Overview (M.A. "English Studies")
Please also note the more general, degree-independent information on our website (Before your studies | During your studies | After your studies) and the more general information on the M.A. "English Studies" program on the central LMU homepage.
- Application and admissions
- (1a) Timely application for and participation in the selection procedure (EV)
(1b) Application for admission at the International Office (for international students)
Important: Please note the early application deadline at the International Office. Please first apply without the certification that you have passed the selection procedure and submit the later.
(2) Registration at LMU (upon presentation of the certificate that you have passed the selection procedure) - Standard length of study ("Regelstudienzeit")
- 4 semesters
- Maximum length of studies ("Höchststudiendauer")
- 7 semesters
Important: You need to have passed the Master's thesis by the end of the 6th semester - Degree
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
Elective modules ("Wahlpflichtmodule" (WPs)) in the M.A. "English Studies" program
Elective modules are modules that allow you to focus on specific fields within English Studies. There are selection rules which alllow you to choose between several options.
These rules are not the same for all WPs or groups of WPs.
The following table provides an overview of the WP modules and selection rules in the M.A. "English Studies" program.
Please also note the information in the Checklist and in the Examination and Study regulations (PStO), the information on the Joint Humanities and Social Sciences Profile Area (GGSP), and the general, program-independent information on elective modules.
| WP-group | Type of selection | Important! |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Module Package 1–3 | selection of one complete package | Basic Module Package 3 may not be combined with Profile Module Package 3. |
| Profile Module Package 1–3 | selection of one complete package | Profile Module Package 3 may not be combined with Basic Module Package 3. |
| WP 14/WP 15/WP 16/WP 17 | Selection of one complete module | WP 17 may not be combined with Profile Module Package 6. |
| Profile Module Packages 4–9 | selection of two complete packages (=30 ECTS) | The selection of these packages excludes the selection of GGSP modules. Profile Module Package 9 may not be combined with Basic Module Package 9. |
| GGSP modules | Selection of GGSP modules worth 30 ECTS credits | The selection of GGSP modules excludes the selection of modules/packages from Profile Module Packages 4–9. |
Joint Humanities and Social Sciences Profile Area (GGSP)
The Joint Humanities and Social Sciences Profile Area ("Gemeinsamer Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaftlicher Profilbereich", GGSP) allows you to build a more interdisciplinary academic profile.
You can (optionally) select modules from the GGSP worth 30 ECTS as an alternative to Profile Modules WP 18 to 23 and WP 32 to 37. Once you have made this choice, it is irreversible.
- If you decide to take modules from the GGSP (regardless of which semester of the M.A. "English Studies" you are in), this means that you are committing to the GGSP for your entire master's degree. You must then select WPs from the GGSP totaling 30 ECTS credits and may no longer choose modules from Profile Modules WP 18 to 23 and WP 32 to 37.
- Conversely, choosing a module from Profile Modules WP 18 to 23 and WP 32 to 37 means that you will no longer be able to select modules from the GGSP (throughout your entire studies).
Please note that many of the classes offered as part of the GGSP are held in German.
Students enrolled in the M.A. "English Studies" program may not select GGSP-modules offered by the English Department (= modules that begin with "WP Ang").
Examinations: Regulations specific to the M.A. "English Studies"
Please also note the regulations applicable to all degree programs offered at the English Department.
According to §11(6) of the study and examinations regulations (PStO) for the M.A. "English Studies" (2017) there is a free first trial for module examinations. This means that, under certain conditions, a failure of the first attempt does not count.
These conditions are as follows (for legally binding information, please consult the examination and study regulations (PStO)):
- The examination is taken for the first time after uninterrupted study of the subject within the standard period of study ("Regelstudienzeit").
- The examination (first attempt) has actually been taken or the required examination work (term paper, etc.) has actually been submitted on time; if you do not sit the examination or do not submit anything, the free examination attempt is forfeited.
There is no free first trial for the Master's thesis.
Registration for the Master's thesis and thesis defense ("Disputation")
The Master's thesis can be written in one of the following subject areas:
- Synchronic Linguistics (WP 38.1)
- Diachronic Linguistics (WP 39.1)
- Literature and Culture (WP 40.1)
- Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) (WP 41.1)
The respective module (WP 38, 39, 40 or 41) comprises a defense ("Disputation") in addition to the thesis as such.
If you follow the recommendations for planning your studies, you will write your Master's thesis in the fourth semester. It is also possible to write the thesis in the fifth semester. It has to be passed by the end of the sixth semester at the very latest.
The registration procedure for the Master's thesis is different from that for all other examinations. It takes place during specific registration periods. To register you have to fill in and hand in a registration form. The step-by-step instructions on the right show you the exact registration process.
You will be invited to the defense by your examiner as soon as they have read your thesis. I.e. there is no need so register for the defense yourself.
Information on the Master's thesis
- in Linguistics:
Prof. Dr. Stephanie Hackert
Prof. Dr. Saskia Kersten
Prof. Dr. Ursula Lenker (further information on writing a thesis with Prof. Lenker)
Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Schmid
- in Literature and Culture:
Prof. Dr. Ingo Berensmeyer
Prof. Dr. Tobias Döring
Prof. Dr. Helge Nowak
Prof. Dr. Claudia Olk
Prof. Dr. Enno Ruge
Dr. Tim Sommer
- in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL):
Prof. Dr. Saskia Kersten
Prof. Dr. Christiane Lütge
Please contact your (preferred) supervisor/examiner well before the registration periods to clarify whether he/she can/would actually supervise you and what possible topics he/she would supervise. For a thesis in TEFL, it is advisable to contact Prof. Lütge or Prof. Kersten very early (ideally 1 year in advance).
There are two different registration periods for the Master's thesis. Which one you should select depends on the semester you are in:
- Students who complete their studies within the standard period of study ("Regelstudienzeit") of 4 semesters, i.e. who write their Master's thesis in their 4th semester as recommended in the Checklist, register for in registration period 2 (end of the lecture-free period before the 4th semester); accordingly, submission deadline 2 applies.
- Students who do not write their Master's thesis until the 5th or a later semester register during registration period 1 (towards the end of the lecture period of the previous semester); submission deadline 1 applies
Exact dates for registration and submission are announced on the website of the examinations office (PAGS).
The (exact) topic is set by the supervisor. However, you can (and should) express your topic preferences in advance of registration.
An overview of topics supervised in the past and/or topics in which individual supervisors are interested can be found on the supervisors' personal pages.
Please get in touch with the person whom you would like to supervise your thesis well in advance to the first registration period (no matter whether you register in the first of the second registration period).
The Master's thesis should be 60.000 - max. 90.000 characters long.
The cover sheet, the table of contents and the list of references are not counted.
You have 20 weeks to work on your thesis.
There is a fixed deadline for every registration period, This deadline is calculated relative to the 1st day of the respective registration period. It is announced on the website of the examinations office (PAGS).
The deadline applies to everyone who have registered in the respective registration period, regardless of when exactly they registered during the registration week.
It is not possible to unregister from the Master's thesis without giving reasons.
It is possible to unregister or get a deadline extension, however, if you fall ill or are unable to work for other reasons for which you are not responsible during the 13 weeks available for working on the thesis.
If the period of illness (or other conditions which prevent you from working on the thesis) covers less than half of the 20 weeks, you can apply for a deadline extension. If you cannot work for longer than half of the 20 weeks you can ask to be unregistered from the thesis. You can then start anew with a new topic in the next registration period.
Withdrawals and extensions can only be applied for via the examinations office (PAGS) on presentation of appropriate evidence. Please contact the responsible person at PAGS (Ms Pérez-Morales) as early as possible in such cases.
In case of failure, the Master's thesis can be repeated once.This repetition must take place in registration period 2 of the subsequent semester (independently of semester count).
The second attempt can be supervised by the same or a different person than the first attempt. The choice of module (WP 38, 39, 40 or 41) is irreversible. A different topic must be chosen than for the first attempt.