Exchange and Visiting Students
We look forward to welcoming international guests to the Institute of Theatre and Media Studies (ITM) at FAU!
Whether you come as an Erasmus+ exchange student from one of our partner universities or organise your stay individually, you will find an interesting, challenging study programme and supportive teaching staff as well as students at our Institute. We offer a unique combination of Theatre and Media Studies as well as theatre and media practice. The Institute provides the opportunity for individual career preparation for those who want to work in theatre, film, television, radio, digital media, press, photography and other cultural institutions in creative or conceptual ways.
The Institute of Theatre and Media Studies offers the Bachelor’s programme Theatre and Media Studies (Theater- und Medienwissenschaft) as well as two Master’s programmes Media Studies (Medienwissenschaft) and Theatre – Research – Transfer (Theater – Forschung – Vermittlung). Our courses deal with many different arts and media: from theatre, dance and performance art to film, television, photography, video games and digital media to performances in culture, politics and everyday life. Teaching and research foster a better understanding of interdependencies between performative and media practices in their historical and cultural contexts.
The Institute primarily focuses on academic education rather than on artistic and practical training that is often typical at art colleges or media academies. However, theoretical knowledge is always related to practical work. Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes combine academic and practical expertise in a productive way and may involve cooperation with cultural institutions and festivals.We provide high-quality technical infrastructure, including a professionally equipped theatre (Experimentiertheater), audio and video studios, editing equipment and a Games Lab for this purpose. Students can also experience working in and with different cultural organisations through our longstanding cooperation with several local institutions such as Staatstheater Nürnberg or the international festivals in Erlangen (Internationales Figurentheaterfestival, Internationaler Comic Salon, Poetenfest).
Furthermore, we encourage and support artistic and creative projects initiated by the students of the Institute, such as the annual performance festival ARENA… of the young arts, campus media funklust, the short film platform [ki’ta:so],and the online magazine re>flex.
At FAU, the academic year is divided into the winter and summer semester. Courses are held from mid-October to mid-February in the winter semester and from mid-April to mid-July in the summer semester. Exchange students who wish to study at the Institute for Theatre and Media Studies may either stay for a whole academic year or one semester.
For information on cultural life and leisure activities, please visit the FAU website about the Erlangen-Nuremberg region.
In our Bachelor’s programme Theatre and Media Studies (Theater- und Medienwissenschaft), the fields of performing arts and visual media are studied together. Courses focus on the histories, theories and analyses of the performing arts, theatre, and (audio-)visual media such as film, TV, video games or photography.We are convinced that a combination of theory and practice is highly productive and helps students to think creatively. Therefore, our undergraduate education integrates the academic study of the performing arts and media with practical work in performance and audio-visual media.
After their Bachelor’s degree, students have the possibility to specialise in one of the two Master’s programmes: The MA programme Media Studies (Medienwissenschaft) is research-oriented and provides in-depth methodological, theoretical and analytical knowledge on (audio-)visual media. The programme focuses on visuality and visual media from a comparative perspective which especially considers how media converge, interrelate and differ in current and historical times. From painting to Internet images, the courses address a wide range of visual phenomena and examine their cultural, social and aesthetic dimensions.
The MA programme Theatre – Research – Transfer (Theater – Forschung – Vermittlung) offers both an academically sound and practice-oriented qualification for those who are interested in the intersection of Theatre Studies, artistic practices as well as curatorial and educational strategies in cultural institutions. As a future generation of theoretically experienced practitioners, students will work in responsible, creative positions in the field of artistic practice, in the areas of dramaturgy, theatre pedagogy, curating, public relations and cultural management.
After completing a Master’s degree, students have the opportunity to pursue independent research in our doctoral degree programme (focusing on Theatre Studies or Media Studies) and will be supervised by our experienced faculty members.
Exchange students are free to create a study plan that meets their educational interests and goals. Depending on their level of study, students may choose from all of our courses in either the Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programmes. Furthermore, exchange students of the Institute for Theatre and Media Studies can access most courses at the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology. To decide on a study plan and register for courses, contact our Erasmus coordinator Olga Moskatova.
Please be aware that our course programme changes every semester. For information on courses offered during a given semester, please visit the course catalogue (UnivIS). All courses are listed by degree programme and level of study.
Exchange students need to submit an application form to the Central Office of International Affairs. The application deadlines are 15 May for the following winter semester and 15 November for the following summer semester.
For further information on application, please visit the FAU website for international applicants and the Faculty’s website for incoming students.
Language requirements and learning opportunities
Unless stated otherwise, all courses, seminars and lectures at the Institute for Theatre and Media Studies are taught in German. However, course assignments and term papers will be accepted in English as well. For admission, exchange students need to prove that they have completed the independent level of German (B1) in the Common European Frameworkof Reference (CEFR). For various English courses in other disciplines, please consult the website of the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology.
The University offers many opportunities to improve language skills during your stay in Erlangen. During the semester, the FAU Language Centre (Sprachenzentrum) provides a wide range of language courses in German and many other languages. A list of the courses on offer can be found on the FAU Language Centre website. Furthermore, the Central Office of International Affairs organises an Intensive German Language Course before the beginning of each semester.
If you have any questions concerning studying at the Institute for Theatre and Media Studies, please contact our Erasmus coordinator:
- PD Dr. Florian Mundhenke
email: florian.mundhenke[at]fau.de
For further information on application, admissions, enrollment or accommodation, please visit the FAU website for international applicants.