The Pennsylvania State University © 2004
ADRIAN WANNER, Head of the Department
311 Burrowes Building
814-865-5481
Degree Conferred: Ph.D., M.A.
The Graduate FacultyThomas O. Beebee, Ph.D. (Michigan) Professor of Comparative Literature and German
Hartmut Heep, Ph.D. (Illinois) Associate Professor of German and Comparative Literature
Bettina E. Mathes, M.A., Ph.D. (Humboldt) Associate Professor of German; Science, Technology, and Society; and Women's Studies
Cecilia Novero, Ph.D. (Chicago) Assistant Professor of German, Comparative Literature, and Women’s Studies
B. Richard Page, Ph.D. (Wisconsin, Madison) Associate Professor of German and Linguistics
Daniel Purdy, Ph.D. (Cornell) Associate Professor of German
Vickie L. Ziegler, Ph.D. (Yale) Professor of German; Director, Center for Medieval Studies
Programs of study with major emphasis upon literature, philology, culture, or the teaching of German lead to advanced degrees.
Admission Requirements
Scores from the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) are desirable. Requirements listed here are in addition to general Graduate School requirements stated in the GENERAL INFORMATION section of the Graduate Bulletin.
Minimum qualifications for admission include 30 undergraduate credits in German beyond the intermediate level. Provision is made, however, for admission with limited deficiencies. Students with a 3.00 junior/senior average (on a 4.00 scale) and with appropriate course backgrounds will be considered for admission. Requirements for admission to the M.Ed. degree program include 18 credits in education and related psychology. The best-qualified applicants will be accepted up to the number of spaces that are available for new students. Exceptions to the minimum 3.00 grade-point average may be made for students with special backgrounds, abilities, and interests.
Master's Degree Requirements
The M.A. in German is designed to offer students a general foundation in Geman culture, language, linguistics, and literature. After completing a small set of core requirements, students may pursue their individual interests from among the courses offered by faculty who specialize in German Applied Linguistics, Culture, Linguistics, and Literature. The M.A. degree requires a minimum of 36 credits and is designed as a terminal degree.
The following courses are required for the M.A. degree:
Practical experience in supervised teaching is required for all graduate degrees. Students who wish to earn a Master's Degree must write a research paper of between thirty and fifty pages on a topic defined in conjunction with a faculty adviser. The research paper should demonstrate mastery of primary and secondary literature, interpretative skills, and academic prose in both German and English. A one-hour oral defense of the paper shall be scheduled two weeks after its formal submission to the adviser. A committee consisting of faculty adviser and two other members of the German program selected by the M.A. candidate shall evaluate the student's knowledge of the subject matter.
Doctoral Degree Requirements
For the Ph.D., a student must complete at least 66 credits (including M.A. credits) of graduate-level work. GER 510, 511, and 512 or 515 are required of all students. Other requirements include: (1) demonstrated reading knowledge of one foreign language in addition to German and English, (2) successful passing of the comprehensive examination with written and oral components, and (3) completed doctoral dissertation. Students specialize in one of two options: German Literature and Culture, or German Applied Linguistics. The Literature and Culture option allows students to combine courses in various fields to create an interdisciplinary program of study. In addition to the 9 credits of required work, students will complete 57 credits chosen in consultation with an adviser from courses that allow students to create an interdisciplinary program of study. The Applied Linguistics option requires 15 credits in the core areas of German, 21 credits of German electives (6 of which must be in German linguistics), a minimum of 21 credits in six core areas of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies (LALS), and 9 credits of LALS electives.
Other Relevant Information
Penn State’s Pattee Library maintains excellent holdings for research, including the Allison-Shelley Collection of Anglica, Americana, and Germanica; extensive collections of German Baroque literature on microfilm and of emblem books; and twentieth-century German literature, especially the works of German writers in exile since l933. The Seminar Library in Burrowes Building serves the needs of students with reference works, German journals, newspapers, and an extensive textbook collection. The Max Kade German-American Research Institute supports research on the history and cultural heritage of German immigration to the United States. The Center for Medieval Studies fosters the growth and expansion of medieval studies at Penn State.
Student Aid
In addition to the fellowships, traineeships, graduate assistantships, and other forms of financial aid described in the STUDENT AID section of the Graduate Bulletin, the following awards typically have been available to graduate students in this program:
These fellowships include grants-in-aid covering all tuition charges. Advanced graduate students who do not hold fellowships or assistantships also may apply for graduate grants-in-aid that cover tuition charges.
EXCHANGE FELLOWSHIPS AT CHRISTIAN ALBRECHTS UNIVERSITÄT, KIEL, PHILLIPS UNIVERSITÄT, MARSBURG, AND THE BILDUNGSWISSENSCHAFTLICHE HOCHSCHULE, FLENSBURG—Available to graduate students in German and other fields for a full academic year. Students must have a good command of German. Stipend is approximately $500 per month plus tuition.
EDWIN ERLE SPARKS DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIP IN THE HUMANITIES—Available to a doctoral candidate in one of the following graduate programs: Comparative Literature, English, French, German, History, Linguistics, Philosophy, Spanish, and Speech Communication; stipend $13,000 plus waiver of tuition. Apply to department before January 15.
EDWIN ERLE SPARKS FELLOWSHIPS IN THE HUMANITIES (8)—Available to beginning and continuing graduate students in one of the following graduate programs: Comparative Literature, English, French, German, History, Linguistics, Philosophy, Spanish, and Speech Communication; stipend $12,650 plus waiver of tuition. Apply to department before January 15.
INTERDISCIPLINARY GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP for doctoral students for interdisciplinary course work to augment studies in German. Request information from Graduate Officer.
WALTER EDWIN THOMPSON AND DR. REGINA BLOCK THOMPSON SCHOLARSHIP FUND—Thompson Fellowships are available each year for graduate students in the Department of German. These awards range from $2,325 to $3,100 and can be awarded in addition to other grants or stipends. The Department of German grants a large number of these fellowships every spring semester.
Graduate assistantships require teaching, under supervision.
*GER 001G. ELEMENTARY GERMAN FOR
GRADUATE STUDENTS (3) Designed for students preparing to satisfy language requirements
for advanced degrees.
*GER 002G. ELEMENTARY GERMAN FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS (3) Continuation of GER 001G,
with opportunity for reading in special fields.
*No graduate credit is given for this course.
Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 599 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.
The Pennsylvania State University © 2004
The University reserves the right to change the requirements and regulations listed here and to determine whether a student has satisfactorily met its requirements for admission or graduation, and to reject any applicant for any reason the University determines to be material to the applicant's qualifications to pursue higher education. Nothing in this material should be considered a guarantee that completion of a program and graduation from the University will result in employment.
This electronic Graduate Bulletin is a version of the official bulletin of The Pennsylvania State University. It is suggested that users refer to this electronic bulletin when seeking the latest information about the University's academic programs and courses. Printed versions of the Bulletin are also official copies of the programs, courses, and policies in effect at the time of printing.
Last Revised by the Department: Spring Semester 2004
Blue Sheet Item #: 32-03-120
Review Date: 5/28/04
DATE LAST REVIEWED BY PUBLICATIONS: 7/9/07 (link check)