The MA in Foreign Languages and Literatures requires students to take both written and oral comprehensive exams in the major field, there is no exam in the minor field.

The examination for the Master's degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures is offered in November and April of each academic year. It emphasizes not only the content (plot, setting, characters, etc.) of each work but also its implicit values and its aesthetic and philosophical underpinnings. An understanding of the contribution of each work to its own period is essential.  Students should also be able to discuss the development of certain themes (e.g. freedom and repression, love and honor) through the ages, and should have a grasp of both major German literary movements and the cultural and historical context in which they arose.

Students are encouraged to use all or part of the list of 15 additional works of their choice to focus on a particular topic, period, or genre.  You may, for example, choose to explore literature of the Weimar Republic, Exilliteratur, a multicultural topic, films of the Third Reich, the portrayal of women in 18th-century drama, postmodern novels, Literaturverfilmungen, the Kunstmärchen, horror narratives, post-WW II lyric, or the Bildungsroman. This list of suggestions is by no means exhaustive and the choice is entirely up to you.  Please indicate your topic when you submit your reading list.
 

Hartmann von Aue	Der arme Heinrich
Wolfram	Parzival (excerpts)
--	Das Nibelungenlied
	Deutscher Minnesang: representative selection, e.g.:  H. von Morungen H. von Aue Reinmar der Alte W. von der Vogelweide
Gryphius	Poetry: representative selection
Grimmelshausen	Simplicissimus (excerpts)
Lessing	Briefe, die neueste Literatur betreffend, No. 17. Two of the following plays: Minna von Barnhelm Emilia Galotti Nathan der Weise
Lenz	Der Hofmeister or Die Soldaten
Goethe	Faust I Iphigenie or Torquato Tasso Die Leiden des jungen Werthers Novelle Poetry: representative selection
Schiller	Kabale und Liebe Maria Stuart or Don Carlos Poetry: representative selection
Kleist	One of the following plays: Die Familie Schroffenstein Der zerbrochne Krug Amphitryon Penthesilea Das Käthchen von Heilbronn Die Hermannsschlacht Prinz Friedrich von Homburg One of the following narratives: Michael Kohlhaas Das Erdbeben in Chili Die Verlobung in St. Domingo Der Findling Die heilige Cäcilie Der Zweikampf
Hölderlin	Poetry: representative selection
Tieck	Der blonde Eckbert
Brentano, Clemens	Poetry: representative selection
Hoffmann	One of the following narratives:  Der goldene Topf Die Bergwerke zu Falun Der Sandmann Das Fräulein von Scuderi
Novalis	Poetry: representative selection
Eichendorff	One of the following narratives: Aus dem Leben eines Taugenichts Das Marmorbild Poetry: representative selection
Heine	Die Harzreise or Deutschland, ein Wintermärchen Poetry: representative selection
Büchner	Lenz Dantons Tod or Woyzeck
Mörike	Poetry: representative selection
Droste-Hülshoff	Die Judenbuche Poetry: representative selection
Hebbel	One of the following plays: Maria Magdalena Judith
Keller	One of the following narratives: Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe Kleider machen Leute
Storm	One of the following narratives: Der Schimmelreiter Immensee  Aquis submersus Poetry: representative selection
Hauptmann	Bahnwärter Thiel Vor Sonnenaufgang or Die Weber
Fontane	One of the following narratives: Effi Briest Frau Jenny Treibel Schach von Wuthenow
Stifter	One of the following narratives: Bergkristall Granit Brigitte
Hofmannsthal	Poetry: representative selection One of the following narratives: Reitergeschichte Das Erlebnis des Marschalls von Bassompierre Das Märchen der 672. Nacht
Schnitzler	One of the following plays: Liebelei Reigen Professor Bernhardi One of the following narratives: Leutnant Gustl  Traumnovelle Fräulein Else
Wedekind	Frühlings Erwachen
Musil	Verwirrungen des Zöglings Törleß
Rilke	Poetry: representative selection
George	Poetry: representative selection
Hesse	Demian or Steppenwolf
Expressionist Poetry	Please pick two of the authors listed below and include at least three poems from each author: Heym Trakl Benn Lasker-Schüler
Mann, Thomas	Two of the following narratives: Buddenbrooks Tonio Kröger Der Tod in Venedig Die Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull Doktor Faustus Der Zauberberg
Kafka	Two of the following narratives:  Die Verwandlung Das Urteil Der Prozeß In der Strafkolonie
Brecht	Poetry: representative selection One of the following plays: Die Dreigroschenoper Baal Galileo Galilei Der gute Mensch von Sezuan Der kaukasische Kreidekreis Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder
Keun	One narrative
Horvath	One of the following: Geschichten aus dem Wiener Wald Jugend ohne Gott Italienische Nacht Kasimir und Karoline
Seghers	Der Ausflug der toten Mädchen
Borchert	Draußen vor der Tür
Grass	Katz und Maus or Die Blechtrommel
Böll	One of the following narratives: Ansichten eines Clowns Billard um halbzehn Gruppenbild mit Dame Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum
Frisch	One of the following narratives: Homo faber Stiller Montauk Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän One of the following plays: Andorra Biedermann und die Brandstifter Die chinesische Mauer
Celan	Poetry: representative selection
Handke	One of the following texts: Wunschloses Unglück Der kurze Brief zum langen Abschied Die Angst des Tormanns beim Elfmeter Der Himmel über Berlin (screenplay)
Bachmann	Poetry: representative selection One story from Simultan or Das dreißigste Jahr
Frischmuth	Die Klosterschule
Wolf, Christa	One of the following: Nachdenken über Christa T. Kassandra Kein Ort. Nirgends
Maron	Flugasche
Kirsch	Poetry: representative selection
Bernhard	One of the following: Das Kalkwerk Der Untergeher

plus 15 additional works of your own choice.

More recent literature

Please choose five works from the list below:

Braun, Volker	Unvollendete Geschichte
Hein, Christoph	One narrative
Timm, Uwe	One narrative
Özdamar, Emine Sevgi	One narrative
Schlink, Bernhard	Der Vorleser
Streeruwitz, Marlene	One play
Schulze, Ingo	One story from Simple Stories  recommended: Neues Geld or Fische
Honigmann, Barbara	One narrative
W.G. Sebald	One narrative