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Q: Why did you decide to pursue a dual degree in Master of Arts: British, American and Postcolonial Studies and Master of Education?
A: There were many factors at play, but I think I can narrow it down to two main ones: Firstly, I craved more input than the Master of Education alone could have offered me—both in terms of academia as well as in terms of people that have like-minded aspirations beyond teaching. Even if I had wanted to primarily pursue a teaching degree, I felt as if there was still much more I wanted to learn before entering a career (teaching or otherwise). Secondly, of course, combining the two master’s degrees sparked my interest in all the other potential career paths I could explore.
Q:. Have you found the two programs to be compatible with each other and what ways, if any, have you found to cut down your overall workload?
A: I do think that the two programs are compatible, however, when it comes to reducing your workload, it largely depends on your own intentions and priorities. For me, some of the modules that I could have gotten credit for in both programs were the ones I wanted to engage with anyways. For instance, instead of combining the Praxissemester with the Praxissmodul in BAPS, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunities that I was offered through BAPS and see what else is out there.
Q: What, in your opinion, are the biggest benefits of doing the dual degree?
A: Let me ask: Are there any disadvantages? In my view, there is nothing to lose (except for maybe a bit of free time). With a dual master’s degree in hand, you might become an extremely well-red English teacher, or you might find yourself in another profession with an additional background in teaching which everyone involved might benefit from.
However, the greatest advantage is, in my opinion, that doing a dual degree gives you the right amount of safety you need to embark on a (perhaps less secure) journey of alternative career options.
Q: What are your current career plans for after your studies?
A: This is difficult to answer. I could imagine myself working in publishing, cultural institutions, research, or something else entirely.
Q: To whom would you recommend the dual degree?
A: To anyone who considers applying: If you found yourself wondering whether the teaching degree is “sufficient enough” for you, go for it! What is the worst thing that could happen?
Michael
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a dual degree in Master of Arts: British, Amerian and Postcolonial Studies and Master of Education?
A: When I finished my bachelor’s degree, I decided to work in the UK for two years in order to practise the use of English in an entirely new context. When I returned to Germany, I felt a new desire alongside my initial plan of becoming a teacher: The wish to continue learning about current affairs in the Anglophone sphere outside of Germany to be able to present my future students with a more informed look at international affairs. Thankfully, the active promotion of the BAPS degree at the University of Münster made me realise that the preparation for this route had already been established for quite some time. This is why I applied for the BAPS degree and was fortunate enough to be accepted into the programme.
Q: What, in your opinion, are the biggest benefits of doing the dual degree?
A: In my opinion, being able to stay informed about the most current affairs in Anglophone Studies and Transnational Matters is one of the key factors for following this pathway. Also, the dual degree made me realise just how many career options exist apart from becoming a teacher after finishing the study programme. I felt that doing a dual degree gave me a better estimation of the available options within and after my university career.
Q: What are your current career plans for after your studies?
A: At this point, I am most likely to continue pursuing the teaching career after my studies. Nevertheless, I would still be more than interested in trying out “something else” from the array of different perspectives that the BAPS studies provided me with.
Q: To whom would you recommend the dual degree?
A: From my own experience, I would say that prospective BAPS dual degree students will have to have profound organisational skills in order to combine their degrees efficiently in order to stay close to the standard period of study. This will guarantee that their pursuit of the dual degree option will provide them most effectively with the required skills for their future career development and ultimately identifying the specific and individual career plans they have in mind.
Dominik
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a dual degree in Master of Arts: British, Amerian and Postcolonial Studies and Master of Education?
A: After I had finished about half of my MEd programme, I decided to also enroll into BAPS. There were a couple of reasons for this. For one, I was quite disappointed that the MEd programme offered only a few courses with very little ability to choose and specialize in those areas, which I had focussed on in my Bachelor's degree. With the MA BAPS, there is much greater freedom to choose and modify your research focus and be first-in-line for the seminars that you actually WANT to do. Furthermore, my thought was to utilize the MA BAPS to explore my interest in a potential career in an academic context, while having the "fall-back option" of a teaching education, which I also like the thought of.
Q: Have you found the two programs to be compatible with each other and what, if any, ways have you found to cut down your overall workload?
A: It is possible to accredit the teaching experience module of the MEd "Praxissemester" for the "Work Experience" module of the MA BAPS. Furthermore, some education science (Bildungswissenschaften) courses or those of your secondary MEd-subject might be applicable to the "External Module". While the increased workload of a dual-degree is definitely noticeable, those are great ways to manage it. Additionally, it makes for a great excuse to take a little more time completing your degree.
Q: What, in your opinion, are the biggest benefits of doing the dual degree?
A: If your interest has been peaked by the small insight into academic work during the BA, the dual-degree allows you to deepen that interest and explore another career option, while also pursuing that teaching education, which might have gotten you into studying English in the first place.
Q: What are your current career plans for after your studies?
A: If there is an opportunity to work in the context of literary studies/academia, possibly in the context of a dissertation, I would like to do that and see what happens from there. If I do not have what it takes, or the right opportunity doesn't come about, I am planning to become a teacher.
