Required Courses GRMN 6001: Advanced German Composition and Conversation (or test, if not a native speaker of German) GRMN 7300: Master's Thesis GRMN 7500: Teaching College German (if a Graduate Teaching Assistant) General Requirements The M.A. in German Studies (thesis track) requires 30 credits at the graduate level. A minimum of 24 of these credits must be in regular coursework, and up to 6 hours may come from research hours, including: GRMN 7000, GRMN 7300, or GRMN 8160 (all 3 hours). The final examination for the thesis-track Master's degree consists of a written exam, and a written thesis followed by an oral defense. The thesis will be written under the direction of the student’s major professor, whom the student should select in the course of the third semester of study in the program. In addition to the major professor, the M.A. Committee will consist of two readers, whom the student should appoint in consultation with the thesis director by the end of the third semester of study. The major professor and readers are also charged with the evaluation of the written exam. Students pursuing the thesis option will need to submit a Thesis Proposal Form during their third semester of study. The Written MA Exam The exam is comprised of questions from the three different professors serving on the student's MA Committee. It is three hours in length. Two hours of exam time should be devoted to questions concerning the core reading list, and one hour to questions concerning the supplemental reading list. The major professor will be responsible for questions related to the supplemental reading list. The purpose of the M.A. exam is to test the student's knowledge of German Studies, as well as of a self-selected area of expertise. The exam is based on: a core reading list provided to the student upon acceptance into the program. The reading list is meant to be studied independently and should be prepared in full by the student for the exam. Students prepare the list that reflects their area of concentration in either literature or linguistics. a supplemental reading list in an area of specialization of the student's choice. For students writing an M.A. thesis, the supplemental reading list should preferably be related to the student's thesis topic. The reading list should be compiled by the student in consultation with the major professor and be distributed to all members of the M.A. Committee upon completion of the third semester of study. The MA Thesis The purpose of the M.A. thesis is to apply advanced research skills and demonstrate the ability to analyze a given subject critically and in-depth. Specifications for the thesis are as follows: focuses on a topic in German Literature, German Studies, Germanic Linguistics, or Pedagogy. may be the result of a substantially revised research paper or an independent project agreed upon in consultation with the faculty member directing the thesis. must be at least 30 pages in length (in accordance with graduate school guidelines for formatting), excluding bibliography, dedication, table of contents, and appendices not belonging to the body of the thesis. must be turned into readers at least seven (7) days before the scheduled defense and fourteen (14) days before the student's submission of the thesis to the graduate school. may be written in either English or German. The student must defend the thesis in an oral defense. While the Graduate School requires only a pass/no pass decision for thesis and oral defense, the department will internally evaluate the quality of the student's work in the following three categories: pass with distinction, pass, and no pass. This evaluation shall be announced to the student at the end of the oral defense. PDF Version - Fall 2026
