Bachelor in Worlds of English

What you study

Worlds of English is a Bachelor of Arts programme taught entirely in English. It has 180 ECTS credits and takes six semesters. The programme has five core topics. Language practice brings your English up to C2, the top level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Methods teaches you to grasp content at a higher level, make connections, examine them critically and use your knowledge in new ways. Language reflection looks at how languages differ and how their use depends on the situation, where they are spoken and what social value they carry. Culture and literature covers genres such as science fiction and writing traditions from Shakespeare to AI narratives, and you analyse products from poems to video games and from election campaign speeches to novels. Intercultural skills deal with the social, historical, cultural, political and economic situation of each language area and with handling cultural differences in a sensitive, problem-focused way.

How the programme is organised

The degree is built from required subjects worth 96 ECTS, guided electives worth 48 ECTS, a Bachelor's thesis worth 6 ECTS and a minor worth 30 ECTS. The required subjects are split into an induction phase (STEOP) of 12 ECTS, Foundations: Language (27 ECTS), Foundations: Linguistics (15 ECTS), Foundations: Literature (15 ECTS), Foundations: Culture (9 ECTS) and a Specialization in Linguistics, Literature and Culture (18 ECTS). The guided electives are Electives in Linguistics (12 ECTS), Electives in Literary and Cultural Studies (12 ECTS), Specialization: Electives (12 ECTS) and Diversity & Gender (12 ECTS). You choose one minor of 30 ECTS after finishing the STEOP.

The STEOP gives you an overview of the programme and a basis for judging whether it is the right choice. It consists of the Placement Test and the courses Introduction to Linguistics 1, Introduction to Literary Studies 1, British Culture: History and Society or American Culture: History and Society or Postcolonial Cultures: History and Society, and Introduction to Academic Language Studies, 12 ECTS in total. You must complete it before taking courses that build on it. Before finishing the STEOP you may take up to 22 ECTS of other courses. A recommended course of study in the curriculum appendix shows a model path beyond the first two semesters.

There is no compulsory period abroad. The university strongly encourages a semester at one of its more than 250 partner universities worldwide, and the programme has contacts to help arrange exchanges. The curriculum covers international mobility in Section 7.

Who it suits

This programme suits someone fascinated by the English language and by English literatures and cultures, who wants to become an intercultural expert in languages, literatures and cultures. You should be ready to work on your English up to C2 and to engage with linguistics, literature and cultural studies rather than language learning alone. It also suits students who want the option of a semester in an English-speaking country without it being required.

Admission, language and next steps

You need a general university entrance qualification, such as the Matura, and knowledge of English at B2. If English is not your first language, you must provide proof of proficiency. At the start of the programme you take the Oxford Placement Test, an online test of at most 80 minutes; it is a prerequisite for certain courses, so take it as early as possible. You also need knowledge of Latin. Latin taken at secondary school for at least 10 weekly hours across all grades is enough; otherwise you must pass an additional Latin examination before the final assessment, and suitable courses are available at the University of Klagenfurt.

Admission runs through the general admission procedure, and applications go straight to the University of Klagenfurt, not through a central portal. The university's admission pages give the application periods and the step-by-step process for each group of applicants. EU and EEA citizens apply at any time and then enrol during the general admission period. Non-EU and non-EEA citizens apply within the submission periods, and applicants who completed prior education in certain listed countries must first take a competence check at VFS Global. After the bachelor's you can continue directly, with no prerequisite exams, to the master's programmes Worlds of English, Game Studies and Engineering, Kreatives Schreiben und Schreibkulturen and Visuelle Kultur. Cross-Border Studies and International Management are possible with prerequisite exams or supplementary examinations reviewed case by case.

During their studies the students will learn English at the highest level and learn how to write English-language texts of all genres. The cultures of the Anglophone countries are also part of the programme.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here University of Klagenfurt. For most bachelor’s programmes at public universities the general application period ends on 5 September for the winter semester and on 5 February for the summer semester. The dates are earlier for applicants from outside the EU/EEA and for programmes with an entrance procedure, so confirm the exact date on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: No. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.