Supplementary subjects and certificates at the Department of English Studies
Supplementary subject: Media Studies
This supplementary subject provides students with a reflective understanding and a useful set of tools for effective communication. The focus is on journalism, public relations and presentation in all its facets. However, since effective mediation is only one of its possible manifestations, this supplementary subject not only serves to prepare students for a career in the media sector, but also increases their general mediation and communication skills. They acquire skills that support them during their studies and improve their overall career prospects, regardless of which profession they decide on later.
This supplementary subject is taken as a free elective and its completion is rewarded with a certificate from the University of Graz.
- Promotion of communicative competence
- Familiarity in dealing with media of all kinds
- Handling technical aids
- Insights into various media areas
- Opportunity to gain a foothold in an exciting field of work
- Intercultural competence
The certified specialization is completed as a free elective and comprises a total of 28.5 ECTS credits.
Courses to be completed for the Certificate in Media Studies:
ECTS | |
Media and Interculturality, PS | 3 |
2 Case Studies in Mediation I/II, VO, 3 ECTS credits each | 6 |
Case studies in mediation I/II, KO | 1,5 |
3 Lectures on media theory, VO, 3 ECTS credits each | 9 |
2 Project exercises, UE, 3 ECTS credits each | 6 |
Practical exercise, UE | 1,5 |
Presentation exercise (media studies), UE | 1,5 |
28,5 | |
After successfully completing courses amounting to a total of 28.5 ECTS credits, students receive a certificate of academic achievement. To receive the certificate, please send an email to Ms. Kordula Auer. You will be able to collect your certificate from the Institute of English Studies approximately three weeks later.
This supplementary subject is open to all students at the University of Graz who wish to acquire qualifications in the field of media. However, registration is required. This can be done at the Office of Student Affairs of the Institute of English Studies, Heinrichstraße 36/II, Room 329 with Ms. Kordula Auer from MO-FR between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. You will need to present your study record sheet from the current semester confirming the current status of your studies. However, you can also send your study record sheet by email to kordula.auer(at)uni-graz.at and arrange for registration.
Certificate in Forensic Linguistics
The "Forensic Linguistics" specialization is aimed at students of all humanities subjects and law at the University of Graz as an additional qualification in the form of a free elective specialization.
The field of "Forensic Linguistics" is a relatively young discipline of applied linguistics. It has its origins in the topic of author and text analysis, but now also encompasses other areas such as the use of language in court, in police interrogations, speaker recognition and the language of law. Forensic linguistics therefore deals with any kind of data that is in any way related to legal matters - from the interpretation of legal texts, to interpreting and translation activities, to language profiling. This also means that research in this area has great social relevance outside of linguistics, and is increasingly being applied in practice.
The management, organization and content coordination of the certified focus area is carried out by the university assistant with a focus on Forensic Linguistics, Dr. Karoline Marko, at the Institute of English Studies.
- Basic and in-depth knowledge of forensic linguistics
- Ability to critically analyze texts by dealing with authentic language and text material
- Knowledge of various linguistic research methods and their application to authentic data
- Ability to work in a team through group work; independent work through smaller projects
- Getting to know other specialist disciplines and their perspectives, e.g. by attending a court hearing
- Knowledge of (English) legal language, different legal systems and legal cultures
- Deepening textual and sociolinguistic knowledge
- Sensitization for the recognition of linguistic manipulation
- Recognition and analysis of language and writing styles in the area of author analysis and speaker recognition
The certified specialization is made up of compulsory and free electives and comprises a total of 24 ECTS credits. A maximum of 50% of the ECTS credits may come from compulsory and elective subjects from the degree program for which the certificate is obtained.
Courses to be completed for the Forensic Linguistics certificate:
| LV | LV type | ECTS | |
| 1.1 | 1.1 Introduction to Forensic Linguistics [BA English/American Studies: PS Topics in Linguistics] | PS | 3 |
| 1.2 | Legal English 1 [treffpunkt sprachen] - only in WS | KS | 3 |
| 1.3 | The legal case as an introduction to law [Institute for Civil Law, Foreign and Private International Law] | VU | 2 |
| 2.1 | Language as Evidence [BA English/American Studies: PS Topics in Linguistics] | PS | 3 |
| 2.2 | Language in the Legal Process [BA English/American Studies: PS Topics in Linguistics] | PS | 3 |
| 2.3 | Legal English 2 [treffpunkt sprachen] - only in SS | KS | 3 |
| 3.1 | Researching Forensic Linguistics [BA English/American Studies: PS Topics in Linguistics] | PS | 3 |
| 3.2 | Forensic Phonetics [BA English/American Studies: SE Specialized Topics in Lingusitics] | SE | 4 |
| total | 24 |
After successfully completing courses amounting to a total of 24 ECTS credits, students will receive a certificate of academic achievement. The certificate is issued by the responsible head of the specialization.
This specialization is generally open to all students (especially Bachelor's and Master's students, as well as diploma students) at the University of Graz. The main target groups are students of language studies (e.g. English studies, German studies, linguistics) and law. Basic knowledge of linguistics is a prerequisite for participation in the courses (for interested students without prior knowledge, materials will be provided in advance on request).
Supplementary subject Europe
The supplementary subject Europe: Languages, Business and Law provides a structured and meaningful addition to the English and American Studies degree program. The wide-ranging course, in which additional foreign language skills and basic knowledge of economics and law are taught, provides a career-oriented extension to the English/American Studies degree program.
The workload of this supplementary subject amounts to a total of 54 ECTS credits in the Bachelor's degree program. Of these, 24 ECTS credits are allocated to restricted electives and 30 ECTS credits to free electives.
Students who have completed the Bachelor's degree program in English/American Studies and have received a certificate of participation in this supplementary subject can also register for the supplementary subject in the Master's degree program in English/American Studies. The workload in the Master's degree program is at least 19 ECTS.
The supplementary subject Europe: Languages, Business and Law is offered instead of a second subject (for which restricted electives are intended).
Please note that the faculty-wide basic module must be completed in addition to the supplementary subject as part of the bound electives.
Find out about modules and courses
It is necessary to register for the supplementary subject Europe at the secretary's office of English Studies in room 328 with Ms. Trinkl!
- Foreign language skills
- Basic knowledge of economics and law
- Promotion of communication skills
- Integration and organizational skills
- Preparation for the demands of the modern labor market
Bachelor's program
The following courses must be completed as part of the Bachelor's degree program:
- advanced language courses in one or a maximum of two foreign languages
- four business courses (Communicative Competence in Business, Marketing in English, Business Skills in English, Commercial English)
- two economics courses at the SOWI faculty
- The legal case as an introduction to law
- International dimensions: Fundamentals of public international law, European law and private international law
- Two comparative law courses (Comparative Law II & III)
- Presentation exercise for the supplementary subject Europe: Languages, Economics and Law
- one Linguistics VO
Master's program
In the Master's degree program, students must complete courses from one of the following modules amounting to at least 19 ECTS credits in order to further develop their legal and economic expertise:
- International and European Law
- Financial law
- Corporate law
- Banking and financing
- Marketing
Certificate Language - Cognition - Society
The certified specialization "Language - Cognition - Society", managed and organized by the Institute of Linguistics in cooperation with the Departments of English, German, Romance and Slavic Studies, represents an additional qualification in the form of a free elective specialization. It explores the connections, interfaces and mutual influences between language, cognition and society. Within the framework of the elective area, individual specializations can be set according to interest or content related to the student's main course of study.
- Acquisition of the basics of linguistics
- Understanding of the connections between language, cognition and society
- Awareness of the nature and possible effects of linguistic interaction
- Strengthening reflexive skills
- Practical application/implementation of acquired knowledge
Students who successfully complete the courses amounting to a total of at least 21 ECTS credits receive a certificate of academic achievement. The certificate is issued by the Curricula Commission for Linguistics.
The certified specialization consists of 3 compulsory subjects and at least 3 electives and comprises a total of at least 21 ECTS credits. A maximum of 50% of the ECTS credits may come from compulsory and elective subjects from the degree program for which the certificate is obtained.
The courses to be completed for the "Language - Cognition - Society" certificate include
LV compulsory area | LV type | ECTS credits | |
1 | Fundamentals of Linguistics | VO | 3 |
2 | Language and Cognition | VO/VU/PS | 3-6 |
3 | Language and society | VO/VU/PS | 3-6 |
TOTAL | 9-15 |
For the elective module, students must choose courses from three of the following subject areas:
LV elective area | LV type | ECTS credits | |
A | Psycholinguistics | VO/VU/PS/SE | 3-6 |
B | Sociolinguistics | VO/VU/PS/SE | 3-6 |
C | Language and Variation | VO/VU/PS/SE | 3-6 |
D | Communication and Interaction / Pragmatics | VO/VU/PS/SE | 3-6 |
E | Grammar | VO/VU/PS/SE | 3-6 |
F | Applied Linguistics | VO/VU/PS/SE | 3-6 |
G | Practice | 2-4 | |
TOTAL | 8-18 |
The certified specialization is open to all students at the University of Graz; the certificate is particularly recommended as a supplement to humanities, social sciences, education and cognitive science courses.