Exams: FAQ
When can I take the final exams?
When you fulfil the requirements.
When do I fulfil the requirements?
Please check the Studienführer.
How do I register for exams?
Get the necessary forms from the website of the Prüfungsamt. Read them carefully. Fill them in. Get the necessary stamps and signatures. Hand them in at the Prüfungsamt. Please note that there are special times when you can register.
What if I want to do my oral exam in cultural studies?
Come to my office hours, bring the form, your calendar and ideas about possible topics for your exam.
How many topics do I have to prepare for my exams? And how many texts do I have to prepare?
B.A.: two topics (for an exam of 30 minutes, 15 minutes per topic). It is recommended that you choose topics which you have already dealt with in a seminar or a lecture course; the topics should not be too closely related to each other (e.g., doing British Sitcoms as one topic and the works of Monty Python as another topic is not possible).
M.A.: three topics (for an exam of 45 minutes, 15 minutes per topic). Again: it is recommended that you choose topics which you have already dealt with in a seminar or a lecture course; the topics should not be too closely related to each other.
M.Ed.: two topics (for an exam of 40 minutes, 20 minutes per topic). Topics should be from the seminars taken in the fachwissenschaftliches Modul. You can divide the topics between two examiners.
How many primary texts (dramas, novels, poems, TV series, movies) do I have to prepare?
This depends on the topic. If you want to do your exam on a historical or sociological topic (e.g., constitutional debates in Stuart England or multicultural Britain), you do not necessarily need primary texts or not that many. This is something that has to be discussed individually.
For topics specifically focusing on dramas, novels etc. as a rule of thumb:
B.A.: about five primary texts.
M.A./M.Ed.: about seven primary texts.
As not all primary texts have the same complexity and need the same amount of time for preparation, the exact number of texts has to be discussed individually
In German or in English?
Half of the exam has to be in English. But you can also do the entire exam in English. You can indicate your preferences on the handout for the exam (or right at the beginning of the exam).
Handout?
You should hand in (or better: send via e-mail) a list of your topics and texts at least one week before the exam. In addition to this, you can hand in theses for discussion (half a page maximum per topic), indicating what you would like to focus on in the exam. No whole sentences and watertight theses necessary
Will you stick to the theses?
More or less, yes. Please be aware that there is not much time, so we might not be able to talk about all of them. Usually, I will ask you to explain some of the theses and to elucidate them. Sometimes, I will try to refute them (not to annoy you or attack you, but to keep the scholarly discussion going).
What will the exam be like?
The ideal is a dialogue between examinee and examiner. Or like a game of questions and answers. If you would like to practice strategies for having a productive and not too stressful exam, attend an Examenskolloquium (not obligatory for M.Ed. students, but highly recommended).
What should I focus on in my preparation?
The texts in their contexts or the background of a cultural phenomenon. You do not have to know texts and too many dates by heart, but you have to be able to demonstrate that you know how to analyse and evaluate them; point out the typical features of texts and their cultural meanings. Explain the factors that lead to certain trends. Explain cultural developments. Secondary literature definitely helps you broaden your perspectives, but it is usually not part of the examination.
Don’t get overwhelmed by your material. Don’t listen to rumours – if you have any doubts about what is required in the exam, check with me. Don’t panic.