The department offers an interdisciplinary MA in German studies, focusing on German-speaking central European society from the Enlightenment to the present. In addition to expertise in German literature, the faculty’s interdisciplinary strengths include film, art and design, gender studies, queer studies, Black European studies, migration studies, comparative literature, philosophy, language pedagogy and translation. To get a better idea of the department’s areas of specialization, prospective students are encouraged to consult the list of recent graduate seminars and the profiles of the graduate faculty and expanded graduate faculty. The faculty works closely with students to design their own course of study. Most German MA students receive a teaching assistantship and tuition waiver. The graduate associate chair of German welcomes email inquiries about the program. For contact information and more general information on the MA in German studies, please visit the program's website.
Students wishing to pursue the interdisciplinary master's in German studies should read the requirements tab of this catalog carefully.
Education Abroad
Universities of Göttingen and Regensburg
One year (10 months) of study, from mid-October to the end of July.
- Number of positions: One at each university.
- Benefits: Matriculation plus a monthly stipend for living expenses and housing in a dorm.
- Note: German citizens are not eligible for the Regensburg exchange program but are eligible for the Göttingen exchange program.
For more information on graduate exchange programs in Germany, visit the department webpage.
For more information on any Education Abroad programs, scholarships and application information, contact Education Abroad, UCB 123, Boulder, CO 80309, (303) 492-7741 or visit the Education Abroad website.
Requirements
Program Requirements
Students who apply to the MA program but do not have approximately a B2 (or approximately seventh semester) level of German proficiency will have opportunities to achieve such proficiency while at CU.
The master's degree requires either 24 credit hours of approved coursework and a master's thesis (6 credit hours) or 30 credit hours of coursework without thesis and reading knowledge of one foreign language in addition to German and English.
All German MA students must take Theory and Practice of German Studies (GRMN 5010). All German teaching assistants must also take Applied Linguistics and Foreign Language Teaching Methodology (GRMN 5020). For specific requirements, visit the department's German MA webpage.
Degree Plans
Plan I: Thesis Option (Standard Option)
The thesis option requires 30 credit hours, including 24 hours of coursework and 6 thesis hours. A maximum of 6 credit hours may be completed at the 3000 or 4000 level at the discretion of the associate chair of graduate studies. A maximum of 6 hours of independent study coursework may be taken with the approval of the associate chair of graduate studies.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core/Required Courses | ||
| GRMN 5010 | Theory and Practice of German Studies | 3 |
| GRMN 5020 | Applied Linguistics and Foreign Language Teaching Methodology | 3 |
| GRMN 6900 | Master's Thesis | 6 |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Foundations of Critical Theory | ||
| Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School | ||
| Seminar: The Age of Enlightenment | ||
| Seminar: Topics in the Age of Goethe | ||
| The Invention of Sexuality | ||
| Gender, Race, and Immigration in Germany and Europe | ||
| Seminar: Topics in the 19th Century | ||
| Seminar: The German Novel from 1901--1956 | ||
| Seminar: German Intellectuals and Society Between the Wars | ||
| Seminar: Topics in Early 20th Century German Society | ||
| Seminar: Topics in Contemporary German-speaking Societies | ||
| Seminar: Open Topics in German Civilization | ||
| Goethe's Faust | ||
| Seminar: Current Issues in German Literature and Media | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Second Foreign Language | ||
| Students must have reading knowledge of a second foreign language to complete the degree. This requirement may be fulfilled by two college-level semesters of a foreign language, an approved study abroad program, or a course in reading knowledge of a foreign language. Courses used to fulfill the second foreign language requirement may be taken pass/fail. Courses below will fulfill the second foreign language requirement. | ||
| Beginning Arabic 2 | ||
| Beginning Chinese 2 | ||
| Beginning Danish II-DILS | ||
| Beginning French 2 | ||
| Beginning French Review | ||
| Beginning Modern Hebrew, Second Semester | ||
| Beginning Hindi 2 | ||
| Beginning Indonesian 2 - DILS | ||
| Beginning Italian 2 | ||
| Fast-Track Italian | ||
| Beginning Japanese 2 | ||
| Beginning Korean 2 | ||
| Beginning Latin 2 | ||
| Beginning Portuguese 2 | ||
| Beginning Russian 2 | ||
| Intensive Beginning Russian | ||
| Introductory Sanskrit 2 | ||
| Beginning Spanish 2 | ||
| Intensive First Year Spanish | ||
| Beginning Swedish 2 | ||
| Beginning Swedish 2 - DILS | ||
| Beginning Colloquial Tibetan 2 | ||
| Beginning Yiddish 2 | ||
Plan II: Non-Thesis Option
The non-thesis option requires 30 credit hours of coursework. A maximum of 6 credit hours may be completed at the 3000 or 4000 level at the discretion of the associate chair of graduate studies. A maximum of 6 hours of independent study coursework may be taken with the approval of the associate chair of graduate studies.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core/Required Courses | ||
| GRMN 5010 | Theory and Practice of German Studies | 3 |
| GRMN 5020 | Applied Linguistics and Foreign Language Teaching Methodology | 3 |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Foundations of Critical Theory | ||
| Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School | ||
| Seminar: The Age of Enlightenment | ||
| Seminar: Topics in the Age of Goethe | ||
| The Invention of Sexuality | ||
| Seminar: Topics in the 19th Century | ||
| Gender, Race, and Immigration in Germany and Europe | ||
| Seminar: The German Novel from 1901--1956 | ||
| Seminar: German Intellectuals and Society Between the Wars | ||
| Seminar: Topics in Early 20th Century German Society | ||
| Seminar: Topics in Contemporary German-speaking Societies | ||
| Goethe's Faust | ||
| Seminar: Open Topics in German Civilization | ||
| Seminar: Current Issues in German Literature and Media | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Second Foreign Language | ||
| Students must have reading knowledge of a second foreign language to complete the degree. This requirement may be fulfilled by two college-level semesters of a foreign language, an approved study abroad program, or a course in reading knowledge of a foreign language. Courses used to fulfill the second foreign language requirement may be taken pass/fail. Courses below will fulfill the second foreign language requirement. | ||
| Beginning Arabic 2 | ||
| Beginning Chinese 2 | ||
| Beginning Danish II-DILS | ||
| Beginning French 2 | ||
| Beginning French Review | ||
| Beginning Modern Hebrew, Second Semester | ||
| Beginning Hindi 2 | ||
| Beginning Indonesian 2 - DILS | ||
| Beginning Italian 2 | ||
| Fast-Track Italian | ||
| Beginning Japanese 2 | ||
| Beginning Korean 2 | ||
| Beginning Latin 2 | ||
| Beginning Portuguese 2 | ||
| Intensive Beginning Russian | ||
| Beginning Russian 2 | ||
| Introductory Sanskrit 2 | ||
| Beginning Spanish 2 | ||
| Intensive First Year Spanish | ||
| Beginning Swedish 2 | ||
| Beginning Swedish 2 - DILS | ||
| Beginning Colloquial Tibetan 2 | ||
| Beginning Yiddish 2 | ||
Learning Outcomes
By the completion of the program, students will be able:
- Critically reflect on key concepts of media, history, and cultures of German-speaking societies from transnational or global perspectives.
- Conduct research and engage in critical analysis in the area of study, leveraging German language skills and to be able to express that research in ways accessible to intended readership or audience, such as the broader scholarly and/or public community.
- Expand historical understanding
- Cultivate intercultural competency.
- Demonstrate the ability to engage critically and comparatively with diverse perspectives and positionalities within German-speaking societies.
- Develop specialized competency in at least one subject area of German Studies (e.g. a period or movement in literature, film or other medium; a topic; a historical period or political movement; a pedagogical concern in second language acquisition, etc.).
- Develop specialized competency in at least one theoretical or methodological approach within German studies (e.g. literary or film analysis, feminist or queer approaches, theories of translation, etc.).
Dual Degree Program
MBA/MA in German Studies
To support the university's mission of advancing knowledge across disciplines, the Leeds School of Business and the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures offer a dual degree, Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts in German studies. In most cases, students should be able to complete the dual degree in three years with a total of 70 credit hours.
Prospective students must apply to and meet the application and admission requirements for each program separately. See the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures website to apply to the German studies MA program, and the Leeds School of Business website to apply to the MBA program.