M.A. in German
The German Program in the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies offers a highly respected Master's degree with concentration in either literature or linguistics. In addition to comprehensive training in the discipline, the department also provides candidates the opportunity to develop elementary and intermediate language teaching skills.
German courses are taught by a faculty of ten, whose diverse specializations enable the department to offer a wide variety of courses in German literature, culture, and linguistics. The low student-to-teacher ratio in graduate courses in this department allows both personal contact and close intellectual relationships between faculty and students.
Library holdings in the area of Germanic languages and literatures are among the largest in the South, containing some 25,000 volumes, 110 serial titles, four German newspapers, and two extensive microfilm collections for the early modern period. The department also maintains active ties with the University of Erlangen and the University of Rostock, and supports student and faculty exchanges.
ADMISSION
Graduate School Admission Requirements
Application for admission to the graduate school can be filed as an online application or in paper format. For additional information on requirements and links to the online application form or downloadable printed forms, click here .
Students from American Colleges and Universities
1. B.A., with minimum Grade Point Average of 3.0.
2. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with minimum combined score of 800 (verbal and quantitative)
3. Two official college transcripts.
Students from German-Speaking Countries
1. Fulfillment of Grundstudium or completion of Zwischenprüfung plus two (2) semesters (not necessarily in Germanistik).
2. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with minimum combined score of 800 (verbal and quantitative)
3. Official list of all university courses taken, with an official/certified translation of the names and courses.
4. Photocopies of Scheine.
5. Test Of English As A Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 560 or higher (computer score 213).
Consult with the Akademisches Auslandsamt for proper procedure for taking GRE and TOEFL.
Credentials of students from other countries will be evaluated for their equivalency.
Departmental Admission, Teaching Assistantships, Fees and other Financial Awards
The departmental application consists of the completed form, three letters of recommendation, two official transcripts, a typed statement of purpose, and a writing sample of formal written German. Candidates for a teaching assistantship should also apply directly to the department when they apply for admission to the Graduate School; i.e., two separate applications must be sent, one to the Graduate School and the T.A. application and material to the department. Acceptance by the one is ordinarily contingent upon acceptance by the other. The stipend for teaching assistantships is currently (academic year 2008-09) $10,400. A limited number of non-teaching Graduate Assistantships of equal salary, awarded on a competitive basis, may at times be set aside for especially well-qualified students.
Tuition and Fees
Teaching assistants receive a waiver of tuition and pay student fees of approximately $495.
Financial Awards
Additional sources of financial assistance are available. Application for the following should be made through the department:
1. Teaching Assistantship in German Language Education (M.Ed.): Students holding this award take fewer hours of German but supplement that with additional education courses. There is no second foreign language or thesis requirement. A written examination is administered by the Department of Foreign Language Education, to which interested students should apply; copies of their papers must also be forwarded to the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages for consideration for a teaching assistantship.
2. University-Wide Research Assistantship: The salary is equivalent to that of the teaching assistantships. Recipients are expected to engage in thirteen hours of research per week for the department. (Deadline: February 15)
3. Research Foundation Tuition Scholarship: This scholarship pays the first three quarters of tuition for new graduate students (U.S. citizens only).
Application for Graduate Teaching Assistantship : You may print this application and mail to the address at the bottom of the form.
4.
Two
Kicklighter Summer Study in Germany Fellowships of $3,500 are available
on a competitive basis for incoming graduate students. These fellowships
are intended to support 6-8 weeks of summer study at a German university
or to allow students to pursue advanced language study in Germany at the
Goethe Institute or a comparable institution.
For more information, or for questions regarding specific requirements, please contact Prof. Alexander Sager (542-6211, asager@uga.edu ).
M.A. REQUIREMENTS
Residency
Teaching assistants must be in full-time residence for at least two semesters. Completion of the M.A. normally requires two years.
Required courses
8410, 6001(or test), 7500 (if a T.A.), 7300
Competency in an additional modern foreign or classical language (2002, 2500 or equivalent, with a grade of B or better)
Students with an emphasis in Literature must take at least one course in linguistics (this requirement may be fulfilled by GRMN 7500).
Students with an emphasis in Linguistics must take at least one course in literature or film (this requirement may be fulfilled by GRMN 8410).
No more than one Directed Readings/Projects (GRMN 8160, 3 hours) may count towards the total number of hours required for the M.A. degree.
General requirements
Credits required by the Graduate School for M.A. degree: 30 ( min. 24 in coursework/max. 6 thesis or research).
For the average student this means that 9 courses will be required in some way and 3 will be electives. A full semester load for T.A.s will consist of 3 courses.
EXAM AND THESIS
The final examination for the Master's degree consists of a written exam and a written thesis followed by an oral defense. The thesis will be written under the direction of a faculty member, whom the student should select in the course of the third semester of study in the program. In addition to the major professor (thesis director), the M.A. Committee will consist of two readers, whom the student should appoint in consultation with the thesis director by the end of the third semester of study. The major professor and readers are also charged with the evaluation of the written exam.
The Written M.A. Exam
The purpose of the M.A. exam is to test the student's knowledge of German literature or Germanic linguistics as well as of a self-selected area of expertise. The exam is based on:
(a) a core reading list provided to the student upon acceptance into the program. The reading list is meant to be studied independently and should be prepared in full by the student for the exam. Students prepare the list that reflects their area of concentration in either literature or linguistics.
(b) a supplemental reading list in an area of specialization of the student's choice, preferably related to the student's thesis topic. This reading list should be compiled by the student in consultation with the major professor and be distributed to all members of the M.A. Committee upon completion of the third semester of study.
The exam is comprised of questions from the three different professors serving on the student's M.A. Committee. It is three hours in length. Two hours of exam time should be devoted to questions concerning the core reading list (a), and one hour to questions concerning the supplemental reading list (b). The major professor will be responsible for questions related to the supplemental reading list.
Further specifications for the M.A. exam are as follows:
The exam
. will be given in the department on the first Thursday in February
. may be written by hand or on a computer
. may be written in either English or German
The student's M.A. Committee will vote on the entire exam. A two-thirds majority constitutes a pass.
The M.A. Thesis
The purpose of the M.A. thesis is to apply advanced research skills and demonstrate the ability to analyze a given subject critically and in-depth.
Specifications for the thesis are as follows:
The M.A. thesis
. focuses on a topic in German Literature, German Studies, Germanic Linguistics, or Pedagogy.
. may be the result of a substantially revised research paper or an independent project agreed upon in consultation with the faculty member directing the thesis.
. must be at least 30 pages in length (in accordance with graduate school guidelines for formatting), excluding bibliography, dedication, table of contents, and appendices not belonging to the body of the thesis.
. must be turned in to readers at least seven (7) days before the scheduled defense and fourteen (14) days before the student's submission of the thesis to the graduate school.
. may be written in either English or German.
The student must defend the thesis in an oral defense. While the Graduate School requires only a pass/no pass decision for thesis and oral defense, the department will internally evaluate the quality of the student's work in the following three categories: pass with distinction, pass, and no pass. This evaluation shall be announced to the student at the end of the oral defense.
For more information, or for questions regarding specific requirements, please contact Prof. Alexander Sager (542-6211, asager@uga.edu ). |
