Master of Arts in North American Studies (NAS) University of Cologne

In cooperation with the Master's programme North American Studies at the University of Bonn

Courses are held in English only.

North American Studies (NAS) is a fully accredited, two-year, single-major Master's programme at the University of Cologne taught entirely in English. It focuses on the history, culture, art, literature, language, film, philosophy, media theory, politics, and society of North America, i.e. Canada, the US, the Caribbean and Latin America. It aims at providing insight into the cultural and literary history of North America and offering an overview of relevant theories and methods in the fields of history, literary studies, culture studies and media studies.

NAS is organised straightforwardly. Students will attend courses in the following modules: AM 1 Literary and Cultural Studies, AM 2 History and Society, AM 3 Postcolonial Studies, and AM 4 Research. As their end-of-module exam in AM 1 and 2, students have to submit research papers. In order to complete AM 3, students take an oral exam. For AM 4, students will present the Master's thesis project in one of the research colloquia and turn in an exposé afterwards. In order to receive credits for specialised module 1, students must complete a six-week internship and submit an internship report. To finish their studies, students must submit a Master’s thesis of 60 pages.

The standard period of study is four semesters. Therefore, as a rule of thumb, students should take one module’s worth of coursework per semester (one module is comprised of five courses and an end-of-module exam).  

In all the modules, students attend lectures and actively participate in seminars. Students are expected to prepare the assigned reading material for each course, to write research papers and do an oral exam. In their courses, they will encounter four different forms of instruction:

• The lecture-seminar introduces students to a particular field (North American History, North American Literature, Theories and Concepts in Postcolonial Studies). It consists of a lecture and an additional reading course (tutorial).
• The lecture focuses on one particular topic or perspective within American Studies, conveying more detailed knowledge of a particular area of study.
• The seminars have a thematic focus; students discuss specific issues and practice basic techniques of doing scholarly research.
• In the colloquium, students focus on methods of transdisciplinary research. They will learn how to plan, conceptualise, and conduct their own research project for the MA thesis.

In order to earn credits for the modules AM 1, AM 2, and AM 3 in the first three semesters, students need to pass a final exam (research papers, oral exam, exposé etc.). In addition to participating actively in their courses, students will also do in-class presentations and write essays, reviews, or short papers. During the third semester, students will collaborate closely with one of the lecturers in the North American Studies programme for the MA thesis project. The last semester is exclusively dedicated to the writing of a MA thesis of max. 150,000 characters (approx. 60 pages of text, excluding bibliography or additional material). Students must have successfully completed their modules before they can register for the thesis.

15 July for the following winter semester
15 January for the following summer semester

The Master's programme consists of four advanced modules ("Aufbaumodule", AM), one specialisation module ("Schwerpunktmodul", SM), and one module pertaining to the Master's thesis. 

With the exception of the Master's thesis module ("Masterarbeitsmodul"), these modules consist of different courses (lectures and seminars), and an exam. 

In AM 1 and 2, students write a research paper as their module exam. In AM 3, students do an oral exam. In AM 4, students do a combination exam ("Kombinatorische Prüfung"), which means that they present the MA thesis project in a research colloquium and turn in an exposé of their thesis afterwards. In SM 1, students write a report on their internship. The exams of AMs 1, 2, 3 and 4 factor into students’ overall grade, whereas the exam of SM 1 does not.

The MA NAS is highly interdisciplinary; the Institute of North American History cooperates with the English Department, the Instituto de Historia Ibérica y Latinoamericana, the Institute for Art History, and the Institute for Media Studies, all at the University of Cologne.

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University Partnerships in the US and Canada:

USA

Duquesne University, Pittsburgh
University of California, Berkeley
Allegheny College, Meadville
University of Mississippi, Oxford
Washington & Jefferson College, Pennsylvania
University of South Alabama, Mobile

Canada

Université de Montréal, Montréal
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Vancouver
University of British Columbia, Vancouver

Students have to do an internship as part of the MA NAS. The internship can be done in Germany or abroad. The faculty is ready to assist students in finding a suitable internship.

No tuition fees

The semester contribution amounts to approx. 305 EUR per semester. The fee includes a "Deutschlandsemesterticket" that covers public transport in Germany.

Each semester, we admit up to 15 new students into our MA programme, all of whom have a degree from an accredited BA study programme that serves as a relevant foundation for the MA in North American Studies. These include BAs in English and/or American Studies, Political Science, Modern History, Media Studies, Gender Studies, or Postcolonial Studies (minimum grade 2.5/B-). Preferably, students will have already attended courses with a special focus on North America and its cultures, or they will have written a BA thesis with a focus on North America.

Students must have excellent knowledge and understanding of English as English is the programme's language of instruction (C1 level, TOEFL, IELTS, or Cambridge etc.). Students should also have a thorough understanding of a second modern European language. While it is no longer a prerequisite to speak German before applying, students are encouraged to acquire a good working knowledge of German while they are studying in Cologne.

15 July for the following winter semester
15 January for the following summer semester

No

Finding affordable housing in and around Cologne can be a challenge. Please start looking for a place to stay as soon as you are accepted into the programme. The University of Cologne's Welcome Centre will assist you: https://portal.uni-koeln.de/en/international/study-in-cologne/accommodation-for-international-students.

We offer office hours dedicated to career advice on a regularly basis and also host an alumnae talk each semester, where former students share their professional experiences and career trajectories with the MA NAS students.