Testimonials

“The BAPS program's option of studying literary and cultural studies alongside book studies allowed me to engage with my curiosity about material culture in conjunction with my already established interest in literature. This combination prepared me well for the doctoral research I am undertaking now. To any current and future BAPS students I would highly recommend making use of the English Department or the university's study abroad programs. My term at the University of Oxford was an invaluable experience and the English Department staff was very supportive in helping me integrate it smoothly with the rest of the degree program. One of my favorite things about studying the BAPS program was the number of wonderful people I was lucky enough to meet through it. The program attracts enthusiastic and interesting people, which is a joy both academically and personally.”

“What I liked most about the BAPS programme is that you could choose you own study focus at an early point and take classes freely according to your own interests. Combined with the interdisciplinary approach of the course, this guarantees flexibility and a unique tailor-made programme. On top of that, I really enjoyed the opportunity to study abroad in India. Especially since I could combine this experience with my master’s thesis. My topic was “Language Attitudes towards Englishes in India: Between Linguistic Insecurity and Emancipation” and I could collect my data while staying on campus in Hyderabad. Overall, I can highly recommend the BAPS programme since I got to meet many nice people from different backgrounds, took interesting classes and studied in a beautiful city.”

“During my postgraduate studies in Münster I have experienced the Master of Arts in British, American and Postcolonial Studies as unique in its broad spectrum and the freedom it affords students to develop their own research interests within the diverse contexts that the program’s name evokes. Based on an interdisciplinary curriculum, students can choose from a wide range of classes in Anglophone literary and cultural studies, linguistics as well as neighboring fields such as sociology, politics and history. I greatly enjoyed such diversity and the transfer of knowledge and skills that such a commitment to interdisciplinarity facilitates. At the same time, the curriculum always remains anchored in research and postgraduate classes, in which students are explicitly encouraged to discuss their work in progress. For my course of study such versatility allowed me not only to pursue thematic studies in Indigenous literatures with a stay abroad on unceded Stó:lo territory in Canada, but also to complete a dual degree in combination with the Master of Education. Throughout my study period I had the great privilege and pleasure to learn from brilliant, kind and passionate teachers and fellow students who created a vibrant study and support community of tremendous value. I dearly appreciate the time spent in the BAPS program and recommend it wholeheartedly.”

"After graduating with a BA in book studies (Buchwissenschaft), I was looking for a MA programme where I could continue with my interests while also expanding my horizons through other disciplines. I found this in the BAPS programme. The anglophone focus added a new direction to my studies and allowed me to see "my" discipline from other angles. Although I did stick to book studies, my gained knowledge of literary studies and linguistics has since come in useful in my current job in publishing. Apart from the academic aspects, the programme introduced me to wonderful people from all around the world. Getting to know them was one of my favourite parts of studying in Münster."

Dual Master’s Degree Q&A

Some students choose to enroll in two master's degree courses. The BAPS Team encourages and supports enrollment in the M.Ed. and MA BAPS, as these are usually found to be quite compatible. Below are answers to common questions regarding this study option. Note that the M.Ed. is a program taught partly in German with very specific requirements; usually you will need a dual-subject B.A. (Zweifach-Bachelor) from a German university to be eligible to apply for the M.Ed. More details can be found on the pages of the Center for Teacher Training, the Zentrum für Lehrerbildung. Note that these pages are in German only.

To learn more about the dual degree, please see the Studying FAQ

• Aline

  Q: Why did you decide to pursue a dual degree in Master of Arts: British, American and Postcolonial Studies and Master of Education?
  
  A: There were many factors at play, but I think I can narrow it down to two main ones: Firstly, I craved more input than the Master of Education alone could have offered me—both in terms of academia as well as in terms of people that have like-minded aspirations beyond teaching. Even if I had wanted to primarily pursue a teaching degree, I felt as if there was still much more I wanted to learn before entering a career (teaching or otherwise). Secondly, of course, combining the two master’s degrees sparked my interest in all the other potential career paths I could explore.

  Q:. Have you found the two programs to be compatible with each other and what ways, if any, have you found to cut down your overall workload?
  
  A: I do think that the two programs are compatible, however, when it comes to reducing your workload, it largely depends on your own intentions and priorities. For me, some of the modules that I could have gotten credit for in both programs were the ones I wanted to engage with anyways. For instance, instead of combining the Praxissemester with the Praxissmodul in BAPS, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunities that I was offered through BAPS and see what else is out there.

  Q: What, in your opinion, are the biggest benefits of doing the dual degree?
  
  A: Let me ask: Are there any disadvantages? In my view, there is nothing to lose (except for maybe a bit of free time). With a dual master’s degree in hand, you might become an extremely well-red English teacher, or you might find yourself in another profession with an additional background in teaching which everyone involved might benefit from.
  However, the greatest advantage is, in my opinion, that doing a dual degree gives you the right amount of safety you need to embark on a (perhaps less secure) journey of alternative career options.

  Q: What are your current career plans for after your studies?
  
  A: This is difficult to answer. I could imagine myself working in publishing, cultural institutions, research, or something else entirely.

  Q: To whom would you recommend the dual degree?
  
  A: To anyone who considers applying: If you found yourself wondering whether the teaching degree is “sufficient enough” for you, go for it! What is the worst thing that could happen?

• Michael

  Q: Why did you decide to pursue a dual degree in Master of Arts: British, Amerian and Postcolonial Studies and Master of Education?

  A: When I finished my bachelor’s degree, I decided to work in the UK for two years in order to practise the use of English in an entirely new context. When I returned to Germany, I felt a new desire alongside my initial plan of becoming a teacher: The wish to continue learning about current affairs in the Anglophone sphere outside of Germany to be able to present my future students with a more informed look at international affairs. Thankfully, the active promotion of the BAPS degree at the University of Münster made me realise that the preparation for this route had already been established for quite some time. This is why I applied for the BAPS degree and was fortunate enough to be accepted into the programme.

  Q: What, in your opinion, are the biggest benefits of doing the dual degree?

  A: In my opinion, being able to stay informed about the most current affairs in Anglophone Studies and Transnational Matters is one of the key factors for following this pathway. Also, the dual degree made me realise just how many career options exist apart from becoming a teacher after finishing the study programme. I felt that doing a dual degree gave me a better estimation of the available options within and after my university career.

  Q: What are your current career plans for after your studies?

  A: At this point, I am most likely to continue pursuing the teaching career after my studies. Nevertheless, I would still be more than interested in trying out “something else” from the array of different perspectives that the BAPS studies provided me with.

  Q: To whom would you recommend the dual degree?

  A: From my own experience, I would say that prospective BAPS dual degree students will have to have profound organisational skills in order to combine their degrees efficiently in order to stay close to the standard period of study. This will guarantee that their pursuit of the dual degree option will provide them most effectively with the required skills for their future career development and ultimately identifying the specific and individual career plans they have in mind.

• Dominik

  Q: Why did you decide to pursue a dual degree in Master of Arts: British, Amerian and Postcolonial Studies and Master of Education?
  
  A: After I had finished about half of my MEd programme, I decided to also enroll into BAPS. There were a couple of reasons for this. For one, I was quite disappointed that the MEd programme offered only a few courses with very little ability to choose and specialize in those areas, which I had focussed on in my Bachelor's degree. With the MA BAPS, there is much greater freedom to choose and modify your research focus and be first-in-line for the seminars that you actually WANT to do. Furthermore, my thought was to utilize the MA BAPS to explore my interest in a potential career in an academic context, while having the "fall-back option" of a teaching education, which I also like the thought of.

  Q: Have you found the two programs to be compatible with each other and what, if any, ways have you found  to cut down your overall workload?

  A: It is possible to accredit the teaching experience module of the MEd "Praxissemester" for the "Work Experience" module of the MA BAPS. Furthermore, some education science (Bildungswissenschaften) courses or those of your secondary MEd-subject might be applicable to the "External Module". While the increased workload of a dual-degree is definitely noticeable, those are great ways to manage it. Additionally, it makes for a great excuse to take a little more time completing your degree.

  Q: What, in your opinion, are the biggest benefits of doing the dual degree?

  A: If your interest has been peaked by the small insight into academic work during the BA, the dual-degree allows you to deepen that interest and explore another career option, while also pursuing that teaching education, which might have gotten you into studying English in the first place.

  Q: What are your current career plans for after your studies?

  A: If there is an opportunity to work in the context of literary studies/academia, possibly in the context of a dissertation, I would like to do that and see what happens from there. If I do not have what it takes, or the right opportunity doesn't come about, I am planning to become a teacher.