Literature - Art - Media Cultures (Master)

Students will be prepared for a career in literature, media and cultural mediation and studies as well as in the arts and creative industriesthrough scientific and artistic principles and methods. At the end of their studies, graduates will have specialist content and skills that will enable them to engage in specialist, interdisciplinary, dynamic and international fields of research with a scientific or practical focus or in literary, media and cultural studies or literary, media, art and cultural mediation as well as in the associated institutional contexts of the literary, media, art and cultural sector and to gain further qualifications.

In addition to teaching important theoretical principles of literary and media studies and criticism as well as the ability to analyze complex cultural and social contexts and apply key research findings, the course enables students to initiate and reflect on their own actions in a theory-based manner and prepares them for the rapidly changing job market in the literary, media, cultural, art and creative sectors. An integral axis of the qualification is the focus on literary, media and cultural analysis, on scenographic and expository concepts in exhibitions, museums and media landscapes as well as on areas of the cultural and creative industries, which are secured through international cooperation with renowned universities and embed the course in an intercultural, practice-oriented and international professional perspective.

Specialist skills: Students acquire the basics of literary, cultural and media theory, knowledge of literary/film/media analysis and plurimedial comprehensive analysis skills. The course enables them to participate in current literary, cultural and media studies discourses and media-cultural practices. Students acquire the competence to think and act in an interdisciplinary way in complex historical, social, ecological, economic and political dimensions and also learn to work with different media and artistic forms of expression.

Personal skills: Students acquire communication and media skills in academic and professional practice. They practise the implementation of learned academic content and methods in a professional environment and acquire presentation skills.

Social skills: Students learn to deepen independence and responsibility as social skills through interdisciplinary thinking and design in a media-reflective and artistic practice. Students consolidate a holistic education and critical thinking as well as practical media, art and cultural skills.

The course is institutionally anchored at the University of Kassel at the Institute for German Studies and interdisciplinary at FB 02 and enables students to gain an aesthetic-practical insight into artistic subjects at the art academy in addition to the academic-scientific research perspective. Through the connection to the documenta Institute and TRACES (Transdisciplinary Research Center for Exhibition Studies), the focus on contemporary art and exhibition research is institutionally anchored. Focal points on literature, media and cultural studies or film studies are formed by the teaching and research profile of the Institute of German Studies. In addition, the Master's degree course is designed to be interdisciplinary and interdepartmental and enables students with different subject backgrounds to access the teaching and research focuses.

Included are artistic study components as well as optional internships of several weeks in the literary, artistic and cultural sector. Due to its institutional embedding in Kassel (documenta Institute, documenta and Museum Fridericianum, Staatstheater Kassel, Literaturhaus Nordhessen, Caricatura, Kasseler DokFest, Randfilmfest and others) and the integration of a research and practical focus, the course is unique in the German-speaking world.

Due to the interdisciplinary orientation of the Master's course in the interdisciplinary tradition of the former Reform University of Kassel, the course is characterized by a holistic view of education as well as by interdisciplinarity and a close interweaving of science and practice.

The specific orientation of the degree program opens up access to relevant professional fields of literature, media, art and cultural mediation as well as to the job market in the literature, media, art and creative industries. In this rapidly developing field, many areas of work are still emerging and employment opportunities are only just beginning to differentiate themselves. In addition, graduates have access to fields of work in literature, media and cultural studies. The following professional fields can be identified:

Research: The research orientation of the degree program suggests a continuation of studies in relevant literary, cultural and media studies as well as inter- or transdisciplinary fields (cf. graduate programs) as well as a professional perspective in research at universities and research institutes, especially with an interdisciplinary profile. The great importance of interdisciplinary components in the courses on offer introduces students to the plurality of subject-specific methodological procedures and theory-related approaches and work with media at an early stage. This not only strengthens the critical examination of plural (Western/non-Western) knowledge cultures, but also reveals the conditions and requirements of interdisciplinary cooperation.

Cultural and art mediation: The well-founded skills make graduates attractive for various interdisciplinary professional fields in literature, media, culture and art mediation with their respective institutional structures from an international perspective. In particular, the optional semesters abroad enable graduates to work in European and non-European contexts.

Education and public relations: The basic education paired with a broad inter- and transdisciplinary competence in the fields of literature, media, culture and art also provides a solid basis for activities in (non-)institutional education and further education areas (such as literary houses, publishing houses, museums, biennials and festivals, NGOs, cultural foundations and international government organizations). The degree program also prepares students very well for advisory activities in related professional fields (e.g. society, economics and politics), provided that graduates have a high level of analytical skills.

The degree program offers either

• an internship semester in the literature/art/culture sector of your choice or
• a semester abroad in Bogotá, Venice or Zurich.

Practical semester: There are numerous options for gaining an insight into cultural practice in the city of Kassel alone - examples include the Literaturhaus Kassel, Caricatura, Kassel Arthouse Cinemas, Kassel DokFest, Randfilmfestival, documenta, Kassel Heritage, Museum Fridericianum and the Kasseler Kunstverein).

Semester abroad: Students can also choose between three semesters abroad: In the form of cooperation through an Erasmus exchange agreement with the interdisciplinary Master's degree program "Cultural Analysis" (University of Zurich), which has a focus on theoretical and interdisciplinary examination of cultural concepts, knowledge and action in cultural contexts, the focus on cultural theory/theory formation is reinforced. The focus on exhibition research and practice (Venice Biennale, documenta) is excellently embedded through an Erasmus mobility agreement with the Ca' Foscari University of Venice. A cooperation agreement with the Universidad del Rosario also supports student exchanges in the field of cultural and creative industries.

Master's students can individually choose research topics - especially as part of their final theses - in consultation with the examiners according to the respective teaching/research areas (e.g. contemporary literature, media/cultural studies, film/narratology, censorship) in order to deepen their studies. Research topics can also be chosen following university events - such as the annual Kassel Grimm Poetry Professorship, the documenta exhibitions held every five years or academic theories and methods.