For International Students
MA Programme for English Studies
We welcome international students to the MA programme and value their contribution to a diverse academic debate and lively intercultural exchange that are indispensable in the fields of linguistic-, literary- and cultural studies.
Please be aware that the programmes the English Department offers rely heavily on the students' autonomy and self-motivation. Due to the German academic tradition in general and the large number of students at the English Department in particular, students are personally responsible for handling the following matters:
- Apply via Uni-Assist (Uni-Assist is an independent platform not associated with the English Department and has its own support team)
- Become acquainted with KLIPS [Cologne Teaching, Information and Examination Services] and learn how to register for courses and/or examinations (Please see the exhaustive online tutorial of KLIPS in English: http://klips2-support.uni-koeln.de/en)
- Choose courses and/or topics for examinations (the selection of courses depend on each student's individual academic interests and preferences)
Requirements
Applicants require a bachelor in English Studies or an equivalent degree programme with a final grade better than 2.5 according to the German grading system. It is also possible for bachelor graduates as well as graduates with a comparable qualification of a related subject to be accepted, providing their having attained a minimum of 40 CP in their previous degree for courses related to the MA programme English Studies and a final grade better than 2.5. This will be checked by the English Department I after the application has been submitted via the admission's office.
Language Requirements:
Upon application, applicants must be able to present proof of their proficiency in the English language at the level of C1 (CEF = Common European Framework), e.g. through the completion of a degree programme for which a C1 (CEF) level of proficiency is required.
Even though the programme's language of instruction and examination is English, the language of administration is predominantly German. Important legal documents such as examination regulations and module guides can only be provided in German. Therefore, from the winter-semester 2022/23, applicants have to provide knowledge of German according to the Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH-2).
If you have further questions concerning the procedure or requirements please contact Mrs. Sylvia Strick of the Master admission's office: masterzulassung-philfak(at)uni-koeln(dot)de
Application
The English Department is not directly involved in the process of application. All administrative matters concerning the application are handled by the examination office (Prüfungsamt) of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Therefore, the English Department does not accept any applications and cannot come to any decisions concerning the relevance for the MA programme of international qualifications (neither by email nor by phone) without the application having been submitted through the examination office first. We appreciate your understanding in this matter and apologise for any inconvenience caused.
The examination office has set up a website with information detailing the application process for students with an international degree here:
Enrolment
The first point of call for international students is the International Office (das Akademische Auslandsamt), which is responsible for applicants and enrolment. After enrolment the Centre for International and Public relations (das Zentrum für Internationale Beziehungen und Öffentlichkeitarbeit) of the Humanities Faculty becomes responsible for the supervision of international students.
Contact person for International Students
We strive to provide all required information for students to successfully commence and complete their studies on our website. In case you cannot find an answer to your question there, please contact Dr. Shona Allan who acts as the supervisor for international students of the Master-programmes of the English Department.