Graduate School Language & Literature Munich Graduate School Language & Literature Munich

Degree

Dr phil

Teaching language

• German
• English

Languages

Courses are held in German (75%) and English (25%). Participants can choose to write their PhD thesis in either language.

Programme duration

6 semesters

Beginning

Winter and summer semester

Application deadline

Varies, please check our website.

Tuition fees per semester in EUR

None

Combined Master’s degree / PhD programme

No

Joint degree / double degree programme

No

Description/content

The Graduate School Language & Literature Munich was founded in 2013 with the goal of enhancing academic conditions for doctoral candidates in linguistics, literature, language education, and cultural studies/cultural history at the Faculty of Languages and Literatures of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
The Graduate School consists of four classes:

• Class of Language
• Class of Literature
• Class of Language Education
• Class of Culture and History

The graduate school offers outstanding young researchers an excellent environment for the advancement of their careers. It offers access to a network of internationally renowned scholars, support for young scholars, and access to local, national, and international resources. Moreover, the programme is embedded in LMU’s outstanding institutional and research-driven infrastructure.

The Class of Language’s programme focuses on linguistic theory, language use, and the interrelation thereof. Doctoral dissertations comprise studies from a general linguistic viewpoint, comparative approaches, and the investigation of a specific language (synchronic or historic).

The Class of Literature aims at establishing literary studies as a fundamental discipline in cultural research and in the realm of media research. It is supported by all faculties involved in literary studies. It provides a framework for study in which literature is approached from a wide variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives.

The Class of Language Education investigates the processes and results of teaching and learning language, literature, and culture in first, second, and foreign languages, both in school and outside school contexts. Dissertation projects can deal with historical, theoretical, or empirical questions in language, literature, or media didactics, as well as classroom research.

The Class of Culture and History offers doctoral students the opportunity to study major issues in the history, culture, media, politics, and society of the United States, Canada, and the Americas, including the Caribbean. The programme aims to frame the Americas beyond their colonial and nation-state boundaries by situating them as a region of global interdependencies.

Additional support is offered by the GraduateCenter.

Course organisation

The programme covers six semesters, and the courses are taught in collaboration with faculty members. The majority of the qualifications necessary for attaining the degree can be acquired in courses specifically designed to suit the students’ needs. That is, the customary distinction between major and minor subjects is abandoned. We thus hope to raise the standard of theoretical discussions and encourage the candidates’ willingness to take part in interdisciplinary work. Instead of a final examination encompassing the major and minor subjects, the candidates are required to defend their dissertations by proving their abilities in academic innovation and interdisciplinary communication.
Core curriculum:

• interdisciplinary colloquia in which candidates will report at length on the progress of their project and discuss their colleagues’ projects
• interdisciplinary seminars that test contemporary methodological developments and new approaches in research by practical application
• symposia, workshops and en-bloc-seminars that allow for discussion of problems arising as well as giving room for summary of past accomplishments and planning of further research

International elements

• International guest lecturers
• Specialist literature in other languages
• Training in intercultural skills
• Projects with partners in Germany and abroad

Course-specific, integrated German language courses

No

Course-specific, integrated English language courses

No

Tuition fees per semester in EUR

None

Semester contribution

147 EUR per semester

Costs of living

Living costs (including accommodation and health insurance) in Munich range from 800 to 1,000 EUR per month.

Funding opportunities within the university

Yes

Description of the above-mentioned funding opportunities within the university

PhD positions are available from time to time.

LMU Travel Grant, LMU Completion Grant

Academic admission requirements

An excellent degree (Master of Arts (with thesis), Magister Artium, Diplom, Staatsexamen, Maîtrise, Laurea, etc.) in one of the subjects associated with the relevant doctoral programme

Language requirements

Sufficient knowledge of at least two, preferably three European languages, German being one of them

Application deadline

Varies, please check our website.

Submit application to

Online application, more details on our website

Accommodation

The International Office helps visiting academics, PhD students, and postdocs who are travelling to Munich for a set period of time to find accommodation.

For further information, please visit the following link:

https://www.lmu.de/en/study/important-contacts/international-office/index.html

Rooms in shared flats are popular on the private market and reasonably priced at 400-600 EUR per month if located in central parts of Munich.

https://www.lmu.de/en/about-lmu/working-at-lmu/additional-services/lmu-gateway/new-international-doctoral-candidates/phase-1-preparing-your-move-to-munich/index.html

Structured research and supervision

Yes

Research training / discussion

Yes

Specific specialist or non-specialist support for international students and doctoral candidates

• Buddy programme

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Please visit: https://www.en.uni-muenchen.de/about_lmu/index.html

University location

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich) is recognised as one of the top-ranked universities in Europe. Research and teaching at the university’s 18 faculties are committed to the highest international standards of excellence. Students can choose from over 200 degree programmes ranging from the humanities and social sciences to economics and law as well as medicine and natural sciences. A growing number of Master’s and doctoral programmes are taught in English.

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München forms part of a unique network of research institutions, foundations, and corporations in and around the city. Its campuses and a lively international student community constitute an integral part of the urban landscape. Home to approximately 1.5 million people, Munich is not only an important hub for higher education, research, technology, and the media. With its renowned museums, galleries, theatres, and festivals, the capital of Bavaria also ranks among the major European cultural centres. Its proximity to the surrounding lakes and the Bavarian Alps adds to Munich’s inimitable appeal.