Graduate Program in German Studies

*May 2008 Graduate Degree Deadlines

Course of Study and Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. degree

A total of 16 courses are required. The program grants transfer of credit for coursework taken elsewhere that meets departmental and Graduate School guidelines. Students take courses with core faculty in the German department and with German Studies faculty in departments and programs such as Art History, Film & Video, History, Literature, Music, Political Science, Religion, and Women's Studies. New students meet many of these faculty members in a team-taught seminar during their first term of study, which is devoted to exploring the field of German Studies. Students build on their experiences and the relationships they develop as they prepare for their preliminary exams and dissertation project.

In collaboration with their primary advisor, students assemble a committee of faculty to serve on their preliminary exam, dissertation chapter review, and dissertation defense. The preliminary exam, normally taken at the end of the third year, ensures competency in a teaching field and establishes a comprehensive intellectual framework for the dissertation project. After passing the preliminary exam, students formulate a dissertation topic, which is distributed to the faculty committee as a dissertation prospectus. The dissertation chapter review normally takes place before the end of the fourth year. A dissertation defense is also required.

The M.A. degree

While the department expects most graduate students to pursue and earn Ph.D. degrees, students wishing to leave the program with an M.A. degree may do so.   To be eligible for an M.A. degree, students must have completed all coursework.   To receive an M.A. degree, they must either have passed their preliminary exam, or they may choose to write and defend a substantial thesis.   Students wishing to apply only for the M.A. degree should contact the Director of Graduate Studies (see Admission, below).