Register for your Modulabschlussprüfung!

It's that time of the semester again, the last two weeks are in full swing and the first essays, take homes and exams need to be handed in. Before you start writing a paper, make sure you're actually registered for it! 

Every BA and MA Student needs to register for every *Modulabschlussprüfung* (term papers and exams) directly with Philprom via the QIS/LSF page.

Here are this semester's dates from the Philprom for BA American Studies, MA American Studies, BA English Studies and MA ALCM. The Philprom now also offers a step-by-step instruction on how to register using the QIS/LSF system.

Remember you can also back out of registered exams if you feel like you won't be able to make it or if you'd rather do it again next semester. But if you don't register, you won't get any credit points for the module!

The "Reader"

In time to the start of the new semester, here's some information about the infamous "reader" you might have to buy for some of your seminars.

A "reader" is a collection of xeroxed course material that is reassembled for every semester individually. Many seminars, ILS courses and introductory classes work with readers, because it is great for collecting the required reading for your class. Check the class description in the "Vorlesungsverzeichnis" (university calender) to see if your seminars are accompanied by a reader. Usually, the instructors send out an email to tell you you're registered for their class and also to let you know when and where you can get the reader.

The readings in the reader are usually mandatory for the respective class, so make sure you buy it early enough and get a head start!
Most readers are already available in the last week of the break or the first week of the semester. You can buy most of them at the copyshop Skript & Kopie at Wolfgangstraße. Here's a google maps plan of how to get there:

You see it's very close to the university and very easy to get there.
Leave the IG-Farben Haus through the main entrance and walk down to the bus stop.
Cross the street and walk down Parkstraße.
On the next corner, turn right into Wolfgangstraße.
The copyshop is at the end of the block in the corner house on the left.

Most readers will be available here. There are lists with the names of the instructors and the titles of the courses. Simply pick the course you are taking (e.g. Writing Skills) and the respective instructor (e.g. Peggy Preciado) and tell the nice people behind the counter the number of that reader as  printed on the list. Please not that the copyshop only takes cash; you cannot pay with your debit card there. 

Have a successful summer term! 

The "PhilProm"

Today's post aims to explain the purpose and usage of the "Philosophische Promotionskommission" or Philprom for short. They are in charge of all administrative duties concerning your study program, exams, final thesis and credit points, so if you want to suceed in your studies, try and become familiar with the system asap.

I would advise you to put the link to the Philprom website in your favorites, because you will have to go back there a couple of times during your studies. The Philprom website has many useful information for your studies in Frankfurt, starting with your "Prüfungsordnung" examination regulations. So let's go through the website and the offered functions step by step.

Examination Regulations - Prüfungsordnung

Everything you need to know about classes, seminars, term papers and other requirements concerning your studies can be found in the Examination Regulations. This is also the place where you can check word counts, requirements for regulations concerning your final exam and thesis and other useful information about your course of study. Make sure you read the Regulations carefully at the beginning of your studies and become familiar with them. I even recommend printing them out and maybe even highlighting the things that will be important for you (like regulations concerning your "Modulabschlussprüfung" or how your final grade will be formed).


The Examination Regulation can be found on the Philprom Website by clicking on the header "studium" then "Bachelor" or "Master" and then "Prüfungsordnung"


An overview of all study Programs will open. Click on your course of study (I chose BA American Studies Hauptfach) for this demonstration) and the Examination Regulations will open. As I said, you can look up everything here, from word count to seminars you have to take, focus areas you can choose from and things you can do for your Optionalbereich.

This is the link to the Prüfungsordnung BA American Studies Hauptfach

and for the English Studies Hauptfach

Unfortunately, the examination regulations for the Master courses are still not online :/

Examination deadlines and registration info

Another very important function on the Philprom website is an overview of all relevant deadlines for your examination registration for every semester. Remember that you have to register online for every exam and term paper you want to hand in (not for essays or presentations, but for every "Modulabschlussprüfung). The dates and times as well as the required exam registration numbers and a step-by-step instruction of how to register online can be found under the following links for the respective study Programs:

Bachelor American Studies (HF) deadlines and registrations
(deadlines are the same for the American Studies NF)
Master American Studies exam deadlines and registrations

Bachelor English Studies (HF) deadlines and registrations
(deadlines are the same for the American Studies NF)
Master Anglophone Literature, Culture and Media deadlines

Moving Cultures Master deadlines and registration

Always check back on these pages (especially towards the end of the semester) so you won't miss any deadlines! If you don't register for a class/term paper/ Modulprüfung, you won't get any credit points for that class!!!

Anmeldung zur Bachelorprüfung/Anmeldung zur Masterprüfung

Last but not least, here are the links for the formulas you will need to register for your BA and MA thesis. Note: You have to fill in the form "Antragsformular English/American Studies Bachelorprüfung/Masterprüfung im Haupt/Nebenfach" (depending on your personal course of study) in your first semester BEFORE you register for any exams to open your credit points account. If you don't fill out that form, you won't be able to collect credit points! Once you're ready to register for your actual BA or MA thesis, you have to fill out the form "Anmeldeformular English/American Studies Bachelor/Masterarbeit"

Forms for BA students (pick your course of study to find the apropriate formulars)
Forms for MA Students (click on your program to find the apropriate formulars)

If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment or ask the Philprom directly :)

How to find seminars for your "Optionalmodul" (and Academic Training)

Good morning,

today, I want to show you how to find seminars and lectures for your "Optionalmodul". This is mostly interesting for BA American Studies Students, but also for Master Students, since you can use the lectures and seminars to get credits in your Academic Training Module.

The easiest way of finding out if there are other seminars about America or American topics is to search the "Vorlesungsverzeichnis" Simply click on the QIS LSF system and open the site "Vorlesungsverzeichnis" (course overview) There is a button called "Suche nach Veranstaltungen" or "Search for Lectures", simply click on that

The next site is a search mask, where you can search for any and all seminars and events in the current semester. You can look for everything here, but for the purpose of this blog entry, I've typed in "America" to get an overview over all seminars concerned with America. (you can also choose "language of instruction" and type in *English* that will give you all seminars held in English!)

Click on *search* and you will see a list with direct links to the various seminars. Seminars outside of the IEAS that are concerned with America are seminars in the history department or in the "Institute für Theater Film und Medienwissenschaften" (TFM), but there are also some in Economics, Law, politics and education. Whenever you want to visit a seminar outside the IEAS you have to sent the instructor an email and ask him/her if it's ok for you to join their class. Some classes are restricted to certain study programs, and not everybody will let you in, but it's worth trying.
Now, be aware, the credit points don't always translate the way you'd want them to. For example, a lecture in history might get you two credit points in the history department, but lectures are only one credit point in our department. Prof. Bernd Herzogenrath has the final say in what will be useful for your Optionalmodul and what will be difficult. Talk to him if you're unsure!

As for the Master Students: as far as I know, you're free to choose any master class from a  different master degree you like, so you can also simply to to the course overview and pick the topic you're interested in and then look through the offered master seminars.

How to register for (most) classes online

Especially if you are new at the university, registering for classes can be difficult and most of the mandatory introductory classes are already full. But don't worry, you can take them next semester :)

You can register for some of the seminars and all of the (also mandatory) ILS courses online by logging into your own QIS account. This account is very important and contains all necessary administrative tools you need to sucessfully register for classes, tests, term papers and check if you've already paid your semester fee. You can also check your grades online once they were submitted to the *Philprom*

Here's the link to the system: The QIS LSF System

To log in, simply use your student ID (e.g. s12345) and your HRZ password (the password the university sent you when you were accepted into the program)

Whether you're logged in or not, the QIS system is also where you can check the current *Vorlesungsverzeichniss* and plan your schedule for next year. But since you can also create your own schedule and safe it online once you're logged in, it makes sense to always log in right away ;)

Once you're logged in, you'll automatically see all the administrative functions, like *Prüfungsverwaltung* and such. But since this post is about registering for classes, go ahead and click on *Veranstaltungen*

and then click on *Vorlesungsverzeichnis* to get to the official class registry for the current semester.

Choose Fachbereich 10 then Anglistik und Amerikanistik and your degree (English or American Studies, BA or MA) and pick the class you want to register for.
Sometimes you can register via mail or you have to sign into a list; if that's the case, the instructions for registration will be written under the header "Vorraussetzungen". Just send the professor an email then ;) But make sure to send out your emails as soon as possible so your place in the seminars you're interested in is guaranteed!!!

If you can register for this class online, you will see the comment "Die Veranstaltung ist belegpflichtig in QIS-LSF" under the header "Voraussetzungen" in your course description. If this is the case, look for the button where it says "jetzt belegen/anmelden" and click on it. 

The next site will show you an overview of the chosen course and this is the last step to registering. For the ILS courses, you can choose a priority (the one you want to take is priority 1, but also choose two more just in case you don't get into the one you want) Now click on "Platz beantragen" and you will be registert for this class. 

However, since we have many students, this class might be full and you have to check back to see if you actually got in. 

One more thing: ILS classes (and this includes writing skills) are mandatory for all students pursuing a Bachelors or a Masters Degree at the IEAS. BA students taking English or American Studies as their minor (Nebenfach) need to take at least 3 ILS classes, BA students taking English or American Studies in their major need to take 4. Since ILS classes are always full, make sure to register early and also give priority 2 and 3, since you only have 6 semesters to complete those four classes :)

Master Students in Anglophone Literature, Culture and Media and American Studies have to register for an ILS 3 course. Unfortunately, you cannot find them in the masters program (this will be fixed soon hopefully) but you can find them in the "Magister" program and register for them all the same. Here's the link for this semester's classes: ILS 3 link for Master Students