German, Russian and East European Studies

Note: The department is presently not accepting applications to its M.A. and Ph.D. programs.

Master of Arts

The program leading to the M.A. degree is designed to deepen and broaden the student's knowledge of German culture, literature, and media from its beginnings to the present day, with special emphasis on major areas not usually covered in-depth in an undergraduate course of study.

In order to be admitted to candidacy for the master of arts degree, a student is required to prove ability in writing and speaking German to the satisfaction of the department.

Candidates for the master's degree must meet three separate requirements: complete 30 credit hours of formal course work, submit written evidence of research abilities, and pass an oral examination based on course work and the departmental core reading list. Nine of the 30 credit hours are to be at the 3000 level and above in the department, and a minimum of 3 credit hours should be in a graduate seminar. The oral examination is normally taken at the end of the student's third semester. As a rule, independent study will not fulfill the requirement of formal course work. Evidence of research abilities will usually take the form of a research paper of twenty-five to thirty pages that is based on a term paper and is to be submitted no later than the end of the student's fourth semester at Vanderbilt. As an alternative, students may choose to complete 24 credit hours of formal course work and to write a master's thesis. The latter is a research paper of sixty to eighty pages in length that gives evidence of scholarly competence and independent, critical thought. The research-writing requirement for this latter option is satisfied after the formal course work and the oral examination have been completed.

The department expects candidates to meet all formal course requirements for the master's degree within three semesters. The student must maintain a minimum B average, provide evidence of scholarly research abilities, and pass the oral examination to receive her/his degree. The M.A. examination committee consists of three faculty members drawn from the department; usually–but not necessarily–the chair or the director of graduate studies serves as one of the examiners.

All candidates awarded a Teaching Assistantship will enroll in Foreign Language Teaching Theory and Practice during their first term of teaching. The student arranges her/his program in consultation with the director of graduate studies and in recognition of departmental objectives.

Through the combined B.A./M.A. (4+1) option, the department offers exceptional students the opportunity to earn both the B.A. and the M.A. in five years. Students will be provisionally admitted to the 4+1 program only by approval of the department. Further information about the program is available from the director of graduate studies.

Doctor of Philosophy

Admission to the program does not imply acceptance for candidacy in the Ph.D. program. Performance well above the minimum Graduate School requirement of a B is expected for admission to the Ph.D. program. Candidates normally obtain the M.A. before going on for the Ph.D. The purpose of the doctoral degree at Vanderbilt is to develop the talented candidate's capacity to make independent contributions to the field of German literature, media, and cultural studies. Transfer students should consult the Graduate School requirements for the doctorate.

The Ph.D. degree requires a total of 72 credit hours to graduate. Students who enter the program with a B.A. are required to take 60 credit hours of formal course work; students who enter the program with an M.A. are required to take 42 credit hours of formal course work. Courses that count toward the formal course work requirement include the 6 core courses listed below and all of the other graduate courses listed in the catalog for the German Ph.D., with the exception of credit hours taken for non-candidate research and dissertation research. In addition to taking required and non-required seminars within the department, graduate students are expected to enroll in at least two seminars on relevant materials taught by members of the German Studies faculty outside of the department. Students are typically also allowed to take at least two additional courses (6 credit hours) outside of the department with other faculty members to enrich their interdisciplinary training. All formal course work needs to be completed in order to pass the Qualifying Exam. Students entering the program with an M.A. may transfer up to 6 credit hours in consultation with the DGS after the end of their first year; such transfer credits, however, cannot be used to offset any of the required formal course work. Remaining credit hours to complete the mandated 72 credit hours include non-candidate and dissertation research. Each student is required to take the following courses (18 credit hours) as part of their required 60/42 credit hours of formal course work:

• Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
• Language Proficiency Exam (TOEFL or IELTS)
• Transcripts
• Statement of purpose
• Letters of recommendation

You may start a Graduate School application for one of the following degrees: PhD, MA, MS, MFA in Creative Writing, and MLAS. For any other degree not listed above, please begin looking at the list of disciplines and majors offered through Vanderbilt University.

Applicants with bachelor's or comparable non-U.S. degrees may apply to the Graduate School.