Ethics of Textual Cultures FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg

University of Augsburg

Most courses are held in German, but there is a small number of courses in English.

The Ethics of Textual Cultures Master's degree programme is an innovative and interdisciplinary study programme that includes German literary studies, linguistics, American studies, philosophy, and theology. It deals with ethics in the context of language, text, and culture.

Students learn to employ an interdisciplinary perspective to work with and analyse texts from different time periods and cultural contexts.

Winter semester: 1 August
Summer semester: 15 February

The curriculum consists of seven interconnected modules:

M 1: Geschichte und Theorie der Ethik (History and Theory of Ethics)

M 2: Hermeneutik und Fremdverstehen (Hermeneutics and Alterity [HFV I/II])

M 3: Narrativität und Normativität (Narrativity and Normativity)

M 4: Theorien der Kanon- und Wertebildung (Theories of Canon and Value Formation)

M 5: Sprach-, kommunikations- und medienwissenschaftliche Aspekte der Normbildung (Aspects of Linguistics, Communication, and Media in the Formation of Norms)

M 6: Rhetorik öffentlichen Schreibens und Sprechens (Rhetoric of Public Writing and Speaking)

M 7: Angewandte Ethik (Applied Ethics)

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No tuition fees

FAU does not charge tuition fees. However, each semester, students must pay semester fees consisting of student services fees (42 EUR) and a fee for the basic semester ticket (74 EUR).

General guidelines on the average costs that can be expected are provided by the results of the social survey undertaken by the German National Association for Student Affairs in 2021:

According to this study, students who no longer live with their parents should have an average amount of 1,106 EUR per month at their disposal. However, monthly expenditures for personal lifestyle vary a lot. For former West Germany, the study revealed the following details on average expenditure:

• Rent, including ancillary costs (in Erlangen, Nuremberg and surrounding areas): 410 EUR
• Food: 198 EUR
• Clothing: 46 EUR
• Travel costs (public transport and/or car): 89 EUR
• Study materials (depending on subject): 31 EUR
• Health insurance, doctors, medicine: 100 EUR
• Telecommunications: 31 EUR
• Leisure, culture, sports: 65 EUR

1. High school diploma (German "Abitur" or comparable) 
2. Bachelor's diploma
3. Copy of your transcript of records (in case your Bachelor's diploma is still being issued)
4. Motivation letter (max. four pages)
5. CV/resume
6. Applicants whose study qualification was not obtained at a German-speaking institution must provide proof of C1 level German.

German: level DSH 2 (certificate required)
English: simple working knowledge (no certificate required)

Winter semester: 1 August
Summer semester: 15 February

There is a wide range of scholarships available for outstanding students. In addition to requiring applicants to have excellent grades, most scholarship programmes have additional conditions regarding cultural, political, religious, or social involvement. If you have any questions about the application procedure or selection criteria, you can contact the Student Advice and Career Service (IBZ) or speak directly to FAU’s liaison officer for the scholarship organisation you wish to apply to.

https://www.fau.eu/study/prospective-students/financing-your-studies

According to a study by the German National Association for Student Affairs, around 63 per cent of all "first-time students" have a regular job – and not just during the holidays. On average, they work around eight hours a week for an average wage of 10 EUR per hour. Students can have a "450 EUR job" or work as student trainees in a company or as student assistants in the university – both during and outside the lecture period. Information on the legal conditions relating to part-time jobs for students is available in the brochure "Jobben" (part-time jobs) published by the German National Association for Student Affairs. FAU’s job portal is also regularly updated with new advertisements for part-time jobs.

The cities of Erlangen, Fürth, and Nuremberg offer a very good standard of living. They are popular places to live, meaning that accommodation is in high demand but often in short supply. This is particularly the case during the period before the start of a new semester. We therefore recommend that you start looking for accommodation as soon as possible. If you are flexible and also look in the surrounding area, you will have a better chance of finding somewhere affordable to live. The region has an excellent public transport system, so you should not have any problems getting to your place of study or work.

It is worth checking the available accommodation on the Internet every day, as new accommodation becomes available on a day-to-day basis. It pays to be flexible when it comes to the price, location, and available facilities of your accommodation.

Student Services Erlangen-Nürnberg runs its own student accommodation in Erlangen and Nuremberg. You will be informed about how to apply for a room in Student Services accommodation while you are in the process of applying to be admitted to FAU.