Alumni and future careers

Looking back and into the future

Studentinnen mit Doktorhüten

Foto: Anne Günther (Universität Jena)

Voices from alumni

Study Check M.A. English
Foto: Study Check Portal

Evaluation is a vital component of our quality management policy. In addition to the regular evaluation of our current classes by all participants, we are also grateful for feedback on the programme as a whole from our alumni.

Our M.A. programme has been being evaluated at the German portal StudyCHECK.deExterner Link, some results of which can be seen in the graph on the left. Alumni using this portal are unanimous in recommending the programme to prospective students (recommendation rate = 100%).

As the evaluations on StudyCHECK are all in German, we provide an English translation for some of them below:

It's the people who make all the difference

"Without a single exception, all instructors at the institute are great! As a student, one feels genuinely recognized and taken care of. The second strength is the enormous amount of flexibility and choice in the programme, allowing students to design their very own course of studies according to their personal preferences." (Anna, October 2018)
Comments by an exchange student

"I'm an exchange student from Ukraine and this is my first semester in the M.A. programme in Jena. I particularly like the fact that my instructors are very knowledgeable and helpful, and that we are working in small groups. I appreciate the combination of modern learning facilities and more traditional methods. The programme is structured very sensibly, allowing students to plan ahead. All in all, it's a great experience to study in Germany, one that I certainly won't forget." (Kateryna, June 2017)
A more comprehensive assessment
"free choice of classes from a wide variety of topics in both linguistics and literary studies, with an option of specializing in either of the two subjects

very research-oriented programme: especially if one is interested in pursuing an academic career, the courses offer many interesting insights into the state of the art in research

specific topics of the classes can vary every semester (especially in literary studies), which is both a strength and a potential weakness: it means that one can take classes on highly specialized and thus very interesting topics (e.g. Medieval heros and antiheros), but it can also mean that if one misses that particular class, one won't be able to get it again until the end of one's studies

small class sizes, allowing students to make their own suggestions for topics or texts to be discussed in class

availability of instructors (emails are often answered immediately, and most instructors take their time after class and during office hours to assist with finding topics for term papers, final exams, etc.

practical language classes are somewhat redundant for M.A. students who also obtained their B.A. degree and Jena, and they could be structured in a better way

All in all, I consider it the right choice to have stayed in Jena after my B.A. degree in order to obtain an M.A. in English and American Studies. It was not only the contents of the programme but also the quality of life in and around Jena that contributed to this decision, and I don't regret it." (Anonymous, September 2015)

Career prospects

Some M.A. students are inspired by the programme to pursue an academic career, i.e. to become researchers and teachers of English and American Studies themselves. The key to this is a doctoral degree (PhD) after your M.A., and the University of Jena houses a Graduate AcademyExterner Link for current (and future) doctoral and postdoctoral students.

But apart from academia, which is a highly competitive sector to get into, a Master's degree in English and American Studies can open the door to a wide variety of interesting professions and areas on the job market. For an initial flavour, feel free to consult the British website Prospects, which provides some inspiration for students with a degree in English hereExterner Link.