German - 2022-23 Graduate Catalog

Chair: Phil Peek
Graduate Coordinator: Edgar Landgraf
Address: 203 Shatzel Hall
Phone: 419-372-7693
Email: elandgr@bgsu.edu
German Program Web Page

Degrees Offered
Master of Arts
Graduate Certificate in German for Professionals and Educators

Program Offered
The Department of World Languages and Cultures offers programs leading to the Master of Arts in German. It is also possible to pursue a dual Master of Arts in German and Political Science, History, French, Spanish, or Music History, as well as other disciplines.
Accelerated BA to M.A. program plan available

The graduate programs in German are flexible enough to meet a variety of student needs and career goals, including in education, government service, and the private sector. Students interested in teaching can work on obtaining teacher certification while earning a master's degree. Students can pursue a Ph.D. preparatory program with a strong concentration in literature, film, and culture, or focus more on pedagogy and language acquisition. The department also has a writer-in-residence program.

M.A. students ordinarily fulfill part of their degree requirements in Salzburg, Austria, through the department's academic year abroad (AYA) program. Students usually spend their first year of study in Salzburg and complete their degree on the main campus the following year.

Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Master's degree, students in the German program are expected to be able to:

• Attain "Advanced Mid" or higher (following ACTFL guidelines) proficiency in German;
• Demonstrate understanding of the aesthetic qualities and socio-historical contexts of a set of representative texts from German culture;
• Utilize advanced intercultural and international competence - compare and assess cultural, political, historical, economic or other similarities and differences between North American and a German speaking country;
• Be able to employ different interpretive approaches to cultural, historical, political, or economic text;
• Demonstrate ability to interact in professional contexts with German native speakers;
• Demonstrate ability to analyze and solve real life professional problems collaboratively in a professional setting in a German speaking country. 

Prerequisites to Graduate Work
Admission to graduate study in German requires an undergraduate major or minor in German (not less than twenty semester hours beyond the intermediate level for the MA, twelve for the Certificate). Applicants with less background may be accepted, provided they are willing to take additional language courses as specified by the graduate coordinator.

As a basic entrance standard, the Department of German, Russian, and East Asian Languages requires a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 (on a scale of 4.0) and a GPA of 3.0 or better in German.

Admission Procedure
Applicants seeking admission to the graduate programs in German should follow the instructions outlined in the Graduate Admission webpage.

Degree Requirements

Master of Arts
A candidate may pursue a Master of Arts degree in German under the following two plans:

Plan I: Candidates must complete a minimum of thirty semester hours of graduate credit that included the writing of a formal thesis for six hours of credit. Students must pass an oral examination on the thesis.

Plan II: Candidates must complete a minimum of thirty semester hours of graduate credit. No formal thesis is required. Students must pass a written examination on an area of specialization and an oral follow-up examination on the area of specialization and a related area.

Under either plan candidates must pass proficiency examinations in the German language, usually administered in Salzburg. A minimum of twenty-four hours in German is required, including GERM 6010, a seminar and one from the following courses: linguistics, translation, GERM 6150 or 6160. Beyond this minimum, students may apply courses in cognate areas toward their degree, subject to the approval of the graduate coordinator.

Graduate Certificate for Professionals and Educators
The Graduate Certificate in German for Professionals and Educators is designed to meet the needs of professionals working for businesses or international organizations with ties to a German-speaking country, as well as for teachers of German who require graduate credits for certification. The program offers students the opportunity to develop professional-grade German language skills, deepen their cultural knowledge of the German-speaking world, and acquire advanced intercultural competence.

The program accommodates different specializations and encourages research in related fields, such as tourism, business, history, communication studies, political science, or pedagogy.

The program includes summer or semester study in Salzburg, Austria. High school teachers may add an additional three credit hours course to fulfill Ohio’s College Credit Plus requirements.

Graduate Courses
Please access graduate courses online at http://www.bgsu.edu/registration-records/courses-and-classes/class-course-information.html. Graduate courses offered by the Department of World Languages and Cultures use the prefixes: GERM and GREA.