German Studies - Doctor of Philosophy at Michigan State University

To be considered for to the Doctor of Philosophy degree program in German Studies an applicant must:

1. Have completed a bachelor's or master's degree in a relevant field.
2. Submit a letter stating the applicant's academic background.
3. Submit a 500-word statement of purpose and research interest.
4. Submit to the department a writing sample, either a significant paper or a master's project, written in German and illustrative of the applicant's scholarly abilities.
5. Provide contact information for an interview.

To be admitted to the program on regular status, the applicant must demonstrate German language proficiency sufficient to pursue graduate work in German, as determined by program faculty. If an applicant appears to have inadequate language proficiency, to the program may be granted provisionally.

Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in German Studies

The student must:

1. Complete at least 24 credits but no more than 39 credits in courses approved by the guidance committee, including at least 18 credits in German studies and at least 6 credits outside of German studies according to the student’s research interests.
2. Demonstrate proficiency in German and English and document proficiency in a third language at a level appropriate to the student’s program of study, as determined by the guidance committee. 
3. Pass written and oral doctoral comprehensive examinations.  The examinations will be administered by the student's guidance committee.
   1. Written comprehensive examination:
      The written comprehensive examination will consist of the following parts:
      1. portfolio consisting of a current curriculum vitae, an annotated list of relevant course work, one original research paper suitable for publication, and a reflective statement on one’s research activities, teaching philosophy, and participation in co-curricular pre-professional activities.
      2. four-hour examination on an area or areas coordinated by the guidance committee that is based on courses taken and a reading list approved by the student’s guidance committee.
         To assure breadth, the portfolio paper should be in a different area from the focus area examined in the written examination.
   2. Oral examination: The oral examination will consist of the following parts:
      1. A public presentation, based on the paper referenced in item (1) of the written examination, followed by a question and answer session. 
      2. A two-hour examination based on item (2) of the written examination.
4. Submit a dissertation prospectus to the guidance committee no later than the end of the semester following the one in which the student passes the comprehensive examinations. Approval of the prospectus is required before the student may enroll for additional German 999 Doctoral Dissertation Research credits in subsequent semesters.
5. Successfully defend the dissertation.

Due to cancellations of many international English language proficiency tests, MSU will be temporarily accepting the following tests for international students applying for fall semester 2022. In addition, MSU will be expanding the ability for students to receive provisional admission. If a provisionally admitted student is able to take a test that meets our regular admission standards prior to enrollment, we will update their admission status to regular.