"My decision to live and work in the UK was determined by my studies at the Centre for British Studies."
Peter Skrandies (Germany), class 2000-2002, now Graduate Teaching Assistant at Manchester University, UK

"This program is a unique opportunity for young people to learn on the spot about two highly developed countries – Britain and Germany, and I am especially happy to have grasped this wonderful opportunity."
Liliya Gelemerova (Bulgaria), class 2001-2003, now PhD student at Tilburg University, the Netherlands

“I feel my time at the GBZ has served me well. I am extremely grateful to the GBZ for my placement at the BBC World Service; I believe I owe much of my subsequent employment to the experience I gained through interning and working at such a well-respected establishment.”
Emily Ford (USA), class 2000-2002, now associate producer at NYC TV, USA

Course Description

The Centre offers a postgraduate degree course in British Studies.The aims and objectives of the course are:

• to enable students to add competence in British Studies to qualifications acquired during their first degree course
• to prepare students for positions in firms and institutions which deal with the United Kingdom or other English-speaking nations
• to promote cross-cultural understanding, communication, and mobility
• to teach students interdisciplinary methods and approaches, enabling them to think and work contextually
• to provide students with an understanding of the characteristic features and the transformations of British identities and institutions in a European perspective.

Course structure

The postgraduate degree course in British Studies is an interdisciplinary teaching programme. The course lasts 1½ years for students whose first degree course is equivalent to at least 210 ECTS credits (3½ years of full time study), and 2 years for students whose first degree course is equivalent to less than 210 but at least 180 ECTS credits (3 years of full time study). It consists of a two semesters' Certificate Phase followed by a Master Phase. The Master Phase comprises one semester on the 1½ year programme and two semesters on the 2 year programme. Having successfully completed the Certificate Phase, students receive a "British Studies" certificate. After successful completion of the entire course, students are awarded the degree "Master in British Studies" (M.B.S.).

The Certificate Phase comprises about 30 weeks of teaching, divided into two phases of about equal length. The first phase ('Core Programme') consists of a series of lectures and seminars which are compulsory for all students. In the second phase ('Options Programme') students can choose one out of two options (see below). 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 Phase students will spend time with a firm or institution, usually in Britain (Internships). Internship and Master Thesis last three months each on the 1½ year programme, and six months each on the 2 year programme.

Core Programme

The Core Programme consists of teaching units (lectures, seminars, theme-oriented project works etc.) covering the following topics:

• Information management.
• The history of the United Kingdom.
• The UK's legal systems and their development.
• The history of literature, culture, and the arts in the UK.
• The history of ideas and mentalities in the UK.
• The UK's economic and social history since the Industrial Revolution.
• The UK's present social stratification.
• The development of Britain's political system.
• Cultural Studies - theories and methods.

Options Programme

The Options Programme allows students to specialise by choosing one out of the following two options:

The option "Economy, Law and Politics" comprises teaching units covering the following topics:

• Britain's economic and financial system and economic culture.
• Selected subjects of Britain's legal systems.
• The contemporary political system and culture of the UK.

The option "Culture, Media and Cultural Management" comprises teaching units covering the following topics:

• British elite culture and popular culture.
• British media past and present.
• Culture as a market and its promotion.

Career prospects

As part of our alumni activities, the Centre keeps track of our former students' professional careers. A summary of findings is available in our Annual Reports and here.

Grants

Applicants requiring financial support are strongly recommended to apply for a grant or scholarship well in advance. The deadlines for scholarship applications may be as early as in October the year before you plan to take up your studies at the Centre for British Studies!

Sponsorship suggestions for prospective students:

• DAAD
• Alfred Toepfer Stiftung
• Elfi

During the last years, many M.B.S. students received financial support from the Leonardo da Vinci programme of the European Union for time spent in Britain. Students who have been admitted to the course will receive more information closer to the date.

Placements

We are also grateful to the numerous and prestigious British organisations supporting us by providing internships for our students. These include, amongst many others: the House of Commons, the National Museum of Scotland, Poverty Alliance, the Roald Dahl Museum, the National Trust, Pearson Plc, Christie's, and the German-British Chamber of Commerce.

For more information on M.B.S. internships and a complete list of internships during the last years please click here.

Accreditation

The M.B.S. programme is accredited by AQAS (Agentur für Qualitätssicherung durch Akkreditierung von Studiengängen e.V.): "[...] the Centre for British Studies of the Humboldt University Berlin represents a nearly unrivalled offer, both within Germany and on an international scale". Further excerpts of the evaluation report can be viewed here.