Germanic Studies Graduate Program

For information contact: David Watson dcwatson@umd.edu

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.

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. 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 offers 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 in the form of teaching assistantships and fellowships is available on a competitive basis.

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.

Degree Requirements

M.A. in Germanic 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
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 1,2.

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 Bochum and T¸bingen, 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 30 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;
  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
30 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.

Courses

GERM 601 The Structure and Acquisition of German

GERM 620 Methods and Concepts of German Studies I (Introduction to German Studies) (3)
History, methods and concepts of German Studies.

GERM 621 Middle High German Literature I (3)
Form and structure of the medieval verse narrative; treatment of the most important authors and works of the period.

GERM 622 Middle High German Literature II (3)
Form and structure of medieval lyric poetry; treatment of the most important authors of the period.

GERM 630 Methods and Concepts of German Studies II (3)
Application of various theoretical approaches to German Studies introduced in GERM 620.

GERM 631 German Lyric Poetry (3)
An exposition of the genre of lyric poetry, its metrical and aesthetic background, illustrated by characteristic examples from the Middle Ages to the present.

GERM 632 The German Novelle (3)
Theory, development and structure of Novelle from the 18th century to the present.

GERM 633 The German Novel (3)
Theory, development and structure of the German novel from the Baroque to the present.

GERM 634 German Drama (3)
An introduction to the theory and structure of the German drama from the Baroque to the present with extensive interpretation of characteristic works.

GERM 671 Gothic, Old High German, Middle High German 1 (3)
The first semester of a two-semester practicum in reading Gothic, Old and Middle High German, with emphasis on linguistic analysis.

GERM 672 Gothic, Old High German, Middle High German II (3) Continuation of GERM 671.

GERM 673 Variation in Contemporary German (3)
An introduction to current sociolinguistic topics in German.

GERM 689 Special Topics - M.A. Level (1-3)
M.A. level study of a literary, linguistic or cultural topic in German or Germanic studies, e.g. "What is German Studies?"

GERM 798 Master's Independent Study (1-3)

GERM 799 Master's Thesis Research (1-6)

GERM 818 Seminar: The Middle Ages (3)
Study of one or more representative authors or works of the Middle Ages.

GERM 819 Seminar: The 16th and 17th Centuries (3)
The German literature of the Humanists, the Reformation and Baroque as illustrated by study of one or more authors of the 16th and 17th centuries.

GERM 828 Seminar: The 18th Century (3)
Study of one or more authors from the Enlightenment, Sentimentalism, Storm and Stress, or Classicism periods.

GERM 829 Seminar: The 19th Century (3)
Study of literary and cultural phenomena in German-speaking countries.

GERM 838 Seminar: The 20th Century (3)
Study of a literary movement, cultural phenomenon (including film), or of one or more authors from the period of Naturalism to the present.

GERM 839 Seminar: Special Topics (3)
Study of a topic of a general nature and not limited to any specific century.

GERM 879 Seminar in Germanic Philology (3)
In depth study of a topic in Germanic or Indo-European philology, comparative Germanic grammar, runology, dialect geography, Eddic or Skaldic poetry, Indo-European studies.

GERM 889 Seminar in Germanic Area Studies (3)
Comprehensive study of a selected topic in German or Germanic area studies: history of ideas, cultural history, Germanic literatures other than German, folk literature and folklore.

GERM 898 Pre-Candidacy Research (1-6)

GERM 899 Doctoral Dissertation Research (1-8)