The Research Master's in Cultural Analysis prepares participants for entry into a related PhD programme. The programme itself is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study and analysis of contemporary culture. It seeks to enhance analytical skills and to train students to explore a field of study and an object of inquiry that is not necessarily deducible from or reducible to disciplinary traditions.
The Research Master's programme Cultural Analysis comprises 120 ECTS credits: 90 credits for core courses, tutorials and electives, and 30 credits for the Master's Thesis and Research Project.
-
Objects of Cultural AnalysisPeriod 1Period 212
-
Research MA Cultural Analysis Tutorial 1Period 36
-
Research MA Cultural Analysis Tutorial 2Period 66
-
Concepts for Cultural AnalysisPeriod 4Period 512
-
Free-choice electivesPeriod 1Period 2Period 4Period 524
-
Research Seminar Cultural AnalysisPeriod 1Period 212
-
Research MA Cultural Analysis Tutorial 3Period 36
-
Research Project Cultural AnalysisPeriod 4Period 512
-
Free-choice electivesPeriod 1Period 2Period 4Period 512
-
Research Master's Thesis Cultural AnalysisPeriod 4Period 5Period 618
Courses
The core courses and electives all take the form of seminars devoted to the detailed study of texts, cultural objects, theories and methodologies in the field of cultural analysis. Tutorials are small groups of up to five students who work together under specialist supervision. They provide an intellectually challenging and stimulating context in which students can narrow their focus. The core courses, electives and tutorials provide the training and preparation necessary for writing the Master's thesis (which can also serve as the basis for future research, such as for a PhD).
Research activities
Students are encouraged to participate in additional ongoing research activities, including international workshops and conferences organised through ASCA. Recent ASCA guest lecturers have included: Anselm Haverkamp, Diane Crane, Judith Butler, Cesare Casarino, Szusa Baross, Geoffrey Hartman, Murray Pratt and Sam Weber.
Thesis
The Master's thesis reports on research carried out under the supervision of an academic staff member involved in the programme. The subject of the thesis must be mutually agreed upon by the student and the academic adviser. Researching and writing the thesis takes at least six months.
Internships
For more information about available internships and the experiences of other student interns, please follow the link.

Cultural Analysis is an interdisciplinary programme dedicated to the academic study of contemporary culture from a broad Humanities perspective. It trains students in the theoretically-informed close-reading of a wide range of cultural objects, including film, music, literature, visual art and new media, but also cultural phenomena, such as populism, precarity and posthumanism.Dr Niall Martin
Credit transfer
Students who show exceptional promise during a regular or professional Master's programme are encouraged to continue their studies in a research programme. Once students are admitted to the research programme, they can transfer credits earned during their previous course of study towards their Research Master's degree. The Examinations Board determines which courses qualify for transfer.