Indo-European and Indo-Iranian Studies
Indo-European and Indo-Iranian Studies (B.A.)
Vedic, Old Persian and Avestan? Pre-Hellenic Greek, Ancient Latin and Old Germanic? Anatolian, Celtic and Tocharian? Can you really still learn these languages today? Of course you can, although the degree program in Indo-European and Indo-Iranian Studies may be less well known than, for example, German Language and Literature or History. The degree program aims to give a accurate description of these and other Indo-European and Indo-Iranian languages, to explain their similarities and differences, and to reconstruct the prehistoric Proto-Indo-European language and make new discoveries in the process.
The Bachelor’s degree program focuses initially on learning the languages. We offer introductory courses for languages such as Sanskrit, Old Norse or Hittite. But what is the purpose of learning languages we cannot use? You can use them during seminars, for instance to read Old Persian inscriptions from the Great Kings Darius or Xerxes, Homer’s Epics or the gothic Wulfila Bible. Alongside language seminars, students attend courses on mythology and culture in the original regions.
- Degree
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
- Duration of studies in semester
- 6
- Start of degree program
- Winter semester
- Study location
- Erlangen
- Number of students
- 1-50
- Subject group
- Language and Cultural Studies
- Special ways to study
- 2-subject Bachelor, Part-time degree program
- Teaching language
- completely in German
- Admission Requirements
- No Admissions Restrictions
- Keywords
- Language, Linguistics
What is the degree program about?
- Comparative Indo-European linguistics: historical comparative linguistics exploring genetically related Indo-European languages.
- The Indo-European language family with individual Indo-European languages and subgroups (e.g. Indo-Iranian, Old Persian, Latin, Old Germanic, Anatolian, Celtic, Tocharian, Baltic, Slavic)
- The Indo-Iranian subgroup (Vedic, Classical Sanskrit, Avestan, Old Persian)
- Acquisition of basic knowledge of Indo-European and Indo-Iranian studies (in particular the most important methods of language acquisition)
- Ability to access specialist literature and conduct independent academic work
- Sound academic education in dealing with text documents in Indo-European languages spanning four millennia
- Acquisition of fundamental knowledge of phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics of the most important Indo-European languages
- Ability to explain the similarities and differences between related Indo-European languages
- Ability to give a historical-genetic explanation of individual Indo-European languages
- Ability to reconstruct the prehistoric Proto-Indo-European language using methods from comparative linguistics
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- First phase lasting two semesters: 4 basic modules “Introduction to Indo-European Studies”, “Introduction to Germanic studies”, “Sanskrit I” and “Sanskrit II”. Fundamentals of comparative linguistics and Indo-Iranian studies
- Second phase lasting four semesters: 6 intermediate modules: “Indo-Iranian languages I and II”, “Further Indo-Iranian languages I and II”, “Reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European language I and II”; gaining further and more specialized subject knowledge in the intermediate modules
- 6th semester: Writing the Bachelor’s thesis (in the major subject Indo-European and Indo-Iranian Studies)
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The following specialization options are available in the bachelor’s degree program in Indo-European and Indo-Iranian Studies:
- Indo-Iranian philology and linguistics
- Comparative Germanic linguistics
- Greek and Latin linguistics
- Hittite studies and Anatolian studies
- Celtic philology and linguistics
- Indo-European archelogy
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- An interest in languages (in particular ancient languages such as Greek or Latin)
- An interest in the origin of words (etymology), names and idioms in languages (approaching languages like a detective)
- A general interest in how language works
- An interest in different writing systems (e.g. Greek alphabet, Cyrillic alphabet, Hittite cuneiform)
- A general interest in the cultural history of Indo-European peoples
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- Students enjoy intensive support from teaching staff
- Course content tailored to students’ interests
- Assistance with coping with administration and bureaucratic hurdles and difficulties
- Friendly and welcoming atmosphere at the Institute
- Ideal working conditions in the Institute’s library
- Small class sizes
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During your studies, you not only acquire language and cultural skills in one specialist area. You also learn to deal with various distantly related languages and are capable of analyzing, reconstructing and comparing the emergence and development of languages and cultures.
By exploring different languages, their texts, their history and their writing, you learn how to take a reflective approach to unfamiliar content and structures and acquire a high degree of mental flexibility, for example in transfer thinking. Apart from remaining in academia, Indo-Germanic specialists may make a career in one of the following fields:- Publishing and libraries, for instance in combination with Book Studies
- PR work, cultural management, study trips
- International institutions
- Information processing
- Software development (language programs), e.g. in combination with computer linguistics or computer science
- Adult education including education for migrants
- Journalism, e.g. in combination with German Language and Literature
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Possible combinations without overlaps
- Archaeological Sciences
- Art History
- Book Studies
- Business and Economics
- Chinese Studies
- Cultural History of Christianity
- Education
- English and American Studies
- French Studies
- German studies
- Greek Philology
- Islamic Religious Studies
- Latin Philology
- Medieval Latin and Neo-Latin
- Oriental Studies
- Political Science
- Scandinavian Studies (BA)
- Sociology
- Theater and Media Studies
With these subject combinations, there are generally no overlaps in the timetable.
Possible overlaps in the timetable
- Business and Economics
- Computational Linguistics
- Digital Humanities and Social Sciences
- Geography: Cultural Geography as a two subject Bachelor's degree program
- History
- Japanese Studies
- Philosophy
If you combine these subjects, individual courses may overlap in your timetable. For this reason, you can only combine the following subjects with your chosen subject after a consultation. Students are responsible for ensuring that the combination can be studied and that the deadlines set out in Section 11 of the ABMStPOPhil are met. When enrolling, proof of a corresponding consultation with the Central Student Advisory Service or the Student Service Center (Faculty of Humanities, Social Studies, and Theology) must be submitted.
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- Admission requirements (first semester)
- No Admissions Restrictions
- Application deadline winter semester
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30.09.
Language skills
- German language skills for international applicants
- DSH 2 or equivalent
- Details and notes
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The application deadline for the winter semester for international applicants is July 15th.
In addition to the general qualification for university entrance (Abitur), there are other access options for studying at FAU.
Do you need help or more information?
Our Student Advice and Career Service (IBZ) is the central point of contact for all questions about studying and starting a degree programme. Our Student Service Centres and subject advisors support you in planning your studies.