We offer a vibrant MA program in German, with areas of study in literature, linguistics, and interdisciplinary studies. Our graduate students, former and present, have come from a variety of countries (e.g., Cameroon, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, and others) besides the US, making for a truly international group, all united by an interest in German. Tuscaloosa is also home to Mercedes-Benz US International, and the city has a substantial German community. All of this provides for a rich learning environment.
The German MA program, which is open to native and non-native speakers alike, is designed to provide students with enhanced proficiency in German (for non-native speakers) and intercultural competence relevant to Germany and other Germanophone nations, regions and minorities in an interconnected global context. The development of analytical skills in relation to German and Germanophone literature, culture, and linguistics, as well as familiarity with cutting-edge pedagogical practices, all aim at optimal preparation for success in attaining academic and professional goals. The department is committed to providing this training by means of the best facilities and technology available, and by relying on a staff of teachers and scholars with commensurate international experience and expertise.
The German MA program has areas of interest for students, all with or without thesis: German Literature, German Studies, and German Philology/Linguistics. All three areas are open to qualifying Accelerated Masters Program students who complete their BA while commencing the MA.
Admissions
In addition to the minimum Graduate School admission requirements, to be considered for regular admission an application must include:
• Three Letters of Recommendation
• A curriculum vita or resume
Applicants to any German are of focus are not required to submit an entrance exam score. However, applicants to all programs who want to position themselves for possible consideration for additional financial support in the form of an enhanced assistantship or fellowship should submit an entrance exam score, even when it is not required for admission. Applications for both full-time and part-time status are welcome. All applicants seeking full-time student status are considered for financial support in the form of a graduate teaching assistantship.
For students with deficiencies in undergraduate preparation, admission may be contingent upon completion of designated undergraduate requirements. In particular, all three tracks of the Master of Arts program in German, as described below, presuppose completion of an undergraduate survey of German literature or a survey of German culture/civilization that includes a substantial literary component. Students lacking this requirement who are nevertheless admitted to the German Master of Arts program must make up this course concurrent with their other coursework.
All prospective graduate students (non-native speakers) are encouraged to pass the German language proficiency exam level C1 (or equivalent thereof), at the latest towards the end of their studies.
See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.
Curricular Requirements
The German master of arts incorporates three focused areas of study. Upon completing coursework for any of the three focused areas of study, a student must pass a comprehensive examination based on the coursework and on a pre-established reading list, as indicated below.
The following descriptions of requirements pertain to the three focused areas of study of the German MA program.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Regardless of focused area of study, all graduate teaching assistants must enroll in the teaching practicum, currently offered under GN 514 Teaching Methodology.
German Literature - Thesis
Plan I (24 hours of coursework: In addition to German literature courses, students must take GN 510 History of the German Language and GN 515 Middle High German. With the approval of the German graduate advisor, 6 hours of graduate work in a related field may be applied to the degree.
| Plan I - Thesis | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| GN 510 | History of the German Language | 3 |
| GN 515 | Middle High German | 3 |
| Thesis Course | ||
| GN 599 | Thesis Research | 6 |
| Elective Courses | 18 | |
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Selected Authors | ||
| Seminar on a Literary Theme | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
German Literature - Non-Thesis
Plan II (30 hours of coursework, no thesis): In addition to German literature courses, students must take GN 510 History of the German Language and GN 515 Middle High German. With the approval of the German graduate advisor, 6 hours of graduate work in a related field may be applied to the degree.
| Plan II - Non Thesis | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| GN 510 | History of the German Language | 3 |
| GN 515 | Middle High German | 3 |
| Elective Courses | 24 | |
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Selected Authors | ||
| Seminar on a Literary Theme | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Germanic Philology - Thesis
| Plan I - Thesis | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| German Literature | 6 | |
| Middle High German | ||
| Renaissance Baroque Lit | ||
| Literature Age of Goethe | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Selected Authors | ||
| Seminar on a Literary Theme | ||
And other approved Literature/Culture courses | ||
| Philology Courses | 18 | |
| History of the German Language | ||
| Teaching Methodology | ||
| Middle High German | ||
| Historical Linguistics | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Related Fields | ||
| With the approval of the German graduate advisor, 9 hours of graduate work in a related field may be applied to the degree. Options include: | ||
| Qual Methds/Applied Ling Res | ||
| Quantitative Methods in Ling | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Pragmatics | ||
| Bilingualism | ||
| History English Language | ||
| Modern English Grammar | ||
| Global Englishes | ||
| Topics In Applied Linguistics | ||
| Second Language Development | ||
| Language 1 | ||
And other advisor approved Courses | ||
| Thesis Course | 6 | |
| Thesis Research | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Germanic Philology - Non-Thesis
| Plan II - Non Thesis | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| German Literature | 6 | |
| Middle High German | ||
| Renaissance Baroque Lit | ||
| Literature Age of Goethe | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Selected Authors | ||
| Seminar on a Literary Theme | ||
| Philology Courses | 24 | |
| History of the German Language | ||
| Teaching Methodology | ||
| Middle High German | ||
| Historical Linguistics | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Related Fields | ||
| With the approval of the German graduate advisor, 9 hours of graduate work in related fields may be applied to the degree. Options include: | ||
| Qual Methds/Applied Ling Res | ||
| Quantitative Methods in Ling | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Pragmatics | ||
| Bilingualism | ||
| History English Language | ||
| Modern English Grammar | ||
| Global Englishes | ||
| Topics In Applied Linguistics | ||
| Second Language Development | ||
| Language 1 | ||
And other advisor approved Courses | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
German Studies - Thesis
| Plan I - Thesis | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| German Literature, Culture, and Philology Courses | 15 | |
| Middle High German | ||
| Renaissance Baroque Lit | ||
| Literature Age of Goethe | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Selected Authors | ||
| Seminar on a Literary Theme | ||
| History of the German Language | ||
| Teaching Methodology | ||
| Historical Linguistics | ||
And other advisor approved Courses | ||
| German History | 3 | |
An advisor approved course with a strong German history component | ||
| Interdisciplinary Seminar | 3 | |
An advisor approved course with an interdisciplinary approach including options in GN, EN, HY, and MUS | ||
| Related Fields | 3 | |
With the approval of the German graduate advisor, 9 hours of graduate work in related fields may be applied to the degree | ||
| Thesis Course | 6 | |
| Thesis Research | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
German Studies - Non-Thesis
| Plan II - Non Thesis | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| German Literature, Culture, and Philology Courses | 15 | |
| Middle High German | ||
| Renaissance Baroque Lit | ||
| Literature Age of Goethe | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Spec Prob Direct Readngs | ||
| Selected Authors | ||
| Seminar on a Literary Theme | ||
| History of the German Language | ||
| Teaching Methodology | ||
| Historical Linguistics | ||
| And other advisor approved Courses | ||
| German History | 3 | |
An advisor approved course with a strong German history component | ||
| Interdisciplinary Seminar | 3 | |
An advisor approved course with an interdisciplinary approach including options in GN, EN, HY, and MUS | ||
| Related Fields | 9 | |
With the approval of the German graduate advisor, 9 hours of graduate work in related fields may be applied to the degree | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Transfer Credit
Graduate School information on Transfer Credit.
Accelerated Master's Program
The Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) in German is an exciting way to jump-start your graduate studies.
Graduate School information on the Accelerated Master's Program.
Comprehensive Exam
Upon completing coursework for any of the three areas of study in German, a student must pass a comprehensive examination based on their coursework and on a core reading list. The written exams consist of three parts with a total of six written exam questions (1.5 hours per question). The written exams are conducted on three consecutive days, and are scheduled by the German Graduate Advisor. The oral exam follows a week later and lasts 1 hour.
German Literature Exam
Part I: Reading List (Students answer two questions from a choice of three or four)
Part II: History of the Language/Linguistics (Students answer one question from a choice of two or three) and Reading List (Students answer one question from a choice of two or three)
Part III: Special Topics in Literature (Students answer two questions from a choice of three or four)
Part IV: Oral Exam (Addresses Written Exams, Reading List, and Special Topics)
German Studies Exam
Part I: Reading List (Students answer two questions from a choice of three or four)
Part II: Linguistics (Students answer one question from a choice of two or three) and German Studies Special Topics (Students answer one question from a choice of two or three)
Part III: German Studies Special Topics (Students answer two questions from a choice of three or four)
Part IV: Oral Exam (Addresses Reading List, Special Topics, and Written Exams)
Exam Structure
The Germanic literature and Germanic studies exams are structured as follows:
An exam committee consists of at least three faculty members and is set up by the student with the graduate advisor. Students pass each part by majority vote. In case of a tie, the student passes. All written parts must be passed in order to proceed to the oral exam. If a student fails part of the written exam, only that part must be retaken.
Students should have passed the German language proficiency exam C1 (or equivalent thereof) before being admitted to the comprehensive exams.
Special topics are usually based on coursework and must be established in consultation with the graduate advisor.
Each written exam will last three hours (i.e., one hour and thirty minutes per question). The oral exam may last up to one hour.
Practice questions may be discussed with the graduate advisor.
Students may view their corrected exams but may not make copies or remove them from the department.
Germanic Philology Exam
Part I: Applied Linguistics (Students answer two items from a choice of three or four). Items are typically based on coursework.
Part II: General Linguistics (Students answer one item from a choice of two or three) and German Literature (Students answer one item from a choice of two). Items are typically based on coursework.
Part III: Germanic Linguistics: Synchronic and Diachronic (Students answer two items from a choice of three or four). Items are typically based on coursework and the Linguistics Reading List.
Part IV: Oral Exam (Primarily addresses Coursework and Written Exams, but also includes Linguistics Reading List).
Exam Structure
The Germanic philology exam is structured as follows:
An exam committee consists of at least three people and is set up by the student with the graduate advisor. Students pass each part by majority vote. In case of a tie, the student passes. All written parts must be passed in order to proceed to the oral exam. If a student fails part of the written exam, only that part must be retaken.
Students should have passed the German language proficiency exam C1 (or equivalent thereof) before being admitted to the comprehensive exams.
Each written exam will last three hours (i.e., one hour and thirty minutes per item). “Item” may refer to one in-depth question, several shorter questions, brief identifications, or a combination thereof. The oral exam may last up to one hour.
Practice questions may be discussed with the graduate advisor.
Students may view their corrected exams but may not make copies or remove them from the department.
Students are encouraged to have an external M.A. exam committee member if that best reflects their coursework.
Plan I - Thesis Process Requirements
Candidates for the master's degree under Plan I must earn a minimum of 24 semester hours of credit in coursework plus earn a minimum of 6 additional hours of thesis research hours, for a total of 30 hours.
Plan II - Non-Thesis Process Requirements
Candidates for the master's degree under Plan II must earn a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit in coursework.
Time Limits for Degree Completion Requirements
Graduate School information on Time Limits.
Student Progress Requirement
Graduate School information on Student Progress.
Academic Misconduct Information
Graduate School information on Academic Misconduct.
Withdrawals and Leave of Absence Information
Graduate School information on Withdrawals and Leave of Absence.
Academic Grievances Information
Graduate School information on Academic Grievances.
Grades and Academic Standing
Graduate School information on Grades and Academic Standing.
Graduate School Deadlines Information
Information on Graduate School Deadlines.
Application for Graduation Information
Information for the Application for Graduation.