Program Overview

Introduction to the Theaterwissenschaft Program

The Theaterwissenschaft program in Leipzig explores the history and present of theater as a (trans)cultural practice, art form, and institution. This encompasses various forms such as opera, play, dance, and performance, as well as everyday behavior and media staging. The program provides students with fundamental knowledge and an in-depth engagement with contemporary theater and theater history.

Program Details

The program examines theater in diverse structures and functions, including:

• Schauspiel (play)
• Tanz (dance)
• Oper (opera)
• Performance
• Puppenspiel (puppet play)
• Medientheater (media theater) with professional or non-professional actors. Additionally, it considers theatrical practices outside institutionalized theater, such as the staging of political themes or the aestheticization of everyday life in media.

Curriculum and Methodology

The curriculum offers experiential and working opportunities in various formats, including:

• Vorlesungen und Seminare (lectures and seminars)
• ‹bungen und Tutorien (exercises and tutorials)
• Kolloquien und Workshops (colloquia and workshops) Students also learn to work in smaller groups, processing and presenting thematic fields or project ideas.

Transdisciplinary Approach

The Bachelor's program in Theaterwissenschaft adopts a transdisciplinary approach, teaching students to handle theatrical phenomena in all their forms. It introduces transdisciplinary, anthropological, and transmedia perspectives that connect theater practices with other cultural, religious, and political contexts.

Career Prospects

The program prepares students for a variety of professional activities and provides the specialized knowledge and methods necessary for scientific or practical work in theater. Alumni surveys have confirmed that future fields of work include production, dramaturgy, public relations in theaters, festivals, or free theater, dance, and performance groups, curatorial work, or cultural and event management. Further career paths include advanced scientific and practical work at universities and cultural institutions, as well as theater, film, and art criticism for radio, television, print media, and the internet.