interested in a doctoral or habilitation project in the department for English Didactics, please contact Prof. Heim or Prof. Sambanis to inquire whether a position is currently available. If the response is positive, please schedule an appointment for an interview and submit an exposé of your research project. Please make sure to note: explain in your exposé how it is relevant to English Didactics at Freie Universität Berlin and briefly outline how you intend to finance yourself during the qualification phase. A doctorate/habilitation in English Didactics is not necessarily linked to an employment position.

FAQs Studierende

The issuance of module, examination, and attendance certificates is done by the instructors or upon consultation in the secretariats during the specified office hours.

You can find applications and forms here

(For explanations on credit points, see http://www.fu-berlin.de/studium/ects/.)

For the institute of English Philology, the following credit points (cr) are specified for individual courses of the BA program and the Master's degree program, as well as for the previous degree programs (Magister/teaching degree) (LN = Certificate of Achievement):

Bachelor's Programs

For students who began their studies before the winter semester 2011/12, the following credit points apply:

BA Lecture/Tutorial

*

2 ECTS credit points

BA Introductory Seminar (PS)

*

4 ECTS credit points

BA Advanced Seminar (VS)

*

8 ECTS credit points

For students starting from the winter semester 2011/12, the following credit points apply:

BA Lecture

*

2 ECTS credit points

BA Tutorial

*

3 ECTS credit points

BA Introductory Seminar (PS)

*

3 ECTS credit points

BA Advanced Seminar (VS)

*

8 ECTS credit points

For the respective study and examination requirements, see the BA Study and Examination Regulations for the English Philology program.

Master's Program “English Studies: Literature - Language - Culture"

 

Module Type

Credit Points

Notes

Subject-specific Module 1

15 LP

For full-module exams, the exam counts for 15 LP. For partial-module exams, the partial exams count for 5 LP (for the tutorial) and 10 LP (for the seminar).

 

 

Subject-specific Module 2

15 LP

Subject-specific Module 3

15 LP

Subject-specific Module 4

15 LP

Language skills Module 1

15 LP

For partial-module exams, the partial exams count for 5 or 10 LP.

 

Language skills Module 2

15 LP

Research Colloquium

5 LP

The grade for the Research Colloquium is calculated based on the 1-hour defense of the Master's thesis.

Master's Thesis

25 LP

 

Total

120 LP

 

(See Examination Regulations for the Master's program “English Studies: Literature - Language - Culture,” § 4)

The Department of Philosophy and Humanities offers its core subject students in the competency area "Subject-Specific Additional Qualifications" a specially developed ABV program for humanities scholars.

Registration for the ABV modules "Career Field Orientation and Communication Practice," "Team and Project Work," and "Humanities Research and Writing," as well as for events within these modules, takes place during the regular registration period through Campus Management.

You can find more information here.

Further information can be obtained here

Please contact one of the professors on your study prorgamme and submit the relevant transcript of records. The recommendation for recognition will then usually be forwarded directly to the Examinations Office, where it will be entered into Campus Management.

If you wish to have credits recognised when changing from a core subject to a module programme (or vice versa), please contact the responsible examination office.

For the recognition of achievements in practical language courses (BA degree programme), please contact the English Language Department Coordination of the Language Centre. Website: https://www.sprachenzentrum.fu-berlin.de/ueber_uns/mitarbeiter/sprachbereich_englisch/koordination-englisch/index.html; email: koordinationenglisch@sprachenzentrum.fu-berlin.de.

For the recognition of achievements in English didactics, please contact one of the professors.

https://www.geisteswissenschaften.fu-berlin.de/studium/bachelor/abv/FAQ_ABV_PhilGeist/X_Anrechnung.html

https://www.fu-berlin.de/sites/dse/service-beratung/anrechnungen/_inhaltselemente_anrechnungen/anrechnungsbeauftragte_iss_gym/index.html

You can find the registration forms on this website: https://www.geisteswissenschaften.fu-berlin.de/studium/downloadbereich/index.html

Fill in your data and the topic agreed upon with your supervisors, and sign the form. Ask your primary supervisor and your second examiner to sign the form as well. (Electronic signatures are accepted.)

Only professors in the respective study program are authorized to supervise. Generally, you choose your primary supervisor yourself (usually someone you have studied with and who is relevant to your topic). The topic is agreed upon with your primary supervisor. In exceptional cases, doctoral research associates from the department can take over the second examination. In this case, this person must submit a request for examination authorization. Please note that research associates are not obligated to evaluate theses.

The topic of the thesis can be the final title or a working title that can be specified or slightly modified in the final version. In this case, the originally registered topic must also be mentioned on the title page of the thesis. Please note that only the registered topic will appear on your certificate.

To register for the Bachelor’s thesis (English Philology), you must have completed modules totaling at least 90 credit points in the Bachelor’s program. To register for the Master’s thesis (in the English Studies program), you must have completed at least two subject-specific and one practical language module.

Submit the completed form to Ms. Monika Cheng in the examination office (Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, JK 29/105; email: monika.cheng@fu-berlin.de; website: https://www.geisteswissenschaften.fu-berlin.de/studium/pruefungen/monika_cheng/index.html).

You will usually receive confirmation of your registration within a few days; from this day, the processing time begins (8 weeks for the BA thesis, 23 weeks for the MA thesis). The confirmation will include the submission date, as well as instructions for submitting the thesis, designing the title page, and the declaration of independence that you must attach to your thesis.

The review period is four weeks. Once both evaluations are available, you will be informed by the examination office. There is no defence of the thesis.

Study Office for BA in the Department of Philosophy and Humanities

http://www.geisteswissenschaften.fu-berlin.de/studium/studienbuero/index.html

Examination Office I (Master’s Program in Applied Literary Studies)

http://www.geisteswissenschaften.fu-berlin.de/studium/pruefungen/

Examination Office II (Bachelor English Philology, Master English Studies, Teaching Master’s Program, Magister English Philology)

http://www.geisteswissenschaften.fu-berlin.de/studium/pruefungen/

You can find detailed information on this website: https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/international/studium_ausland/erasmus/index.html.

In order to be eligible for the MA programme in English Studies, you will need to provide proof of English-language competence to a clear CEFR C1 level, either by submitting an official statement from your university administrator that the language of instruction across all courses and faculties was English; or with the results of one of the following tests: IELTS, CPE or Pearson Academic.

The only exception can be made for students who completed their degree in a country where the national language is English, or who got their undergraduate degree in English Philology at Freie Universität Berlin.

Applicants must meet the following requirements for admission to the Master's degree program:

-  professionally qualifying German or an equivalent foreign degree from a higher education institution


a) with a degree in English Philology that is at least equivalent to the 60-credit point module in English Philology offered by the Department of Philosophy and Humanities at Freie Universität Berlin or

b) in General and Comparative Literature (Comparative Literature), Cultural Studies, Cultural Anthropology, Cultural Sociology, Gender Studies, Film Studies, Theater and Dance Studies or in other philologies with a literary and cultural studies component in English Philology of at least 20 CP.

-  Proof of English language skills (level C1 CEFR) for applicants whose degree was not obtained at an institution/university where English is generally the language of instruction across all courses in all faculties.

There are a limited number of places that can be given to applicants with a minor in English and a major in one of the following areas: Comparative Literature; Cultural Studies; Cinema Studies; Theatre and Dance Studies; Philology in other languages. You would still need to have taken classes in English Literary and/or Cultural Studies that amount to a minimum of 15% of your credits.

Before applying, it is generally advisable to contact one of the professors on your study programme with an overview of your previous achievements (e.g. transcript from your previous university) in order to obtain an assessment of which semester you can apply for. A written assessment will be issued, which you can enclose with your application. However, this assessment can also be submitted at a later date; you would then initially be admitted to the relevant semester with reservations. For the Bachelor’s programme, you can apply for the 2nd, 4th and 6th semesters in the summer semester and for the 3rd and 5th semesters in the winter semester. Please note that your application for a higher semester should be realistic; if you do not receive the appropriate placement, you may lose your place. Crucial for the placement is the number of credit points earned in the subject as well as a thematic/scientific correspondence or equivalence of your study and examination achievements with the modules in the degree program at the FU Berlin.

Once you have successfully enrolled (i.e. once you have received a matriculation number), the second step is to have your credits and grades recognised. To do this, you have to contact the person, who issued the assessment, again. The recommendation for recognition is then usually forwarded directly to the Examinations Office, where the recognised achievements are entered into your Campus Management

FAQs Bachelor’s with Teaching Option

Yes, unlike the ABV area, the grades from the LBW area are partially included in the calculation of the final Bachelor's grade for the Bachelor's degree with teaching option.

 

Yes. Furthermore, you have time to make this decision until you have completed both seminars.

Yes, both options are possible as long as both courses are offered at the same time. We recommend taking the introductory course first to get a basic overview. The Proseminar focuses on a specific topic and builds on the knowledge acquired in the introductory course.

For Bachelor's theses for English, please contact the subject-specific divisions.

The orientation internship is designed as a purely "observation internship," but if you get along well with the mentor at the school, it can be a valuable experience if you are allowed to stand in front of a class at this stage. It is best to discuss this with your mentor. However, interns are not allowed to teach without a "proper" teacher being present.

You can only apply for the Master of Education in the winter semester. The prerequisite is the completion of a Bachelor's degree for teaching at primary schools or ISS/Gymnasien. The application period is between 1 July and the 15 August in the summer semester.

If the Bachelor's degree certificate is not yet available at the time of application, the application for the Master's can also be submitted with the so-called 2/3 certificate. This is a forecast stating that all outstanding academic achievements will be completed by the end of the semester (30 September). Prerequisites for issuing the certificate: At least 2/3 of the total academic achievements must be graded, registration for the thesis is in place, and the start of work has been scheduled so that timely completion before the start of the Master's program is possible.

This results in provisional admission to the Master's program. This means that you must submit your Bachelor's degree certificate at the latest by the time of re-registration for the second semester of the Master's program. Otherwise, you will be exmatriculated unless you apply for a program change (downgrading to the Bachelor's program).

Further information on the 2/3 certificate is available on the pages of the Dahlem School of Education (DSE).

The final grade of your Bachelor's degree is a selection criterion for the Master of Education application. However, it is currently difficult to make definitive statements about a potential Numerus Clausus (N.C.).

The module "Fundamentals of English Didactics" consists of the introductory course and a proseminar. It is strongly recommended to take the introductory course first and then the proseminar. Typically, multiple parallel courses are offered each semester. The examination performance (term paper) for the entire module can be completed either in the introductory course or the proseminar. The submission deadline is after both parts of the module have been completed.

You must submit the term paper after successfully completing both seminars. The submission deadline is the beginning of the lecture period of the following semester (specifically: the end of the first lecture week). So, if you take the introductory course in the winter semester and the proseminar in the summer semester, the submission deadline will be at the beginning of the lecture period in the following winter semester.

The necessary admission requirements for registering the Bachelor's thesis can be found in the study and examination regulations of the respective Bachelor's program (major). The specific requirements, including the necessary number of credits, vary depending on the program. If you plan to apply for the Master's in Education for the next winter semester, 2/3 of all credits must be completed (see "How do I apply for the Master of Education?"). It is strongly recommended to have already registered the Bachelor's thesis by this point, as you must submit your Bachelor's degree certificate by the latest at the time of re-registration for the second semester of the Master's program, considering the time needed for the reviewers and the certificate issuance.

The following people are responsible for recognizing academic achievements:

English Didactics achievements in teaching degree programs

All professors of English Didactics

Subject-specific achievements

Professors of the subject-specific studies

Language practice achievements

Language Center

 

FAQs Master of Education

In principle, this is possible, but certain conditions must be met. The distribution of credit points (Leistungspunkte, LP) and content must correspond to that of the Bachelor with teaching option at Freie Universität. Therefore, 90 LP must be allocated to the core subject (1st subject), 60 LP to the module offerings (2nd subject), and 30 LP to the teaching-related professional sciences (LBW, Education, and Didactics). For students in the Bachelor’s degree programme in Primary Education, 50 LP must be allocated to the major subject, 45 LP to each study subject, 30 LP to LBW, and 10 LP to the Bachelor’s thesis.

Applications for the first semester of the Master's degree can only be made for the winter semester.

This is generally not recommended. If you choose to do so, you must adhere to the following conditions:

  • Seminar (Preparation) → FU Berlin
  • School internship → another federal state
  • Seminar (Supervision/UniTag) → must be attended weekly at FU Berlin during the placement semester.

If you can meet these conditions, please contact the responsible people in English Didactics before beginning the internship semester. Approval from the English Didactics department must be obtained beforehand.

The internship semester must categorically be completed in Berlin, provided a subject-appropriate internship place is available. An internship semester at a school in Brandenburg is not possible.

The internship semester must, according to the regulations, be completed in Berlin. However, in justified cases, the placement abroad can be completed under certain conditions, after prior approval. The internship school (usually a German school abroad) must meet all the requirements of the Berlin internship semester (duration, supervision, etc.).

An internship semester abroad can only be credited for English Didactics (partially) if it involves teaching English as a foreign language, and German is the students' first language. The placement abroad must be approved beforehand. Please contact one of the professors of English Didactics (Prof. Dr. Sambanis, Prof. Dr. Heim) in an office hour before starting your placement.

In principle, it is possible to have study achievements obtained abroad recognised for your course. However, this should be discussed with the relevant lecturers before studying abroad, as the content of the courses can be quite specific. For the subject-specific modules, the Institute of English Philology is responsible; for the didactic modules, the English Didactics department is in charge (Prof. Dr. Heim or Guest Prof. Dr. Ludwig); and for the language practical modules, the Language Center. For the meeting, please bring the original documents and simple copies of your participation and performance certificates, as well as the official course descriptions from the course catalogues and the recognition form from the Dahlem School of Education (DSE).

This is generally not recommended. If you choose to do so, you must adhere to the following conditions:

  • Seminar (preparation) → FU Berlin
  • School placement → other federal state
  • Seminar (accompaniment/UniTag) → must be attended weekly at FU Berlin during the practice semester.

If you can meet these conditions, please contact the relevant staff in English Didactics (Prof. Dr. Sambanis, Ms Fuchs, Ms Harder) before the start of the practice semester. Approval from English Didactics must be obtained in advance.

The following people are responsible for the recognition of study achievements:

Achievements of students in Master's programmes with a profile lateral entrants (Q-Master)

Current contacts for the Q-Master (see above for Q-Master information)

Subject-specific achievements

Professors of the relevant subject areas

Language practical achievements

Language Center

It is generally not possible to take Master’s level courses early in the English Didactics department. However, the 2/3 rule is not affected by this.

Students can write their Master’s thesis in either Subject Area I, Subject Area II, Subject Didactics I, Subject Didactics II, or in Educational Sciences. A Master’s thesis in English Didactics must be connected to the module “Development Research and Evaluation (EFE) Variant 2.”

Applications for the 1st semester can only be made for the winter semester. The application documents must be fully submitted between the first working day in July (usually 1 July) and 15 August of the same year to be considered for admission.

For more information, please also refer to the following entries here:

  • Ist eine Einschreibung im Sommersemester möglich? and
  • Welche Bewerbungsunterlagen sind nötig?

No, it is not possible to complete the internship semester in the subject of English in a shorter period.

For more information, please also refer to the following entries here:

  • Ich habe bereits Lehrerfahrung gesammelt, kann ich mir diese auf das Praxissemester anrechnen lassen? and
  • Was ist das Praxissemester und wie läuft es ab?

In principle, this is possible and highly recommended. However, the timing should be strategically considered due to the fixed sequence with the internship semester in the third semester. If you intend to have study content from abroad recognised, it is advisable to discuss this with the relevant English Didactics staff before your stay abroad (via a "learning agreement").

Currently, one option is to reapply for the Bachelor with teaching option (with a reversed subject combination) and shorten the programme by recognising study content from the previous Bachelor degree. Alternatively, you could check if the Q-Master (lateral entry to the Master of Education) could be a suitable option for you. You can find further information on the relevant website. Study content can only be credited by the respective disciplines:

  • English Didactics: Prof. Dr. Sambanis, Prof. Dr. Heim, Guest Prof. Dr. Ludwig
  • Subject-specific achievements: Professors from the respective subject-specific studies
  • Language practical modules: Language Center of Freie Universität Berlin

More information can be found on the pages of the Dahlem School of Education (DSE).

If your last semester at Freie Universität is a winter semester, you cannot transition to the Referendariat on 1 February. Since the winter semester lasts until the end of March, and the courses do not finish before mid-February, this is mathematically unfeasible. There will be an overlap of several weeks between studies and the Referandariat: Phase 1 must first be completed, and then Phase 2 can begin.

For legal, ethical (e.g., equality of treatment), and resource reasons, the English Didactics department complies with the regulations set by RSPO § 10, which provide deadlines for grade entries that fall within or beyond the lecture-free period. We ask you to keep this in mind when planning your further academic path. No certificates will be issued before the end of the semester/lecture period. Exceptions cannot be granted.

Every course that concludes with an exam must be documented by the examiner using an assessment sheet. You must download the relevant form from the Dahlem School of Education (DSE) website and include it with your exam submission.

Every course that concludes with an exam must be documented by the examiner in an assessment sheet. You must download the appropriate form from the DSE website and submit it with your exam performance (this means you should include your name, the course title, and the name of the lecturer).

For recognition, please consult the relevant staff in English Didactics during office hours. Bring the originals for recognition, along with simple copies of your participation and performance certificates, and the official course descriptions from the course catalogue.

According to the current study regulations, you must have completed modules worth at least 55 credits (LP) to register for the Master's thesis. Additionally, qualified first and second examiners must be available, and the topic must have been discussed with the first examiner.

Important information on application and admission (such as deadlines, contacts, and more) can be found on the DSE website here.

  • "Development Research and Evaluation (EFE) Variant 1" → Without the Master's thesis in English Didactics, i.e., the Master's thesis is written in another subject or field.
  • "Development Research and Evaluation (EFE) Variant 2" → With the Master's thesis in English Didactics

The following people are responsible for the recognition of study achievements:

English Didactics achievements in teaching degree programmes

all professors of English Didactics

Achievements of students in Master's programmes with a profile lateral entrants (Q-Master)

Current contacts for the Q-Master (see above for Q-Master information)

Subject-specific achievements

Professors of the relevant subject areas

Language practical achievements

Language Center

 

For credit transfer queries, students of English should contact Prof. Dr. Sambanis or Prof. Dr. Heim. Q-Master students studying English should contact the current representatives for the Q-Master (see information on the Q-Master further up this page). If the internship semester is to be completed abroad, certain conditions must be met (including English as a foreign language and a suitable target age group for the program). Completing the internship semester abroad must be approved in advance. Relevant evidence/information and the application (available in the DSE download section) must be submitted to Prof. Dr. Sambanis or Prof. Dr. Heim. Please make sure to contact one of the professors during their office hours well in advance. Q-Master students studying English should reach out to the current representatives for the Q-Master (see information on the Q-Master further up this page).

The deadline for both procedures (credit transfer and abroad) is the 15 March of the respective year.


For general questions regarding the Q-Master, please contact the project leader, Prof. Dr. Daniela Caspari.