Germanic Studies Graduate Program

All applications must be completed through the Division of Research and Graduate Studies at the University of Maryland.

Please contact the department office at (301) 405-4091 or germanicstudies@umd.edu, for questions concerning the program or application process. The Graduate Program Coordinator is Dr. Elke Frederiksen, who is also reachable at epf@umd.edu or (301) 405-4107 for further information.

The department of Germanic Studies offers the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Modern German Studies within a European framework (the literature and culture of the German-speaking countries from the 18th through the 21st century). The program reflects the paradigm shift within the field of German language and literature expanding the focus of Germanistik to a concentration on Cultural Studies, including gender studies, film studies, and postcolonial theories. Students also have the opportunity to specialize in applied linguistics with a focus on German language or culture.

The graduate program is designed for students who desire to pursue a career in Academe, as well as those who seek professional training and career advancement. Led by a distinguished faculty of nationally and internationally known scholars, the program provides ample opportunity to train the critical mind, acquire research skills, and gain the knowledge and expertise to make significant contributions to the profession.

The graduate curriculum consists of both discipline-based and interdisciplinary courses, and students at the M.A. and Ph.D. levels are encouraged to pursue interdisciplinary work in a related field, for example, Comparative Literature, History, and Women's Studies in addition to their specialization in Germanic Studies.

The University of Maryland is committed to enhancing diversity in all aspects of academic life, and to be inclusive of minorities and multiculturalism in the academic community. Faculty as well as students in the Department of Germanic Studies are diverse in ethnic and racial background, nationality, cultural heritage and academic training. The departmental graduate program thus offer the incoming student the benefits of studying in a racially and culturally diverse setting.

The Degree Master of Arts

To enter the M.A. program, candidates must have, in addition to the Graduate School requirements, a bachelor's degree with an undergraduate major in German language and literature or the equivalent and fluency in the written and spoken language. Applicants with a B.A. in a field other than German will be considered if they meet the Department's guidelines for the B.A. in German Language and Literature.

The Degree Doctor of Philosophy

To enter the Ph.D. program, candidates must have a master's degree (or equivalent, such as Magister Artium, Staatsexamen etc.) in Germanic Studies or in a related field. Submission of a writing sample in German is required.

Financial Aid

Financial support is available on a competitive basis:

  • Graduate School Fellowships. Highly competitive stipends awarded by the Graduate School to qualified students nominated by their respective departments. Germanic Studies is generally awarded one or two fellowships per year.
  • Prahl Fellowship. Endowed fellowship, awarded yearly for outstanding performance in Graduate Studies in the Department.
  • Prahl Fellowship 2. Endowed departmental fellowship, awarded yearly.
  • Hermine and Luc Secretan Dissertation Fellowship. Endowed fellowship, awarded yearly to an outstanding Ph.D. candidate in German, French or Spanish.
  • Teaching Assistantships. Teaching assistantships include tuition remission of 10 credits per semester plus a stipend ranging from $11,000 - $11,950 based on qualifications and experience. They provide the opportunity to gain experience and expertise in teaching German language courses (first and second year level). Additional appointments of teaching assistants are available in the University College and in Summer School.

Advising

An important aspect of graduate studies is advising and mentoring. Every graduate student entering the Department is given an initial advisor on whom s/he will rely for advice through the course of study until the student decides on an area of specialization and a thesis topic; at that time s/he will choose a thesis/dissertation advisor and subsequently a committee of readers for the thesis (3 for M.A. NonThesis and Thesis Option; 5 for the Ph.D. dissertation).

Teaching Assistant Training

Incoming Teaching Assistants (TAs) receive an introduction to the Department and their teaching duties in interdepartmental and departmental workshops scheduled during orientation at the beginning of the Fall semester. Throughout the semester students meet on a regular basis with the Coordinator for the German Language Acquisition Program to discuss teaching assignments and related issues. Through class visitations and subsequent conferences, the Coordinator and the faculty mentors assist the TAs in their instructional experience. SLLC 601 "Teaching Foreign Languages in Higher Education" (1 credit) is a requirement for all TAs in the Fall semester. SLAA 611 "Fundamentals of Language Acquisition and Instruction" (3 credits) in the Spring semester is strongly recommended for all TAs. Both courses are interdisciplinary offerings for French, Spanish, Russian and German.

Degree Requirements

M.A. in German Studies

Degree requirements for the M.A. (Thesis Option) are: 24 hours of course work, the thesis with oral defense, and a written comprehensive examination. The M.A. (Non-Thesis Option) requires 30 hours of course work, a mini-thesis with oral defense, and a written comprehensive examination.

Course Requirements

30 credits at the 600 to 800 level; courses at the 400 level with advisor/graduate coordinator approval only. Students are expected to maintain at least a 3.0 grade average.

1. Introduction to German Studies / 3 credits (Required)
2. Five courses from the following areas of concentration / 15 credits
a) Culture/Literature

  • Topics in German Studies: Literature/Culture/Film
  • Literary Genres
  • Authors

b) Language Studies

  • Variation in Contemporary German
  • Topics in Language/Culture
  • History of the German/ic Language/s
  • Structure and Acquisition of German

3. Interdepartmental SLA Courses(Recommended to all students) One course from the interdepartmental SLA Program: 3 credits. Students may select instead any course from the offerings under 2.

4 Electives / 9 credits
With the approval of the advisor/graduate coordinator, students may select courses according to their interests from the departmental offerings, within the College of Arts and Humanities or campus-wide.

Students also have the opportunity to participate in an exchange program with the European Universities of Kassel and Tƌbingen, Germany; Uppsala, Sweden; Utrecht, Netherlands; and Lille, France in order to strengthen the European focus.

Six credits of GERM 799 will be taken in place of the two electives by students who select the Thesis Option. All M.A. candidates who choose the Non-Thesis Option are required to write a mini-thesis (25-30 pages) and defend it in an oral examination (one hour).

M.A. Comprehensive Examinations

The comprehensive examination consists of two three hour examinations based on course work and the M.A. reading list, to be approved by the student's advisor. The comprehensives may be written in either German or English.

Ph.D. in German

While the Ph.D. program focuses on German Studies from the Enlightenment to the Present, other areas of specialization can be accommodated according to departmental expertise.

Degree requirements for the Ph.D.

  1. Completion of 24 hours of course work beyond the master's degree over a period of residency at the University of Maryland of at least one year, and a further 12 hours of dissertation research;
  2. A reading skill examination in a language other than English or German, which may be another Germanic language or a language related to the candidate's research;
  3. Comprehensive written examinations, consisting of one general exam and two specialty exams. Instead of the two specialty exams students have the option of taking one specialty exam and submitting one publishable paper;
  4. The dissertation, an original study in the field of specialization on a topic approved by the advisor and the examining committee;
  5. Oral defense of dissertation (two hours).

Course Requirements
24 credits at the 600 and 800 level

  1. GERM 630 Methods and Concepts of German Studies 3 credits
  2. Five 800 level German Studies courses -15 credits
  3. Four electives at the 600/800 level - 12 credits - Students are encouraged to select courses related to their field of interest outside the department, such as courses in the departments of Comparative Literature, Women's Studies, and History. Up to 3 credits of independent study (GERM 898) may replace an elective.
  4. GERM 899 Dissertation research - minimum 12 credits

Ph.D. Comprehensive Examinations

  1. Two four hour examinations covering two areas of concentration to be approved by the graduate coordinator (genre; epoch; author; other, preferably a combination of two different areas): Students are required to have reading lists approved by the advisor and Graduate Committee (primary and secondary works for these areas of concentration).
  2. One general four hour examination (Middle Ages to 21st century). Students will answer three questions: one question from the Middle Ages- 16th/17th century, and two questions from 18th-21st century.

Reading Requirement

All Ph.D. candidates must satisfy the reading requirement in one other foreign language (other than English or German) by course work (equivalent of second year) with the grade "B" or by examination (Princeton examination or an examination conducted by the respective Foreign Language department). Certificates such as "Latinum" may be used to satisfy the requirement.