# Cognitive, Digital and Empirical English Studies (MA) at RWTH Aachen

English-taught, interdisciplinary M.A. combining literary and linguistic research with cognitive science, digital methods and empirical/quantitative approaches. A genuine standalone Faculty 7 master rather than a service course, recently launched, and aimed at humanities graduates seeking empirical and digital methods and a doctoral trajectory.

University: RWTH Aachen University (Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen) (https://studygermany.dev/universities/rwth-aachen.md)
City: Aachen (https://studygermany.dev/cities/aachen.md)
HTML page: https://studygermany.dev/programmes/rwth-aachen-ma-cognitive-digital-empirical-english-studies/

## At a glance

- Degree: MA
- Language of instruction: English
- English requirement: An excellent command of English is required per the examination regulations and documented at enrolment. The exact CEFR level or test threshold is not stated on the programme page — verify against the Prüfungsordnung.
- German requirement: none stated (the programme is taught in English)
- ECTS: 120
- Duration: 4 semesters
- Intake: Winter & summer
- Tuition: €0 per semester (public university)
- Semester contribution: €375.19
- Semester ticket included: yes (Deutschland-Semesterticket)

Fee notes: €0 tuition for all students including non-EU/EEA — RWTH is an NRW public university and states it does not charge tuition to international students from non-EU countries. Semester contribution €375.19 for WS 2026/27 (Mobilitätsbeitrag €234.57 including the Deutschlandsemesterticket plus the Zuid-Limburg/NL extension, Sozialbeitrag €128.00, Studierendenschaftsbeitrag €12.62). This WS 2026/27 total is reconstructed from official components rather than published by RWTH as a single figure; the fully confirmed figure is €338.05 for WS 2025/26 (RWTH Amtliche Bekanntmachung 2025/177). Semester ticket included: the mobility component funds the Deutschlandsemesterticket plus Arriva buses and regional trains in South Limburg (NL).

## Admission requirements

- Prior degree: First university degree in Philosophy, Literary and Linguistic Studies or a comparable subject
- Minimum grade: Examination-board decision; open admission (listed by DAAD as without admission restriction)
- Prerequisite credits: Aggregator sources cite 60 CP in total — Linguistics at least 10 CP, Cultural and Literary Studies at least 10 CP, Statistics at least 4 CP. Not confirmed against the examination regulations.
- Also required: Master's applicants — EU and non-EU alike — apply directly via RWTHonline. RWTH verifies foreign documents internally: no uni-assist, no VPD, no application fee. Applicants may apply to at most 10 Master's programmes. APS certificate required for applicants from China, India and Vietnam.

## Application deadlines

- Non-EU applicants, winter semester: 2026-03-01 (PASSED as of the last site build; the window usually repeats next cycle). Non-EU / foreign-degree applicants. Supporting-document deadline for restricted-admission subjects: 1 August.
- EU / German-degree applicants, winter semester: 2026-07-15 (PASSED as of the last site build; the window usually repeats next cycle). EU/EEA applicants, current RWTH students and holders of a German degree.
- Non-EU applicants, summer semester: 2026-09-01. Non-EU / foreign-degree applicants. Supporting-document deadline for restricted-admission subjects: 1 February.
- EU / German-degree applicants, summer semester: 2027-01-15. EU/EEA applicants, current RWTH students and holders of a German degree.

## How to apply

- uni-assist required: no
- Application portal: https://online.rwth-aachen.de/
- Official programme page: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/studium/vor-dem-studium/studiengaenge/liste-aktuelle-studiengaenge/studiengangbeschreibung/~oactz/cognitive-digital-and-empirical-english/?lidx=1

## External resources

- [Official programme page](https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/studium/vor-dem-studium/studiengaenge/liste-aktuelle-studiengaenge/studiengangbeschreibung/~oactz/cognitive-digital-and-empirical-english/?lidx=1)
- [DAAD — Cognitive, Digital and Empirical English Studies](https://www.daad.de/en/studying-in-germany/universities/all-degree-programmes/detail/rwth-aachen-university-w64764/)
- [RWTH ACCELS department](https://www.accels.rwth-aachen.de/)
- [Apply via RWTHonline (no uni-assist)](https://online.rwth-aachen.de/)



## Provenance

Last checked: 2026-08-09

- RWTH Aachen — Cognitive, Digital and Empirical English Studies M.A. official programme page (taught in English; excellent command of English required): https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/studium/vor-dem-studium/studiengaenge/liste-aktuelle-studiengaenge/studiengangbeschreibung/~oactz/cognitive-digital-and-empirical-english/?lidx=1
- RWTH ACCELS — department page: https://www.accels.rwth-aachen.de/
- Inferred — prerequisite credit thresholds (60 CP split) come from an aggregator, not the RWTH examination regulations; verify before publishing: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/studium/vor-dem-studium/studiengaenge/liste-aktuelle-studiengaenge/studiengangbeschreibung/~oactz/cognitive-digital-and-empirical-english/?lidx=1
- AStA RWTH Aachen — Semesterbeitrag / finance (WS 2026/27 components; WS 2025/26 total €338.05 confirmed): https://www.asta.rwth-aachen.de/en/about-us/finance/
- RWTH Aachen — Master's application route: direct via RWTHonline, no uni-assist, no VPD: https://online.rwth-aachen.de/
- Inferred — WS 2026/27 semester contribution €375.19 reconstructed from official AStA components; not published by RWTH as a single figure. Confirmed fallback €338.05 (WS 2025/26). Verify before publishing a hard number.: https://www.asta.rwth-aachen.de/en/about-us/finance/