The module serves as an introduction to the study program and research area "Game Studies". Students gain an overview of the research field, are made familiar with the structure and requirements of the study program and formulate their expectations and (preliminary) goals for their further studies and (if applicable) for their further professional development.

Based on practical examples and exercises, functional, formal as well as stylistic aspects of academic writing in the context of art and cultural studies are discussed. Students learn to apply these methods independently. In addition, the significance of these methods for academic work, particularly in the field of art and cultural studies, will be reflected on.

The focus of the module is on the self-study course "Digital Competencies", which teaches the fundamentals of academic work in a digital environment.
Special consideration is also given to new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence applications, on how to approach them, and on reflecting their potentials (and limitations) for arts and cultural studies.

In addition, the differences between various literature management programs will be discussed and students will select a literature management program according to their own demands and create a literature database for their academic work.

The module covers the most important critical approaches in 20th and 21st century cultural studies, their significance for discourses of social and cultural criticism and their applications, particularly in arts and cultural studies. Special consideration will be given to theories and discourses relating to social constructions of inequality (in particular gender & diversity, class, "race", with due regard to intersectional aspects) as well as to the associated critical approaches (e.g. feminist, queer, Marxist or postcolonial criticism).

The module does not aim to fully depict the diversity of critical approaches.  It rather aims to create an awareness of the fact that in the field of cultural studies, the raised questions, research processes and outcomes are not independent of social contexts, discourses and normative mechanisms.

The module highlights the importance of methodological diversity as a defining characteristic of arts and cultural studies as a field of research.
Particular attention will be given to foundational as well as contemporary discourses on interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity. A limiting understanding of arts and cultural studies as a field of research defined by a narrow set of particular methods will be called into question. Wherever feasible, the topics covered will be introduced, exemplified and discussed based on existing research projects.

A main focus of the module is on the specific methods that arts and cutural studies have devised for handling sources (texts, images, objects, pieces of music, films, games, etc.) and on source criticism as an essential basis for cultural studies work.

Another focus is on the discussion of strategies for dealing critically with information in an increasingly digitized society, and on identifying the potential of source-critical methods of arts and cultural studies for the development of media competence / (digital) media literacy.
The following topics are of particular concern:

• The handling of sources as a central feature of arts and cultural studies
• The critical analysis of sources, information, media and materials, particularly in relation to concepts of authenticity, originality and truth
• Aspects of the production and dissemination of knowledge (with an emphasis on arts and cultural studies)

The "Master Thesis Colloquia" module is designed to provide structured support for the master thesis in the form of a research plan and feedback from supervisors and peers.