John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies

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Bachelor Program

If you have any questions concerning the Bachelor of Arts in North American Studies program, please contact the academic advisement office. In addition, the Info-Service of Freie Universität will assist students and applicants with the general application and matriculation procedure.

Prof. Dr. Harald Wenzel (Department of Sociology) is the coordinator for the BA program. For further information please contact the academic advisement office.

The Bachelor of Arts in North American Studies program admitted its first students for the Winter Term 2006/2007. The program follows the model of the "Kombi-Bachelor" (Combi(nation)-Bachelor) and carries a work load of 120 credit points (CP) in North American Studies (Kernfach), 30 CP in a chosen minor subject (Modulangebot) and 30 CP in the general vocational preparation (allgemeine Berufsvorbereitung)

Students enrolled in the program will spend the fifth semester at a partner university in the United States or Canada, without paying additional tuition and with the possibility of additional merit-based scholarships. Alternatively, students have the opportunity to pursue American Studies at universities participating in the European Erasmus exchange program.

Students from other bachelor programs at the Freie Universität have the opportunity to minor in North American Studies (30 CP).

"Kombi-Bachelor" in North American Studies

Students have to earn 120 CP in North American Studies (Kernfach).
The following modules are obligatory

Language Skills

• Oral and Writing Skills I (6 CP)
• Oral and Writing Skills II (6 CP)
• Mediating Skills and Advanced Writing Skills ( 8 CP)

Introductory Courses

• Introductory Module: Understanding North America A (10CP)
  (History, Political Science, Economics)
• Introductory Module: Understanding North America B (10 CP)
  (Literature, Culture, Sociology)

Disciplinary Specialization

• Basic Disciplinary Module, Discipline 1 (10 CP)
• Basic Disciplinary Module, Discipline 2 (10 CP)
• Basic Disciplinary Module, Discipline 3 (10 CP)

Advanced Disciplinary Specialization

• Advanced Disciplinary Module A (10 CP)
  Disciplinary Area of Focus 1 (Hauptschwerpunktdisziplin)
• Advanced Disciplinary Module B (10 CP)
  Disciplinary Area of Focus 1 (Hauptschwerpunktdisziplin)
• Advanced Disciplinary Module A or B (10 CP)
  Disciplinary Area of Focus 2
• Module Colloquium ( 5 CP)

Bachelor Thesis

• The Bachelor Thesis is written in the discipline chosen as a primary focus (Hauptschwerpunktdisziplin) (15 CP) and is defended in an oral exam of approximately 30 minutes.

The range of possible minors (30 CP) is dependent on the discipline chosen as a primary area of focus (Hauptschwerpunktdisziplin).

Model Study Plan

Minor in North American Studies (30 CP)

Students majoring in the areas listed in the left column may minor in North American Studies.

It is possible to change a minor within the first year of study. For procedure and guidelines please consult the study guidelines of the Freie Universität (Studienangelegenheiten).