Master English Studies: Selection procedure
In order to enrol for the Masters Programme in English Studies at the LMU it is necessary to have successfully completed the selection procedure. The basic admission prerequisite is a grade of at least 2.5, or an international grade equivalent thereof, in a previous university degree (e.g. Bachelor) in English Studies.
You do not have to provide formal evidence of knowledge of German, but please be aware that you will need sound knowledge of German in order to find your way around our university and about town.
For the winter semester 2024/25 the application deadline is 1 July 2024.
The application deadline for summer semesters (only for applicants transferring from other universities who have already accrued credits that can be recognised for the Masters programme) is always 10 January. Please get in contact with Prof. Ruge by then (but better as early as possible) and provide relevant transcripts with previous credits that can be recognised for our MA English Studies. Regularly, i.e. without previous credits, it is only possible to begin our MA programme in the winter semester.
(NB: Most other course programmes offered in English Studies - Bachelor of Arts and most of our Lehramt programmes - have a different selection procedure, the so-called Eignungsfeststellungsverfahren or EFV.)
1. Procedure:
The selection procedure consists of two stages.
At the first stage, the initial prerequisite is the final grade of your first degree. Your first degree must be in a course in (or closely related to) English Studies (not, e.g., in "Translation"), and the grade must be 2.5 or better (or the equivalent thereof). We also need proof of your competence in English at level C 1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). (If you cannot provide a certificate, you will usually be admitted to a 30-minute written proficiency test (C-Test) in phase 2 of the procedure. In that case please get in contact with Prof. Ruge before submitting your application.) And you will need to submit an essay (critical review) in English (about 1,000 words) on one out of several topics which will be announced on our application platform (see below) during the application period (1 June until 1 July). Your essay will be evaluated by the selection commission. If a decision can be made at this stage already whether you can be accepted or not, the result will be communicated to you in writing.
If not, you will be informed that your application will enter stage 2 of the procedure.
If you did not provide a C 1 English language certificate in phase 1 (in which case you need to get in touch with Prof. Ruge before submitting your application!), you will usually first take a written proficiency test (C-Test). This will be held at the department on
Tuesday 23 July 2024 at 8:30 a.m.
Please come to the foyer, Schellingstraße 3 Vordergebäude at that time. Due to place capacities in our media lab there may be delays, so please make sure you have enough time. Here are two demo versions of the language test:
- this one demonstrates how the c-test works, based on a shorter passage;
- this one (PDF, 123 KB) has texts of the same length as in our 'real' test, i.e. four texts with 25 gaps each. In this PDF you can also find important information on the test format and rules. We strongly recommend that you first work with this demo version before opening the file with the solutions (PDF, 103 KB).
The selection committee applies the results of the test as follows:
- grade 1 or 2: candidate is invited to a selection interview;
- grade 3, 4 or 5: candidate is not accepted to the Masters programme in English Studies.
The selection interview is held by members of the selection committee and lasts approximately 15 minutes per person. There may be group interviews with up to three candidates. In this interview, your competence in English Studies will of course be relevant.
The result of the selection procedure will be communicated to applicants in writing.
Candidates who are invited to attend the second stage of the selection procedure and do not turn up at the stipulated date/time are deemed "not suitable" and are therefore not accepted for the Masters programme in English Studies.
Candidates who can convince the selection committee in writing that they are unable to attend for reasons beyond their control will be given an alternative date. NB: this written notification must be submitted BEFORE the actual test date.
Repetition:
Candidates who are not successful in the selection procedure are allowed to repeat their application one more time at the next possible date, one year later (application deadline 1 July). A further repetition is not possible. Candidates who choose to repeat their application should note that a complete application needs to be submitted again by the stipulated deadline.
2. Application:
Applications for admission to the selection procedure for the Masters programme in English Studies should be submitted electronically via our
online application platform [accessible here from 1 June onward for applications for the winter semester]
between 1 June and 1 July (for enrolment in the following winter semester). In exceptional cases (i.e. students who have already completed one (or more) semesters of a Masters programme at other universities) candidates can also apply for enrolment in the summer semester in which case applications must be submitted by 10 January - in that case, please contact Prof. Ruge in time. No applications can be accepted after the deadline.
The application should include the following:
- your complete personal information in the online application form
- a curriculum vitae in tabular format
- a copy of your first academic degree (if necessary with an official translation)
- alternatively, if this is not part of your degree certificate or if your first degree is not yet completed, a list of your credits to date (Transcript of Records), if necessary with an official translation
- a 1,000-word essay in English on one out of several topics to be announced on the application platform from 1 June onward
- proof of your competence in English on level C 1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (see 2.2 below). If you cannot provide a certificate, you will be admitted to a 30-minute written proficiency test (C-Test) in phase 2 of the procedure. In that case please get in contact with Prof. Ruge before submitting your application.
2.1 Essay topics
The essay topics for applications can be found on our application platform (see above) from 1 June onward.
2.2 The following minimum scores are required for English language certificates:
- TOEFL (internet-based): 100
- TOEFL (computer-based): 250
- TOEFL (paper-based): 600
- Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency: C
- Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English: C
- IELTS: 7 points
3. Please note:
The selection procedure is merely a requirement for registration at the LMU. For this reason no further documentation (e.g. certificate of exmatriculation, health insurance certificates) is needed at this stage. The recognition of credits from a Masters programme in English Studies at a different university is not part of the selection procedure. This is done on an individual basis, please contact Dr. Günther or Dr. Falkner for that.
In addition to the successful completion of this selection procedure, the usual further requirements apply in order to be able to register for studies at this university (e.g. the legal adequacy of your first degree). This means that a positive result in our selection procedure does not automatically guarantee you a place at the LMU. For information on further requirements please contact the LMU International Office (international students) or Student Office (Studentenkanzlei, German students).
Important note for international students:
International students also need to apply to the LMU International Office (Referat für Internationale Angelegenheiten). All the steps required for international students are described in the leaflet provided by the International Office. Please be aware that the English Department's selection procedure described above refers to step 1 only.
In order to be allowed to register at the LMU for the MA English Studies programme (step 4), therefore, you need to have two letters of acceptance: the letter of acceptance from the International Office (steps 2 and 3) PLUS the letter of acceptance issued by the English Department (step 1) which you get AFTER you have successfully completed our selection procedure.
Please be aware that there are deadlines for each of these steps; the pertinent deadlines for these steps can be found on the website of the International Office and of the English Department respectively.
4. Contact:
If you have any questions related to the selection procedure for the Masters programme in English Studies, please contact master-english-studies@anglistik.uni-muenchen.de or Prof. Enno Ruge. If you have general questions about the Masters programme, please contact studienberatung@anglistik.uni-muenchen.de.
5. Legal basis of the selection procedure:
The legal basis for the selection procedure is the statute concerning the Eignungsverfahren für den Masterstudiengang English Studies (PDF, 38 KB) at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München of 27 May, 2020.
