Module 23-LIT-M-PM1 Profile module 1: Comparing Literature

Faculty

Person responsible for module

Regular cycle (beginning)

Every semester

Credit points and duration

10 Credit points

For information on the duration of the modul, refer to the courses of study in which the module is used.

Competencies

After completing this module, students will have advanced comparative skills: they will be able to recognise comparisons in different forms and contexts and analyse them from a literary, structural and praxeological perspective. Part of the comparative competences is methodological self-reflection. From a methodological perspective, students learn to critically reflect on their own comparisons and consciously apply comparative methods. Comparative practice sensitises students to dealing with similarities and differences between different media and between different cultural contexts. As a result, students will be able to strengthen their intermedial and intercultural competences.
Depending on their profile (research/practice), students can focus on a practical or research-related focus in the final module examination (portfolio, seminar paper or presentation with written account).

Content of teaching

Comparison is not only a basic operation of literary studies, it also constitutes an independent field of research: comparative literature studies. The module invites students to take an in-depth look at the approaches, questions and methods of comparative literature. In the courses, students learn to analyse comparative operations with regard to structure and basic components. The socio-cultural embeddedness of literary comparisons is taken into account (who compares literature for what purpose?) as well as literature's own capacity for comparison.
With its focus on the basic operation of comparison, the module combines methodological self-reflection, formal-aesthetic analysis and the practice of literary comparisons in intermedial and intercultural terms (comparisons of literature with other media and art forms; comparisons of literatures from different European and non-European languages and cultural areas). In doing so, the module combines practical professional orientation with research orientation.

Recommended previous knowledge

23-LIT-M-BM1
23-LIT-M-BM2

Necessary requirements

Explanation regarding the elements of the module

Module structure: 2 SL, 1 bPr 1

Courses

Comparing Literature (1)
Type seminar
Regular cycle WiSe&SoSe
Workload5 90 h (30 + 60)
LP 3 [SL]
Comparing Literature (2)
Type seminar
Regular cycle WiSe&SoSe
Workload5 90 h (30 + 60)
LP 3 [SL]

Study requirements

Allocated examiner Workload LP2
Teaching staff of the course Comparing Literature (1) (seminar)

The form of academic work in literary degree programmes may vary depending on the type of module, its focus and its subject matter. Possible examples include: presentations, exercises, bibliographies, position papers, short essays, meeting minutes, blog posts, brief interpretations and online tests. The following applies to all contributions: In total, each student may be required to submit written work of no more than 1,500 words, or oral contributions lasting no more than 15 minutes, or (online) tests with a total completion time of no more than 8 hours for any one course. These may be divided into several individual components. The specific requirements to be met in the course are determined by the teaching staff and announced no later than the first session.

Coursework in Literary Studies serves
- to practise a reflective and discursive approach;
- to prepare for and follow up on courses;
- to structure work within the courses;
- to summarise and reflect on the learning outcomes of the courses.

see above see above
Teaching staff of the course Comparing Literature (2) (seminar)

The form of academic work in literary degree programmes may vary depending on the type of module, its focus and its subject matter. Possible examples include: presentations, exercises, bibliographies, position papers, short essays, meeting minutes, blog posts, brief interpretations and online tests. The following applies to all contributions: In total, each student may be required to submit written work of no more than 1,500 words, or oral contributions lasting no more than 15 minutes, or (online) tests with a total completion time of no more than 8 hours for any one course. These may be divided into several individual components. The specific requirements to be met in the course are determined by the teaching staff and announced no later than the first session.

Coursework in Literary Studies serves
- to practise a reflective and discursive approach;
- to prepare for and follow up on courses;
- to structure work within the courses;
- to summarise and reflect on the learning outcomes of the courses.

see above see above

Examinations

term paper o. portfolio o. portfolio with final oral examination o. oral presentation with written exploration
Allocated examiner Die Modulprüfung wird in einer der absolvierten Lehrveranstaltungen erbracht; Prüfer*in ist der*die Lehrende der Veranstaltung.

Weighting 1
Workload 120h
LP2 4

The modules are assessed on the basis of a portfolio comprising eight individual documents, each of approximately 2 pages, or a portfolio comprising six individual documents, each of approximately 2 pages, together with a final oral examination (approximately 15–20 minutes) or a seminar paper of 15–20 pages, or a presentation with a written paper (max. 30 mins, 12–14 pages).
The scope of the content and the tasks to be completed for the portfolio are agreed with the examiner. The portfolio may include, amongst other things: a bibliography, an essay, a short interpretation, an exercise, a genre analysis, minutes or a review.

The scope of the seminar paper and the specific task to be completed are agreed with the examiner before work begins. 

The scope of the content and the specific task for the presentation and accompanying written paper are agreed with the examiner. The content of the presentation may be developed in depth, expanded upon, or aspects not covered in the presentation may be included. Furthermore, a specific aspect may be singled out and discussed in detail.

Further notices

Profilmodul 1 is part both of the research and the practice profile.

The module is used in these degree programmes:

Degree programme Profile Recom­mended start 3 Duration Manda­tory option 4
Literary Studies / Master of Arts [FsB vom 01.09.2026] Practice 3. 1 or 2 semes­ters Compul­sory optional subject
Literary Studies / Master of Arts [FsB vom 01.09.2026] Research 3. 1 or 2 semes­ters Compul­sory optional subject

Automatic check for completeness

The system can perform an automatic check for completeness for this module.


Legend

1
The module structure displays the required number of study requirements and examinations.
2
LP is the short form for credit points.
3
The figures in this column are the specialist semesters in which it is recommended to start the module. Depending on the individual study schedule, entirely different courses of study are possible and advisable.
4
Explanations on mandatory option: "Obligation" means: This module is mandatory for the course of the studies; "Optional obligation" means: This module belongs to a number of modules available for selection under certain circumstances. This is more precisely regulated by the "Subject-specific regulations" (see navigation).
5
Workload (contact time + self-study)
SoSe
Summer semester
WiSe
Winter semester
SL
study requirement
Pr
Examination
bPr
Number of examinations with grades
uPr
Number of examinations without grades
This academic achievement can be reported and recognised.
Non-official translation of the module descriptions. Only the German version is legally binding.