Admission requirements

To be admitted to the degree program, candidates must have completed a first university degree recognized in Germany or a qualification from a state or state-approved vocational academy in a humanities degree program, in which fundamental competencies in the area of literature, cultural and media studies have been acquired.

Furthermore, candidates are required to have a basic understanding of current theoretical debates in this field, in particular of concepts of the cultural modeling of identity and otherness, time and temporality, aesthetic codings, societal classification and symbol systems, etc.

Proof of this particular suitability is provided by an aptitude assessment in accordance with the aptitude assessment regulations. English proficiency at the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is required.

Aptitude assessment procedure

The participation in an aptitude assessment or selection procedure is a prerequisite for enrollment in this degree program. Please note that the deadline for submitting an application may be earlier than the application deadlines for the degree program (see above under application deadlines). The following links will provide you with information on all documents to be submitted within the specified deadline and on the relevant regulations.

• Information and documents to be submitted
• Information and documents to be submitted
  If candidates provide proof that they have at least fundamental knowledge of literature, cultural studies and/or media studies, they fulfill the suitability requirements for the Master’s degree program in Literature, Culture and Societal Change. Aptitude is assessed by means of submitted documents and an assessment interview.

German language requirements

International applicants and German applicants with a foreign university entrance qualification are kindly advised to read the requirements for German-language courses.

Notes on the application process

If, at the time of application, proof of the first degree qualifying the applicant for a profession is not yet available, the application will be considered under the precondition that 80% of the credit points attainable for the degree have already been achieved based on completed module examinations or the final thesis and the colloquium (if applicable). A certification from the awarding institute of higher education (examination office) serves as proof of the above-mentioned academic achievements. You can find the appropriate form on the Admissions Office website.

General information about the degree program

The Literature, Culture and Societal Change (LiKWA) Master’s degree program is based on current research in literature, cultural studies and media studies. The degree program is characterized above all by its interdisciplinary comparative perspective, focusing not only on historical and contemporary phenomena, but also providing the theoretical and methodological skills required for the critical analysis of cultural and societal change.

The objective of the degree program is the academic qualification of students in the area of literature, culture studies and media studies. In addition to preparing students for their own research activities in the narrower sense, the LiKWA Master's degree program aims to qualify students for increasingly complex tasks in key fields of today’s knowledge society.

Study contents

The program is divided into modules and comprises four semesters. The third semester is reserved for a compulsory stay abroad (mobility window).

The program is made up of seven compulsory modules and two elective compulsory modules. The elective compulsory modules allow students to freely select their concentration. They must choose one of the two following paths:
— Language didactics courses
— Subject-specific specialist courses

Students can enroll in courses organized by all Faculties of the School in their first two semesters. Students of the Literature and Culture in Social Change degree program may either choose a specific specialist concentration or gain a general philological overview. Students can choose between the following subjects:
— English/American Studies
— German Studies
— Classical Philology
— Romance Studies
— Slavonic Studies

As students are free to select a concentration, this allows them to organize their studies flexibly. The Studies Coordinators of the Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies support students in organizing their stay abroad with their concentration in mind. The modular course structure is beneficial to interdisciplinary collaboration with teachers and students of the European Languages degree program as well as other Humanities and Social Sciences degree programs at TU Dresden.
View the module descriptions

View the module descriptions

Stay abroad

Thanks to the required stay abroad in the 3rd semester, students have the opportunity to connect with researchers and other students around the world during their studies.

This in turn enables students to expand on their technical knowledge and language proficiency, make contacts and friends, and get to know other (disciplinary) cultures. All the information about what the stay abroad has to offer can be found on the degree program homepage. The International Office provides information on ways to finance your stay abroad as well as testimonies from past participants.

Double degrees

Double degrees are offered in cooperation with the following universities:
— Università degli Studi di Trento – UNITN Trento (Italy)

You can find more information on the Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies website

Occupational fields

Literature and culture stand at the center of societal transformation processes. The specialist skills needed to observe, describe and critically question the conditions of these processes are becoming increasingly important. This applies both to academia itself and knowledge society beyond the university context.

The Master's degree program in Literature and Culture in Social Change (LiKWa) offers you research-oriented, interdisciplinary and international training in precisely these skills. Thanks to the compulsory stay abroad as well as the promotion of a national and international network of students, LiKWa enables intensive and independent participation in scientific and social discourses as early as during the Master's phase. In addition to a career in research, students are equipped to pursue a career in education, publishing, cultural management, media, science and corporate communication, charitable foundations, politics, etc.

Graduates of the Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies provide an insight into the diversity of their professional fields on the Faculty’s website.

Study documents

The official announcements of TU Dresden include all published regulations . Please use the search bar to find the document you need: Official proclamation

The regulations are also available on each institution’s website.

Contacts

Admissions Office

Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies

International Office

Additional information