English Language and Literature

Abstract

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  Profile of the study programme

  What are we like?
  Did you know that English is the largest language department in the multilingual world of the University of Fribourg? Our five professors have pursued international careers taking them to different parts of the world. They are deeply committed to their teaching and research. Doctoral and post-doctoral assistants support the teaching programme while continuing to pursue their own research.

  What do we do?
  We offer a solid, comprehensive curriculum ranging across all major fields of Anglophone literature in England and the United States, English linguistics, and the historical forms of the English language from Beowulf, through Chaucer and Shakespeare to the English we speak and write today. Interdisciplinary work is key to our identity at Fribourg. Our professors publish their research in peer-reviewed journals and with internationally renowned presses such as Oxford University Press, Manchester University Press, Elsevier and the University Press of Virginia. They are involved in prestigious international research projects in England, in Germany, in the United States, and in Australia.
  In addition, they contribute to and organise regularly national and international conferences as well as to events offered by the Institute of Comparative Literature (Institut de littérature générale et comparée/Institut für Allgemeine und Vergleichende Literaturwissenschaft), which was founded by a member of the Department of English.

  What can you do here?
  Our students come from Switzerland and abroad, and English is our exclusive language of communication in the hallways as well as in the classroom. Studying with us gives you the opportunity to learn about medieval women, act in plays, do linguistic field work in sociolinguistics, study English literature and its relations to other media and/or technology, discover the rich intellectual world of the English and European Renaissance, and investigate the American Western or meet contemporary American poets. You will meet scholars of international acclaim who are regularly invited to give talks at our University. We have exchange partnerships with universities in Nebraska, Mississippi, Arizona, and Southampton, in particular for first- and second-year BA students. Our students have won literary prizes and published their manuscripts. They have enjoyed intensive weeks of theatre-going in London, and performed in Renaissance plays and shot films in Oxford Colleges. Others have won travel awards to academic conferences from Albuquerque to Puerto Rico. Students in Linguistics embark on real-world empirical studies involving online questionnaires and experiments. They may also participate in the workshops organised by the nationally recognised Research Centre on Multilingualism (Centre scientifique de compétence sur le plurilinguisme/Wissenschaftliches Kompetenzzentrum für Mehrsprachigkeit). Students in Literature are invited to cross-enroll in classes offered by the Institute of Comparative Literature (Institut de littérature générale et comparée/Institut für Allgemeine und Vergleichende Literaturwissenschaft).

  How will you learn?
  Our MA study plan is intended to combine a broad-based education in the subdisciplines of English with the opportunity to specialise. In every case, you will work closely with the professor, as the average enrollment in our MA seminars is 10-15. Over the course of four semesters, you will probably sample all of our areas, but you have the option of studying one field in depth – English or American literature, Medieval literature, or Linguistics – and to write an original thesis in your chosen field as well. This kind of focus positions you well for the next step in your education or your professional life outside of the University. It also gives you leverage for entrance into Ph.D. programmes, both here and abroad. We have extensive and up-to-date library resources, both physical and electronic. You can participate in graduate workshops and explore your ideas in a setting of peers. We ensure that our doctoral students participate in doctoral workshops and summer schools.

  In the recent past, we have successfully experimented with intensive weekend seminars and lab sessions for some of our classes. In these seminars, students and professors meet in a congenial setting to investigate a subject in detail.

  Where will you go from here?
  Whether you began your studies here with us or joined us with a bachelor's degree from another university or a related field, you should use your two years at the master's level to immerse yourself in the diversity of your field and to satisfy your intellectual curiosity. You will discover opportunities to publish some of your work or to attend graduate student workshops and conferences. Some of our graduates go on to research and teaching in Universities. Many of our recent graduates have secured employment in the Swiss school system. When you complete your master's degree, you can choose from among French-speaking or German-speaking teacher education programmes right here in Fribourg. Other graduates work internationally, in journalism, communication, event management, as well as the world of publishing, or in non-profit or governmental organisations.

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Minor study programmes to be chosen