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Regionalwissenschaften Nordamerika

The Magisterstudiengang “Regionalwissenschaften Nordamerika” was established at the University of Bonn in 1990 with the support of the North Rhine-Westphalian government. Its success – in the last 5 years alone more than 150 students have graduated from the program - is based on a close cooperation of scholars at the University of Bonn whose research and teaching are particularly focused on North America as a cultural, social, political, and economic system. The study course has thus made optimal use of existing resources and interdisciplinary methods to broaden scholarly perspectives and better prepare their students for future careers in cultural and political institutions, publishing and the media, management and teaching, among many other places.

The curriculum of the Magisterstudiengang "Regionalwissenschaften Nordamerika"(for which students enrolled for the last time in the winter term 2005-2006) reflects its transdisciplinary approach by offering courses in the fields of North American literature and culture, linguistics, economics, history, political science, sociology, communication and media studies, geography, law, philosophy, art history, religious studies, and ethnology.

Inspired by the climate of American universities the study course allows for intensive student counselling and dialogue between students and faculty and encourages students to develop their own scholarly interests. In addition to offering a broad-based study of North American culture, politics, and economics the transdisciplinary scope of the program teaches students to be intellectually flexible and mobile – qualities that have become essential for a successful professional career.

As one of the traditional Magisterstudiengänge which are being replaced by BA and MA study courses all over Europe “Regionalwissenschaften Nordamerika” no longer admits students and will be terminated in the fall of 2011. The last intermediate exam (Zwischenprüfung) will be offered after the winter term 2008/09 in March 2009.