COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in German is a structured graduate program designed to provide advanced study in German literature, language, culture, and related interdisciplinary fields through three distinct focused areas: German Literature, Germanic Philology, and German Studies. Each track is offered in both thesis (Plan I) and non-thesis (Plan II) formats, typically requiring a total of 30 graduate credit hours, with the exception of Philology where specific coursework distribution may vary by focus. Across all options, students are required to complete foundational graduate-level coursework such as GN 510 (History of the German Language), GN 515 (Middle High German), and additional literature and culture seminars like GN 551 and GN 576, ensuring strong grounding in linguistic history and literary analysis. Elective flexibility allows students to pursue specialized interests through courses in German literature, historical linguistics, and seminar-based thematic studies, while also permitting up to 6–9 credit hours of advisor-approved coursework from related fields such as applied linguistics, English language studies, or bilingualism, depending on the track.In the German Literature track, the thesis option requires 24 hours of coursework plus 6 hours of thesis research (GN 599), while the non-thesis option replaces the thesis with additional electives to reach 30 total credit hours. The Germanic Philology track places stronger emphasis on language history and linguistic development, requiring coursework in historical linguistics and teaching methodology alongside literature, with either a 6-credit thesis or additional coursework in the non-thesis option. The German Studies track is the most interdisciplinary, combining literature, philology, culture, and German history with an interdisciplinary seminar requirement and additional related-field study, also culminating in either a thesis or expanded coursework depending on the plan.Overall, the program emphasizes comprehensive expertise in German studies through a balance of core linguistic training, literary analysis, cultural and historical understanding, and research or applied academic work, preparing students for careers in academia, education, translation, or advanced interdisciplinary research.