Integrated Cultural Studies (BA) Program at a Glance

This program innovatively integrates the study of literature and art by focusing on cultural changes and conflicts in the modern and the global world.

The ICS degree is a custom-tailored program that was created by the faculty members who teach it, thus resulting in a balanced approach to the subject areas and a clear and well-integrated curriculum.

The ICS program promotes the interdisciplinary study of world literature and art from the broader perspective of human culture – paying special attention to historical developments as a foundation and framework by which to comprehend recent reconfigurations and interactions in contemporary global culture. The curriculum’s historical depth and global breadth provide students with essential knowledge and a profound understanding of cultural transformations within and between the modern and the global world.

The table shows the precise program of study for each student in a specific major. Students can refer to this information for an overarching timetable of study over the six semesters of bachelor study. Naturally home school electives and transdisciplinary courses are not listed.

Course Requirements for Students matriculated in the year: 2011 |2010 | 2009 | 2008

Organisation of the Coursework

Each course lasts one semester (14 weeks). Students usually meet twice a week for sessions of 75 minutes. Comparative Literature and Culture courses, which are offered annually, consist of a maximum 28 sessions. Lab classes constitute an integral element of the Statistics and Methods component of the Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum.

Prof. Dr. Immacolata Amodeo
Professor of Literature

Prof. Dr. Marc Frey
Professor of History

Prof. Dr. Hans G. Kippenberg
Professor of Comparative Religious Studies

Prof. Dr. Peter Ludes
Professor of Mass Communication

Prof. Dr. Birgit Mersmann
Professor of Non-Western and European Art

Prof. Dr. Thomas Rommel
Professor of Literature

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Trabant
Professor of European Plurilingualism

Prof. Dr. Isabel Wünsche
Professor of Art & Art History

Social Science Methods

The methods component is taught by additional faculty:

- Prof. Dr. Klaus Boehnke, Professor of Social Science Methodology

- Dr. Karina De Santis, Lecturer in Statistics and Methods

- Dr. Özen Odag , University Lecturer in Methods

- Prof. Dr. Margrit Schreier, Professor of Empirical Methods in the Humanities and Social Sciences

- Prof. Dr. Colin Vance, Adjunct Professor of Quantitative Methods

- Prof. Dr. Adalbert Wilhelm, Professor of Statistics



Jacobs University aims at an overall professor/student ratio of 1:12. At present, the ratio is even smaller but is expected to approximate the desired ratio as student numbers increased.

The BA in Integrated Cultural Studies is designed to professionally meet the challenges of multimedialization and globalization in the field of cultural studies. The culture-analytical skills combined with media competence and intercultural understanding that are central to our coursework are increasingly attractive to employers in a wide range of fields – from cultural and media industries to business.

Our students have the potential to find positions in museums, archives, heritage industries, publishing houses, journalism, advertising and marketing, public relations, and institutional management sectors.

The BA degree in ICS offers students three ways to continue their careers: immediate entry into the job market; advanced graduate studies at another institution in Europe or abroad, or continued studies in our own humanities graduate studies program.