North American Studies (NAS)

The MA degree programme North American Studies is dedicated to the transdisciplinary study of North America in a global context. The study course facilitates a critical understanding of theories and practices of culture, transatlantic relations, and the processes of globalisation. The modules focus on the interplay of political and economic structures with literary and cultural discourses, the dynamics of race, class, gender, and sexuality, and the interrogation of the United States and Canada as cultural, political, and economic systems. Distinctive research areas include literary and cultural theory, Native and Indigenous studies, gender studies, environmental studies, visual culture studies, the intersections of law and culture, and dialogues between cultural studies and the natural sciences. As a study programme and research institution, the North American Studies Programme organises numerous conferences and a lecture series on issues of North American and cultural studies. It also draws on long-standing collaborations with North American universities. The core faculty members are experts in literary and cultural studies, political science, and economics and also include visiting scholars. In addition, students interested in historical and postcolonial studies profit from the programme’s cooperation with the University of Cologne. The MA North American Studies offers a carefully designed curriculum, comprised of five core modules and four elective areas of specialisation of which you choose two. Mandatory Modules Literary and Cultural Studies (Bonn): Literature and Theory (10 credits) Processes and Practices of Popular Culture (10 credits) Transdisciplinary Perspectives (10 credits) Professional and Intercultural Competence (10 credits) Research in Dialogue (10 credits) MA Thesis (Bonn/Cologne; 30 credits) Elective Modules Politics & Society (Bonn): Foreign Policy and International Relations (10 credits) Political Institutions & Domestic Policy (10 credits) Economics (Bonn): Micro-/ Macroeconomics (10 credits each) History & Society (Cologne): Issues in North American History (10 credits) Approaches to North American History (10 credits) Postcolonial Studies (Cologne/Bonn): Postcolonial History (10 credits) Postcolonial Literature (10 credits) PDF Download