- Degree
- Master of Arts in British Studies
- Course location
- Berlin
- Teaching language
- • English
- Languages
- The teaching language is English. Basic German is helpful for living here in Berlin.
- Full-time / part-time
- • full-time
- Programme duration
- 4 semesters
- Beginning
- Winter semester
- Additional information on beginning, duration and mode of study
- The programme starts every October and takes two years to complete.
- Application deadline
- Application period: 18 May until 14 June 2026
- Tuition fees per semester in EUR
- None
- Combined Master's degree / PhD programme
- No
- Joint degree / double degree programme
- No
- Description/content
- The MA British Studies is an interdisciplinary course of study offered at the Centre for British Studies (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, also known as HU), a unique academic institution in the heart of Berlin. The Centre was founded in 1995 after the fall of the Berlin Wall and German re-unification in recognition of the UK’s important role in Germany and Berlin after World War II and during the Cold War. Today, the Centre is a hub for public events on contemporary British issues, a place for research and collaboration with international partners, offering a unique postgraduate course of study to students from all over the world.
The MA British Studies postgraduate course of study is an interdisciplinary teaching programme over the course of two years. Having successfully completed the certificate phase during the first year, students receive a British Studies certificate. After successful completion of the entire programme, students will be awarded the degree MA British Studies.
The certificate phase comprises about 30 weeks of teaching stretching over two semesters. The first semester (core programme) consists of a series of compulsory lectures and seminars. In the second semester (options programme), students can choose three out of six options. Students have to attend an average of at least 20 hours of classes per week. These may include suitable classes taught in other departments.
During the Master's phase, students take part in advanced seminars, including interdisciplinary optional modules, which can be chosen from other Master's programmes. As part of their work placement, they spend three months with an English-speaking firm or institution. The last six months of the Master's phase are dedicated to writing a thesis.
The programme consists of teaching units (lectures, seminars, theme-oriented project work, etc.) covering the following topics:
• the UK's legal systems and their development
• literatures and cultures in the UK
• British history and society
• the UK's present social stratification
• the development of Britain's political system
• cultural studies — theories and methods