Hauptinhalt

Organization of Study Program

Exemplary Schedule

This exemplary schedule represents an ideal course of study. It is a guideline for you to see when to take certain modules and how many modules/ courses to take per semester. As a rule of thumb, you should receive about 30 credit points per semester in order to finish your studies within four semesters (the MA has 120 credit points altogether).

Please note that the program’s structure will slightly change with the winter term of 2020/2021.

If you enrolled before the winter term 2020/2021, your program is the MA NAS 2014:  Exemplary Schedule MA NAS 2014

If you enrolled in 2020/2021 or later, your program is the MA NAS 2020: Exemplary Schedule MA NAS 2020

Quick Guide / Checklist

The program is organized in several modules, and each module consists of one or two classes. For a comprehensive overview, please consult the official list of modules, which provides information on the broad field of study (e.g., literary studies, cultural studies), the type of classes of each module, assigned number of credit points, the form of examination (e.g., test, term paper), and information relevant for your communication with the examination office. It provides information on which modules and classes to attend each semester, the graded and ungraded work you will have to submit for each module / class, and the respective examination numbers.

Quick Guide MA NAS 2014 (enrollment before winter term 2020/2021)

Quick Guide MA NAS 2020 (enrollment winter term 2020/2021 or later)

Please use the quick guide as your checklist for organizing your course of studies: keep a copy of this check list for your own personal records and bring it to office hours. 

For more detailed information, please consult the Module Handbook.

Module Handbook

  • You want to know what to expect from a module in terms of content/ topics?
  • You want to know how often a module is offered (e.g., each semester or once a year)?
  • You are not sure about the graded ("Prüfungsleistung": PL) and ungraded ("Studienleistung": SL) work you need to hand in for each module?
  • You want to know which prerequisites you need to fulfill in order to register for an exam in a certain module?

The module handbook will provide answers. Please make sure to choose the right version!

Module Handbook MA NAS 2014 (German version) (enrollment before winter term 2020/2021)

Module Handbook MA NAS 2014 (English version) (enrollment before winter term 2020/2021

Module Handbook MA NAS 2020 (German version) (enrollment winter term 2020/2021 or later)

Module Handbook MA NAS 2020 (English version) (enrollment winter term 2020/2021 or later)

Course Registration

Each semester you will have to register for classes and lectures using our administration system MARVIN. In MARVIN, you will find the university course catalogue including information on all classes and lectures in a hierarchic structure. In order to register for courses, you need to login with your students account. Course registration usually starts in September for the following winter term and in March for the following summer term. For detailed information on each semester, please consult the following department website.

Please note that you need to come to the first session of each class, otherwise your place might be given to someone else. If you cannot attend for a good reason (e.g., illness), inform your instructor beforehand (at least one day prior to the first meeting). If you decide to drop a class you are registered for, please inform your instructors ASAP so that they can give your place to someone else. If you were not admitted to a class, i.e., if you are on the waiting list, come to the first session to see if a place might open up.

Exam Registration

After having registered for classes and having been admitted to classes, you will have to register for exams. The registration period for exams usually runs for the first five weeks of the semester; detailed information on each semester is posted on the department website. You need to register for all exams, including graded exams (German “Prüfungsleistung,” short: PL) and ungraded exams (pass/fail, German “Studienleistung,” short: SL) using MARVIN. In order to register, you need to log into the system using your student account and you need a TAN list. If you have not received your TAN Token, please contact the University Computer Center (“Hochschulrechenzentrum” or HRZ).

If you do not fulfill the requirements, you might still be admitted to class but you cannot register for exams on MARVIN and will have to drop out of the class again or contact the .

Please note that most classes can be chosen for more than one module; however, you can only have each class ‘count’ once towards one module. MARVIN will show you all modules towards which a class might be counted for.

For the 6 ECTS import module in your third semester, you may not be able to register for the credit on MARVIN. For classes from Media Studies, please contact the FB09 exam office to register.

In general, should you have failed a written exam (“Klausur” or term paper), you can re-take it twice, i.e., you can take an exam up to three times. Please note that you will have to register for a written re-take exam (“Klausur,” not term paper), as there is an official day on which all re-take exams (“Nachschreibeklausur”) take place. For further information on the exam registration and English guidelines on how to register for exams on QIS, please also consult our department’s website.

Course and Study Regulations

You will find the legally binding German version of the Course and Study Regulations here.

For students who enrolled before 2020: you find an English (non-binding) translation here. 

For students who enrolled 2020 or later: you find an English (non-binding) translation here.

Student Manual for International Students

The student manual for international students contains information about Marburg’s university system, including information on classes, how to register for classes and exams, ILIAS, writing term papers and much more. Please read the manual carefully and do not hesitate to contact us if you have further questions.

Master's thesis

The master’s thesis, a long original research paper, is the final compulsory assignment. Students write and submit the written thesis, and defend it in an oral exam after the thesis has been graded. The garde of the module consists of the grade of the written thesis and the grade of the oral defense. Students usually write and defend  the thesis during their fourth semester. Students must have completed modules of at least 60 credit points in order to be admitted to the master’s thesis.

In the master’s thesis, the candidates show that they are able to develop a well-defined academic argument in an independent study in the field of North American Studies and that they are able to complete this task within a given time-frame. Candidates are to demonstrate that they

  • have mastered the techniques of academic work,
  • are proficient in the form and structure of academic reasoning,
  • can develop scholarly problems theoretically and methodically in accordance with the current state of research,
  • are able to comprehend new fields of knowledge without instruction and to intellectually develop critical perspectives.

For detailed information on the master’s thesis, please consult the Course and Examination Regulations.