Module 23-LIT-M-PM5 Profile module 5: Literary and Cultural Theories

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

Students acquire in-depth knowledge of theoretical terms and concepts and practise their application. Dealing with various theoretical models promotes the ability to think theoretically and abstractly. At the same time, students acquire the skills required to transfer theoretical concepts and synthesise them.
In the final module examination, students demonstrate that they can independently categorise, apply and critically reflect on central terms, concepts and methods from literary and cultural theory. They are able to present theoretical questions in the appropriate technical language and to justify their own methodological procedure in theoretical terms.

Content of teaching

Students acquire in-depth knowledge of literary and cultural theories from the past and present. Different ways of using theory in literary studies are discussed and problematised. In a narrow sense, this includes theoretical currents of the 20th and 21st centuries such as structuralism, semiotics and post-structuralism, psychoanalysis, critical theory and deconstruction, gender studies and postcolonial studies, material culture studies and actor-network-theory, among others. In a broader sense of 'theory', the module also offers space for the in-depth examination of basic concepts from rhetoric, poetics and aesthetics. In addition, the focus on 'theory' is an invitation to explore literature in an interdisciplinary perspective.

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

Literary and Cultural Theories (1)
Type seminar
Regular cycle WiSe&SoSe
Workload5 90 h (30 + 60)
LP 3 [SL]
Literary and Cultural Theories (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 Literary and Cultural Theories (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 Literary and Cultural Theories (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 Lehrende*r aus einer der beiden Veranstaltungen: Literatur- und Kulturtheorien (1) / (2)
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 module examination is taken in one of the courses the student has attended; the examiner is the teaching staff member responsible for the course.

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. In doing so, the content of the presentation may be developed in depth, expanded upon, or aspects not covered in the presentation may be taken into account. Furthermore, a particular aspect may be singled out and discussed in detail.

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] 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.