Jump to main content
Faculty of Humanities
Courses
Faculty of Humanities 

Bachelor Programmes

The Faculty of Humanities offers the following three-year bachelor programmes:
Students of English and American Studies are introduced to the theory and praxis of literature, linguistics, culture and media in the complete anglophone world. As a first degree, the BA English and American Studies programme takes a comprehensive approach. An essential part of the study programme is the achievement of communicative and professional competencies in English. This is complemented by diverse subject-specific perspectives. The study of English Literature(s) investigates a number of aesthetic forms: from Shakespeare’s dramas to modern works beyond the canon. Students of American Studies analyse a multitude of texts ranging from historical documents like Columbus’s letter to television series like Game of Thrones. The English Language and Linguistics section deals with new forms and functions of English as an international language. The focus of British and American Cultural/Social Studies is the historical, social, and political context and development of living cultures. An obligatory semester abroad enhances the international orientation and intercultural competence of our students.

More information about the BA English and American Studies degree programme
The process of European integration is gaining broad interest throughout the general public. At the same time, the concept of a united Europe can only be legitimized through historic reflection. But in how far can historical decisions be understood today? Was Bismarck indeed the first politician to promote modern social legislation? To address such questions an understanding of historical themes back to antiquity and knowledge about the changing significance of regions and social and economic regulations are essential. The BA European History programme provides the necessary skills to analyse and understand the process of European integration.

More information about the BA Eurpean History degree programme
The focus of the BA European Studies program is on questions of European integration. Specialisations are offered in cultural studies, social studies or economic studies and serve to complement students’ knowledge about the general European context. During the programme students learn an Eastern European or Eastern Central European language and visit one of the many partner universities of TU Chemnitz. The close vicinity of the new members of the European Union provides special opportunities for study and research.

More information about the BA European Studies (Focus: Cultural Studies) degree programme
The focus of the BA European Studies programme is questions concerning European integration. Specialisations are offered in cultural studies, social studies or economic studies and serve to complement students’ knowledge about the general European context. During the programme students learn an Eastern European or Eastern Central European language and visit one of the many partner universities of TU Chemnitz. The close vicinity of the new members of the European Union provides special opportunities for study and research.

More information about the BA European Studies (Focus: Social Studies) degree programme
“Theoretic foundations for practical applications” – This is the mission statement for German Studies at TU Chemnitz. The Institute for German Studies with four professorships covers all the major areas of the field: Medieval and Modern German Literature in a European Context, Linguistics, and German as a Foreign/Second Language. Students choose an area of specialization in their third semester and complete an internship to gather initial work experience in their chosen field. The interesting career paths of our alumni demonstrate the strong demand for expertise in German language and literature.

More information about the BA German Studies degree programme
We live in mobile worlds. Migration and digital media have created increasingly global networks and a need to reconceptualize the dynamic cultural and social settings of globalization. How are ‘culture’ and ‘communication’ to be understood? How is our identity and everyday life shaped by international and transnational practices? These questions express a critical evaluation and analysis of the changing perspectives on culture, communication, and transculturality as they are applied to diverse social contexts.

More information about the BA Intercultural Communication degree programme
This course of study conveys media competence from the perspective of different areas of research. The multiplicity of involved areas of research yields an integrative qualification for students with respect to several media-related sections of the job market. The four main professorships (Media Communication, Media Psychology, Visual Communication, and E-Learning and New Media) represent a broad field of methods in social science, communication science, and media studies and cover teaching from the fields of communication, media psychology, learning and teaching with new media, scientific methods, and applications. The qualification in quantitative and qualitative research methods yields a multifaceted approach to research questions concerning communication with new media, media use, and the theory of multimedia learning. Students of this course of study gain systematic and methodical sound expertise in media related problem solving.

More information about the BA Media Communication degree programme
The B.Sc. Computer Science and Communication Science degree programme is addressed to students with a combined interest in technology and communication. It covers topics like media, media communication, media design, social networks, and social media. These areas are exceptionally dynamic and promising for further economic growth and posit interesting questions for research and development. Several interface problems have surfaced in the field which are difficult for computer scientists or communications specialists to solve on their own. With this course TU Chemnitz provides a true dual qualification which sets it apart from comparable courses of study. Both areas of specialisation are treated equally in this course of study.

More information about the B.Sc. Information Technology and Communication Studies degree programme
Educational studies are concerned with the fundamental theories and methods of teaching and learning processes. Educational scientists research the conditions, mechanisms, and concepts of these processes and offer suggestions for design and improvement. Teaching and learning is approached in the context of all age groups. Educational scientists have expertise for further education and training in private and business contexts and have excellent career opportunities in many fields.

More information about the BA Education degree programme
The BA Political Science programme teaches the fundamentals of politics, state and society. In the programme’s compulsory courses students learn how political ideas, power and interests are organized, articulated, and implemented in political systems. Students become qualified to analyse current political events with a high level of proficiency. Besides content-related competencies, students gain methodological and communicative skills, improving their personal judgement and creativity in the process. Our courses thereby impart skills and knowledge from all political science fields: political theory and the history of ideas, political systems, international relations, European comparative government, and political science research methods. The BA Political Science degree programme is taught in German and designed for six semesters (three years) of study. When successfully completed, students receive the academic degree Bachelor of Arts (B.A.).

More information about the BA Political Science degree programme

The study and exam rules and regulations for the courses of study are available on the Central Examination Office website.

Master Programmes

A bachelor’s degree or equivalent university degree is a prerequisite for the 4-semester master programmes at the Faculty of Humanities.
 
Like the BA programme, the MA English and American Studies degree programme is based on the language, literature(s), and cultures of English-speaking countries. The MA programme, however, offers a more flexible choice of specialisation in these fields. The course of study covers the research fields of global language development, teaching English in different cultural contexts, general theory of Anglo-American and postcolonial literature and culture, American popular culture, and methods and theories in the social sciences. A main objective of the course is to deepen and strengthen language skills and intercultural competence. Furthermore, special emphasis is put on questions about (trans-)national formations of identity and their representation in text and media. Accordingly, our alumni find career opportunities in the media, journalism, international organisations, and adult education. The programme is taught exclusively in English and is characterized by a particularly high ratio of international students.

More information about the MA English and American Studies degree programme
The content of the MA programme focusses on the mediation conditions of transformation processes in society and culture in the context of digital information and communication. The course considers implications for theoretical and analytical concepts and applications. The paradigm of qualitative empirical social research and communication research is the methodical foundation of the course.

Graduate students in the MA programme Digital Media and Communication Cultures develop skills in understanding and designing complex dynamic systems in a digital media environment. The programme is unique in its systematic teaching of qualitative research methods, transdisciplinary setting, and focus on multimodal structures and practices in digital media and communication cultures.

More information about the MA Digital Media and Communication Cultures degree programme
The process of European integration requires a historical perspective more than ever before. This concerns for instance the changing significance of regions and borders or the development of economic and social regulations. To respond adequately to questions concerning integration, more knowledge is needed than that of the relatively short period of nation states. Familiarity with antiquity and the medieval ages is likewise essential for understanding modern Europe. The MA degree programme in European History helps students develop historical, political, and cultural competence. Graduate students of European history are qualified for employment as historians in one of the many institutions that have resulted from the continual growth of European interconnectivity.

More information about the MA European History degree programme
The MA European Integration degree programme is addressed to all graduate students who have completed their first academic degree. The programme conveys substantial knowledge about the process of European integration and its legal, administrative, cultural, political, and social dimensions. Competencies acquired during the study programme qualify students for the job market in the context of growing European interconnectivity. A focal point of analysis is the participation of Central and Eastern European countries in the integration process.

More information about the MA European Integration – Focus: Central and Eastern Europe degree programme
The MA Intercultural German Studies degree programme is open to all students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in German Studies or a similar degree programme. The focus of the programme is advanced academic research and analysis in the different areas of German studies (Medieval and Modern German Literature in a European Context, Linguistics, and German as a Foreign/Second Language) with an emphasis on media and culture. Students have the opportunity to deepen and strengthen specialisations acquired in the bachelor programme. Ideally, the final thesis should combine both academic and occupational interests. It is supervised by one of the four professorships.

More information about the MA Intercultural German Studies degree programme
We live in mobile worlds. Migration and digital media have created increasingly global networks and a need to reconceptualize the dynamic cultural and social settings of globalization. How are ‘culture’ and ‘communication’ to be understood? How is our identity and everyday life shaped by international and transnational practices? These questions express a critical evaluation and analysis of the changing perspectives on culture, communication, and transculturality as they are applied to diverse social contexts..

More information about MA Intercultural Communication/Intercultural Competence
The M.Sc. Media and Instructional Psychology degree programme focusses on the use and influence of media and forms of media reception. Furthermore, forms and content of media-supported learning and connected processes of learning and teaching are analysed from various psychological perspectives on media and instruction using methods common in communication studies. Courses and student projects concern traditional media like text, pictures, movies, and television, as well as new media like digital games, virtual realities, and mobile media.

Additional concepts in the psychology of media and instruction and advanced quantitative social research methods are taught and practiced in research projects that span across the terms. A central question is what cognitive, emotional and motivational processes are involved in the use of different media forms. Accordingly, students learn to design interactive multimedia teaching environments and to systematically analyse and evaluate multimodal media products. Course contents are based on contemporary topics and practice in media and instructional psychology which guarantee an intimate link between teaching, research, and application.

More information about the M.Sc. Media and Instructional Psychology degree programme
Please note that enrollment to this course terminates by WS 2014/2015. Instead, the institute offers two new master programmes:
  Media scientists are interested in the reception and significance of mediated and public communication. They possess expertise in the use of diverse media formats and are employed in many different fields. Of special importance is not only the design of media products but also the question of specific conditions of use and reception. Working in the field of applied sciences, media scientists offer businesses and organisations decision-making tools and influence political, social, and cultural life.

More informationen about the MA Media Communication degree programme
Lifelong learning has become an integral part of our knowledge-based society. Accordingly, there is a persistent demand for further training and educational counseling in general and professional settings. This demands reflection on processes of learning and teaching for all age groups and fosters a growing demand for qualified educators. The consecutive master programme is a tailor-made response to this demand. It focuses on several questions and issues that are necessitated from the perspective of adult education and further training as well as general pedagogy concerning the development of different cultures of learning.

More information about the MA Pedagogy and Cultures of Learning degree programme
The MA Political Science programme is an advanced two-year graduate degree which combines a disciplinary specialisation with a distinctive interdisciplinary profile. In their second year students choose one out of four interdisciplinary courses: intellectual history, political systems in past and present, power shift and challenges in terms of security policy, or political consulting. The MA programme Political Science is aimed at graduates in the fields of political and social sciences. It is taught in German and designed for four semesters (two years) of study. If successfully completed, students will receive the academic degree Master of Arts (M.A.).

More informationen about the MA Political Science degree programme
The MA Reception Cultures of the Premodern Era degree program addresses graduates in the humanities with an interest in the cultures of antiquity, the medieval ages, and the early modern period. The target of the course is twofold. Students are introduced to the transformation of ancient and medieval objects, topics and ideas in historical periods up to present times. Furthermore, expertise in presenting the past is developed in close cooperation with practitioners from museums, archives, libraries, theaters and new media, ensuring alumni are prepared for work in these job markets. The courses are structured according to these goals.

More information about the MA Reception Cultures of the Premodern Era degree programme
In an understanding of semiotics as meta-science, the Master’s program “Semiotics and Multimodal Communication” is open to students of all branches of study (local selection process, application deadline: 15 July). Focussing on communication processes, the programme combines approaches of linguistics as well as media and literary studies, familiarising students with both human sciences theory and methods of empirical research.

The programme provides crucial insight into the theoretical conceptualisation of and the methods and techniques used to study the multimodal interplay of speech—gesture and text—images in communication. Over the course of studies, emphasis is placed on methodical training, among others in the three-semestre base module “Digital Humanities”. Additionally, further programmes and research environments, such as the Virtual Environment Leaning Lab (VELL lab), are linked into the course.

Students are able to choose between two specialisations to further develop their personal profile, one oriented towards cultural science and one oriented towards cognitive science. Both specialisations examine the complex processes of signs and communication by combining the approaches and methods of linguistics as well as literary and media studies in account with the respective orientation matter.

More Information about the MA Semiotics and Multimodal Communication degree programme

International Master Programme

Resource efficiency is a challenge for modern business, science and technology. In a world of scarce natural, economic and human resources, knowledge will be a key asset. In the international master programme Merge Technologies for Resource Efficiency students gain expertise for developing multi-approach solutions to conserve resources and achieve higher efficiency compared with conventional technologies. The International Master's Programme links world-class teaching with the latest research in future key technologies for sustainable and resource-efficient production. It is based at Technische Universität Chemnitz in the heart of Europe.

More information about the MA Merge Technologies for Resource Efficiency degree program


The study and exam rules and regulations for the courses of study are available on the Central Examination Office website.