A&S—Germanic Languages and Literatures
The department offers programs leading to the MA and PhD in Germanic languages and literatures. On the MA level, the department offers tracks in combination with the Pennsylvania Instructional Certificate I and the TESOL Certificate (Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages). The department also participates in the Program for Cultural Studies and the Film Studies Program, where students may pursue graduate certificates at the MA or PhD level. Contact Information
- Department Chair: Clark Muenzer
- 412-624-5840
- Fax: 412-624-6318
- E-mail: muenzer@pitt.edu
- E-mail: germanic@pitt.edu
- www.pitt.edu/~germanic/graduate
Additional information concerning the department's graduate program
may be obtained from the University of Pittsburgh, Department of
Germanic Languages and Literatures, Graduate Secretary, 1409 Cathedral
of Learning, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Phone: 412-624-5909. E-mail:
ewp@pitt.edu.
For more on each of the following programs, visit www.pitt.edu/~germanic/graduate.
Applicants must indicate which degree they wish to pursue. Students seeking admission to the MA program with a BA in German or a related field need a minimum grade average of B (3.00). Students seeking admission for a PhD are expected to have completed an undergraduate degree in German with a minimum average grade of A- (3.70). Students with undergraduate training in related fields will be considered for full graduate status if their background in German language and culture is sufficient to succeed in graduate-level courses. For admission to the PhD, students completing their MA at the University of Pittsburgh must pass a preliminary evaluation in their final semester of study. For students entering with an MA from another institution, this evaluation takes place by the end of their first year of study at the University of Pittsburgh. Applicants are encouraged to submit their materials for fall term admissions by February 15. For awards considerations applications should be submitted by January 15. Applicants are encouraged to apply online at https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=up-as.
Students with a high proficiency in oral German are eligible for teaching assistantships or teaching fellowships. Students may also apply for graduate tuition scholarships, Andrew Mellon Predoctoral Fellowships, the Lillian B. Lawler Scholarship/Fellowship, the Provost’s Humanities Fellowships, the Fellowships in Cultural Studies, and Exchange Fellowships with the Universities of Augsburg and Bonn. A number of these fellowships are available for first-year graduate students. Interested candidates should submit their completed applications to the department by the beginning of January.
The Master of Arts normally takes two years of study. The requirements include 30 credits of graduate seminars within the department and an MA project. The MA project paper must be between 35 and 50 pages long. Six of the 30 seminar credits may be taken outside the department. All teaching assistants/fellows must successfully pass German 2970 as a basis for continuing financial support as a teaching assistant or fellow.
In addition to the satisfactory completion of courses, students must demonstrate a high level of proficiency in writing both in German and English by submitting for departmental approval at least one paper written in German and one paper written in English. They must also demonstrate reading proficiency in an additional language by the end of their last term of study.
Certificate Programs in Combination with the MA degree:
At the master’s level, the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures offers tracks in combination with:
- Certificate in Teaching offered by the School of Education.
- TESOL Certificate (Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages) in cooperation with the Department of Linguistics.
These cooperative programs typically can be completed in two calendar years and require 24 credits in the German department, as well as additional work in the cooperating department, program, or school.
The requirements for the PhD consist of: (1) at least 72 credits of course work, (2) reading knowledge of a language other than English or German, (3) the PhD comprehensive examination, (4) the dissertation prospectus, (5) the dissertation, and (6) the completion of a certificate program or approved work in a related area. Specific details are:
- The 72 credits of course work include 30 credits from MA studies, 24 credits of organized course work in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures before admission to candidacy, and 18 credits of additional course work, preferably for a certificate program such as cultural studies, film studies, women’s studies, West European studies, or a related area, such as computer-assisted language learning.
- Students must demonstrate a high level of proficiency in both English and German. High proficiency is defined as a superior on the ACTFL OPI scale or a 3 or above on the ILR scale. They must also demonstrate reading knowledge of another language.
- The PhD comprehensive examination, which consists of a written and an oral part, will normally be completed during the second year of PhD studies. Each examination committee consists of three faculty members. Students develop topics and reading lists that are approved by their examination committees. Each part of the comprehensive examination may be retaken only one time by the next academic term. Before completing the PhD comprehensive examination, students must submit to their examination committee two research papers that demonstrate scholarly potential.
- Students submit the dissertation prospectus one term after completing the PhD comprehensive examination. With approval of the prospectus (10–15 pages) by their doctoral committee and the assistant dean of graduate studies, students are admitted to PhD candidacy.
- Students writing dissertations must meet with their full doctoral committees once a year. The dissertation must be accepted by the doctoral committee after a public defense.
- Students are expected to make progress on their chosen certificate programs or related areas while writing their dissertations.
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