Graduate Programs

M.A. Program

Students with a B.A. in German enroll in a core program to fulfill requirements for the M.A. Students with a knowledge of another Germanic language: Danish, Dutch, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Yiddish in addition to German, are given the opportunity to study for a "dual language" M.A.; students with a B.A. in German can easily acquire sufficient knowledge of another Germanic language to satisfy these requirements by enrolling in the relevant language courses.

Students may also study for an M.A. in Danish, Dutch, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, and Yiddish. The core programs for those M.A.'s may be obtained from the Graduate Coordinator.

The core program for the M.A. in German is as follows:

Students may select one of the four concentrations in the core for their six hours of supporting work: culture, linguistics, literature, or pedagogy.

The core for the "dual language" M.A. is the same as the core for the M.A. in German, with the following substitutions:

The M.A. candidate has the option of writing a thesis, an annotated translation, or a report (substantial seminar paper). For the thesis or annotated translation, the student is expected to enroll in six credit hours of supervised writing (698A and B); for the report option, the student enrolls in three hours of supervised writing (398R) and an additional seminar to fulfill the requirement.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students have to demonstrate reading competence in one language other than English and the language of the student's major field of study (usually German) for the M.A. Before a student files for candidacy in the doctoral program, reading competency in two languages other than English and the language of the student's major field of study (usually German) must be demonstrated. This must be done by passing an examination administered or approved by the department or by taking a standardized examination with the Measurement and Evaluation Center. The language certified for the M.A. degree may count as one of the two required for the Ph.D.

NOTE: For more extensive procedural information on all program policies, please ask the Graduate Coordinator for copies of the Academic Guidelines and the Teaching Guidelines.