You must be able to read and understand specialist literature in English in order to pursue your studies. However, you will not be required to provide separate proof of your language proficiency.

The course will also require you to be curious, knowledgeable, and persistent when it comes to books and reading, including the very practical, commercial aspects of the book and media industry.

You will study this subject as part of a two-subject bachelor’s degree program. The degree program always consists of an academic major and minor, which can be combined according to your interests or professional goals.

If you choose the subject as a minor, you will generally complete only a portion of the modules and classes taught to students of the major subject. As a result, you will focus on a selection from the content listed below.

As a major subject, the introductory phase (first and second semesters) will cover the fundamental issues of Book Studies, its most important subject areas, and the relevant specialist terminology. You will also learn how to apply Book Studies methods and theories. The insight you will gain into the various professional fields will be an early guide to your future career.

The modules studied in the advanced phase (third and fourth semesters) cover specific subject areas of Book Studies, building on and deepening the knowledge gained in the introductory phase. In addition, this phase also covers modules in which books are placed in their context as media.

The modules studied in the specialization phase explore the context of books as media in greater depth. In addition, the modules focus on how books are handled within their cultural environment.

Content of the study program:

• Book trade and publishing history
• Technical and design aspects of books, typeface, typography, illustration, printing techniques, binding
• Economic functional principles, structures and trends of media markets, analysis of actual decisions of media companies, strategies and positions in the market
• Reader response to books, history of reading and reading audiences, current reading research, literary criticism and its significance
• National media law and the impacts of European law, internet law, book price maintenance, copyright law
• Insight into the concept of culture and the book as a cultural asset, history and significance of the institutions within book culture, public and private book collecting, antiquarian book trade
• Interactions between various forms of media in a historical and modern context, significance of media innovations and their consequences for books as a medium and for the book market

Stays abroad

Would you like to live abroad for a semester or a year? Do you want to learn another language and get to know a new culture? Or gain a different perspective on your particular subject? A stay abroad provides you with the perfect opportunity to achieve this and is possible with every degree program – either self-organized or by taking advantage of one of the popular exchange programs. This is made possible by various cooperation agreements and partnerships with foreign universities.

For more information on this topic, please visit our websites on studying abroad. Visit our student exchange platform for an overview of cooperating universities in your field.

This program of study does not require you to spend time abroad, but you nevertheless have the opportunity to do so.

Internships

During your studies you will complete a career-specific internship in a cultural institution (e.g., a publishing house, an editorial office, an institution engaged in the dissemination of culture and knowledge) lasting at least four weeks. We recommend you schedule your internship between the second and fifth semesters.

Voluntary internships are another good opportunity to obtain more in-depth insight into a professional field.

An internship allows you to discover whether everyday life in a particular occupation suits your career expectations and interests. You can gain qualifications for a professional field and acquire important professional and personal skills to start a career. An internship helps you both shape your career path, and mold the remainder of your course sequence – in particular by selecting specializations that suit your practical experience.

You can find further information and relevant internships on the Career Service website.

Your degree will provide you with an overview of the analog and digital book market as well as institutions engaged in cultural and literary education and promotion, and you will become familiar with various professional fields. Book Studies graduates typically work in the following areas:

Publishing:

• Rights and licenses
• Copy editing
• Marketing
• Press and public relations
• Sales

Other companies/institutions:

• Various service providers/agencies
• Institutions dedicated to the promotion of reading and literature
• Museums and other cultural institutions
• Specialized book trade journalism

Not sure what to do after graduation? Don’t worry!

A university degree generally does not prepare you for a single profession but qualifies you for a wide range of career paths – for example, in research, in a typical profession related to your field of study, or in one of many other academic fields.

This is why career orientation is also part of your studies. Gaining practical experience is key, and you can do so through internships, working student positions, part-time jobs or voluntary work, for example.

JGU’s Career Service will support you throughout the entire process with information, advice, workshops and numerous events – from career orientation and working on your profile and skills to finding your dream job and successfully applying for it.