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German Literature/Language (MA)
Course Overview
This programme is designed for you if you love to read and discuss inspiring literary texts and if you want to deepen your understanding of German culture—from the age of enlightenment to the present day. It gives you the opportunity to further improve your fluency in German, introduces you to relevant literary theories and methods of interpretation, and offers a range of modules exploring exemplary German texts by analysing them in their historical and cultural contexts.
Scholarships available
Find out about our Postgraduate Scholarships here.
Applications and Selections
Applications are made online via the NUI Galway Postgraduate Applications System.
Who Teaches this Course
- Deirdre Byrnes, PhD
- Tina-Karen Pusse, DPhil
- Áine Ryan, MA
- Prof. Hans-Walter Schmidt-Hannisa, DPhil
- Michael Shields, MA
Requirements and Assessment
Students have to take a total of six modules (10 ECTS each), which are assessed by exam or take-home essay. Five modules are obligatory and one is optional. They also have to write a dissertation of circa 15,000 words (30 ECTS) on a topic chosen in consultation with a supervisor.
Key Facts
Entry Requirements
Second Class Honours NQAI Level 8 degree or equivalent, with Second Class Honours Grade 2 or equivalent in German.
Additional Requirements
Duration
1 year, full-time | 2 years, part-time
Next start date
September 2021
A Level Grades ()
Average intake
15
Closing Date
You are advised to apply early, which may result in an early offer; see the offer round dates
NFQ level
Mode of study
Taught
ECTS weighting
90
Award
CAO
Course code
1MAG1 (full-time) | 1MAG2 (part-time)
Course Outline
The course programme includes modules on German language and literature, as well as a module on methods of research and interpretation.
CORE MODULES
Advanced Language Skills 1 and 2:
This year-long module allows students to further develop their language skills to level C2 of the European Framwork or Reference. Classes taught cover all relevant skills-reading, writing, listening and speaking. Students will extend their command of grammar and vocabulary, and their sensitivity to stylistic variation, nuance and register.
Modern German Literature 1 and 2:
Students will discuss exemplary literary texts from various genres and literary epochs between the 18th and 21st centuries. Special attention will be given to historical and cultural contexts and to intertextual relationships. Students will apply various methods of interpretation. The selection of texts will vary from year to year.
Interpreting Literature—Theories and Methods:
Students will be introduced to relevant literary theories, such as New Historicism, Ecocriticism, Postcolonialism and deconstruction. They will learn to reflect critically on methods of interpretation and their application.
Modules for the full time course
Modules for the part time course
Curriculum Information
Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Glossary of Terms
- Credits
- You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
- Module
- An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
- Optional
- A module you may choose to study.
- Required
- A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
- Semester
- Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year.
Year 1 (90 Credits)
Required GR512: Modern German Literature I
GR512: Modern German Literature I
Semester 1 | Credits: 10
Assessments
This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.
- Continuous Assessment (100%)
Module Director
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile | Email
Lecturers / Tutors
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile
- GERALDINE SMYTH: Research Profile
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Required GR562: Advanced Language Skills I (German)
GR562: Advanced Language Skills I (German)
Semester 1 | Credits: 10
Assessments
This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.
- Department-based Assessment (100%)
Module Director
- ÁINE RYAN: Research Profile | Email
Lecturers / Tutors
- ÁINE RYAN: Research Profile
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile
- GERALDINE SMYTH: Research Profile
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Required GR506: Minor Thesis
GR506: Minor Thesis
15 months long | Credits: 30
Assessments
This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.
- Research (100%)
Module Director
- SUZANNE GILSENAN: Research Profile | Email
Lecturers / Tutors
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile
- GERALDINE SMYTH: Research Profile
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Required GR513: Modern German Literature II
GR513: Modern German Literature II
Semester 2 | Credits: 10
Assessments
This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.
- Continuous Assessment (100%)
Module Director
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile | Email
Lecturers / Tutors
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Required GR563: Advanced Language Skills 2 (German)
GR563: Advanced Language Skills 2 (German)
Semester 2 | Credits: 10
Assessments
This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.
- Department-based Assessment (100%)
Module Director
- ÁINE RYAN: Research Profile | Email
Lecturers / Tutors
- TINA-KAREN PUSSE: Research Profile
- GERALDINE SMYTH: Research Profile
- GABY BEHRENS: Research Profile
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Optional MIC504: The Art of Reading
MIC504: The Art of Reading
Semester 1 | Credits: 10
This module explores reading strategies and multiple dimensions of textuality in relation to literature, visual arts, games, as well as what we perceive as “nature”. Students will develop methods and strategies to discuss texts in relation to their aesthetic qualities and their dominant and marginalised narratives, and they will reflect on their own role in the reading process.
Assessments
This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.
- Written Assessment (100%)
Module Director
- TINA-KAREN PUSSE: Research Profile | Email
Lecturers / Tutors
- CATHERINE EMERSON: Research Profile
- TINA-KAREN PUSSE: Research Profile
- KATHLEEN QUINN: Research Profile
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile
- GERALDINE SMYTH: Research Profile
- LORRAINE KELLY: Research Profile
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Optional SH505: Translation Studies I
SH505: Translation Studies I
Semester 1 | Credits: 15
Assessments
This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.
- Department-based Assessment (100%)
Module Director
- MEL OLIVER BOLAND: Research Profile | Email
Lecturers / Tutors
- MEL OLIVER BOLAND: Research Profile
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile
- GERALDINE SMYTH: Research Profile
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Optional GR521: Interpreting Literature: Theories & Methods
GR521: Interpreting Literature: Theories & Methods
Semester 1 | Credits: 10
Assessments
This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.
- Continuous Assessment (100%)
Module Director
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile | Email
Lecturers / Tutors
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile
- GERALDINE SMYTH: Research Profile
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Optional MIC6101: Worlds of Fantasy: Literature, Film, Computer Games
MIC6101: Worlds of Fantasy: Literature, Film, Computer Games
Semester 1 | Credits: 10
Fantasy novels and films are currently extremely popular. Like dreams, they invent imaginary worlds that may have a lot in common with the “real” world, or may strongly differ from it. Nowadays artistic computer games do the very same. The alternative worlds presented by these media serve quite different purposes: They may simply be offers to escape from the troubles in the “real” world, or they may have a dystopian character that serves to criticise social or political problems. Like dreams, fantasy fiction often invites psychological interpretations. The module gives an introduction to the theory of fantasy fiction and analyses a number of exemplary fantasy novels and films with different cultural backgrounds. In particular it explores how dreams are represented and what structural role they play in fantasy fiction. The module will also analyse selected computer games and discuss the specific aesthetical potential of this interactive medium.
(Language of instruction: English)
Learning Outcomes
- Critique selected fantasy texts, films and computer games
- Demonstrate knowledge of theories of fantasy fiction
- Explain and discuss specific aesthetical features of fantasy literature and film
- Analyse the difference between traditional and interactive media with regard to fantasy fiction
Assessments
This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.
- Continuous Assessment (100%)
Module Director
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile | Email
Lecturers / Tutors
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile
- GERALDINE SMYTH: Research Profile
- PAOLO BARTOLONI: Research Profile
Reading List
- "The Fantastic: A Structural Approach to a Literary Genre." by Tzvetan Todorov
- "Fantastic Literature: A Critical Reader" by David Sandner (ed.)
- "Selected short stories" by Jorge Luis Borges
- "Last World" by Christoph Ransmayr
- "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Optional GR6100: Language & Intercultural Communication
GR6100: Language & Intercultural Communication
Semester 1 | Credits: 10
We live in a world of diversity and inter-relatedness. In this course we explore how we communicate in a professional and personal realm underscored by both difference and similarity. We examine how culture effects how we perceive the world and influences our behaviour. We look at different theoretical concepts which underlie how we communicate and specific cultural contexts which embody practices, values and traditions. The aim is to gain a deeper insight into other cultures whilst at the same time be able to think critically about our own culture, thus becoming more competent intercultural communicators. In this course we use media like video and podcasts, in addition to reading widely from academic sources. Student discussion and participation are actively encouraged for each class.
(Language of instruction: English)
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of cultural concepts as tools for examining cultural behaviors
- Recognise the importance of engaging in critical examination of elements of your own culture
- Demonstrate a knowledge of the diversity and uniqueness pertaining to cultures
- Consider commonality pertaining to cultures and improve intercultural competence
- Complete a substantial piece of academic writing on an element of intercultural communication
- Present research on a particular element of intercultural communication, i.e. intercultural communication in a specific context
- Conduct a case study, based on literary analysis, of a particular cultural phenomenon
Assessments
This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.
- Department-based Assessment (100%)
Module Director
- ÁINE RYAN: Research Profile | Email
Lecturers / Tutors
- ÁINE RYAN: Research Profile
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile
- GERALDINE SMYTH: Research Profile
Reading List
- "• Introducing Language and Intercultural Communication. Available as an e-book via college library" by Jane Jackson
Publisher: Routledge - "• Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication Across Cultures" by Myron W. Lustig and Jolene Koester
Publisher: Pearson - "• Communication between cultures" by Larry A. Samovar Richard E Porter; Edwin R McDaniel
Publisher: International Edition, Belmont, Calif. Wadsworth; London: Cengage Learning distributor
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Optional MIC6100: Resisting through Culture: Conflicts in Europe and Beyond
MIC6100: Resisting through Culture: Conflicts in Europe and Beyond
Semester 2 | Credits: 10
This module explores the transformative power of culture in times of conflict, considering, in particular, the literature that emerged in the latter half of the twentieth century following the post-war division of Europe. Works by Peter Schneider, Ivan Klíma, Václav Havel, Herta Müller and Malala Yousafzai form the focus of analysis. Situating these texts within their socio-political contexts of division and conflict, the module explores how literature and culture can be harnessed to facilitate and express resistance within and against totalitarian systems.
(Language of instruction: English)
Learning Outcomes
- Critique selected texts by Peter Schneider, Ivan Klíma, Václav Havel and Herta Müller
- Describe the socio-political contexts in which these texts were composed
- Analyse how literature and culture can be used to express resistance within and against totalitarian political systems
- Describe and explain selected texts addressing conflicts in the Islamic world
- Deliver a presentation based on a close reading of extracts from one of the core texts
- Write an essay on one or more of the core texts
Assessments
This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.
- Continuous Assessment (100%)
Module Director
- DEIRDRE BYRNES: Research Profile | Email
Lecturers / Tutors
- DEIRDRE BYRNES: Research Profile
- TINA-KAREN PUSSE: Research Profile
- HANS W SCHMIDT-HANNISA: Research Profile
- GERALDINE SMYTH: Research Profile
Reading List
- "The Wall Jumper" by Peter Schneider
- "The Spirit of Prague and Other Essays" by Ivan Klíma
- "The Land of Green Plums" by Herta Mueller
- "Open Letters: Selected Writings, 1965-1990" by Václav Havel
- "I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban" by Malala Yousafzai
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Optional MIC501: Contemporary Literary Genres
MIC501: Contemporary Literary Genres
Semester 2 | Credits: 10
Can contemporary literatures be classified into genres and sub-genres and is this useful, how do literary genres exist or develop over time, can authors, audiences or interest groups become identified with a genre? The course will examine definitions of four 20th-/21st-century genres as they emerge in different cultural and literary spaces. Themes covered will include: Crime Fiction, Spatiality as a generic element in Latin American fiction, the facets of Zombie literature and of French Hip Hop. In each of the four areas, important exemplars of the genre will be examined as primary texts in the light of relevant theoretical discourses.
Assessments
This module's usual assessment procedures, outlined below, may be affected by COVID-19 countermeasures. Current students should check Blackboard for up-to-date assessment information.
- Continuous Assessment (100%)
Module Director
- TINA-KAREN PUSSE: Research Profile | Email
Lecturers / Tutors
- CATHERINE EMERSON: Research Profile
- TINA-KAREN PUSSE: Research Profile
- KATHLEEN QUINN: Research Profile
- MICHAEL SHIELDS: Research Profile
- GERALDINE SMYTH: Research Profile
Note: Module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Why Choose This Course?
Career Opportunities
German postgraduate students acquire a flexible skills base in dealing with creative and communicative, and analytical, organisational and research, tasks, and they move on to a corresponding range of career opportunities after graduation. They have developed careers in, for example, marketing, media and arts administration, as well as following more language-related career areas such as teaching, translation, publishing, international marketing and communications. Many MA graduates have continued their studies at PhD level.
Who’s Suited to This Course
Learning Outcomes
Work Placement
Study Abroad
Related Student Organisations
Course Fees
Fees: EU
Fees: Tuition
Fees: Student levy
Fees: Non EU
Please note: The fee payable by EU students is listed under "Fees: EU". This field is the sum of the student levy + tuition. Fees are payable each year and are subject to change year-on year.
Postgraduate students in receipt of a SUSI grant—please note an F4 grant is where SUSI will pay €2,000 towards your full-time tuition. You will be liable for the remainder of the total fee. An F5 grant is where SUSI will pay full-time TUITION up to a maximum of €6,270. SUSI will not cover the student levy of €224.
Find out More
Prof Hans-Walter Schmidt-Hannisa
T + 353 91 492 239
E h.schmidthannisa@nuigalway.ie
www.nuigalway.ie/german