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Admission | Teaching | Stipends | Plan of Study | The Exam | Reading List

The Reading List

All students will take a Master's Examination. The Master's Examination will be based on two documents: an M.A. core reading list and a specialty reading list. The core reading list is available at the Graduate section of the German Studies Division website. This list will provide the basis for the general portion of the exam.

The Examination Committee

At the end of the second semester of graduate study, students will decide on an examination committee and chair (total of three faculty members). They will meet with the advisor for graduate studies and the chair of their committee before year's end. If in the course of the second year students wish to amend their committee, they are free to do so.

The Specialty

All students, regardless of whether they intend to follow plan A (thesis) or plan B (non-thesis), are required to choose a specialty by the beginning of their third semester of study. For their particular specialty, they will prepare their own list of primary and secondary works. This list should be completed by October 1 of their second year of study (or the middle of the third semester of study). This list is to be compiled in consultation with the student's examination committee. Its final form is due before that semester ends. This specialty reading list will consist of primary and secondary literature and be finalized in consultation with the entire committee. Works read in the fourth semester may be added on an ad hoc basis.

During the process of producing the specialty list, the student will produce a one-page abstract explaining the focus of the list. The abstract should indicate the particular areas of focus and the reasons behind the choices of given texts. This abstract should be written in consultation with the committee and a final version distributed to all committee members by the end of the semester before the student takes the exam. For summer exams, both the list and the abstract should be submitted to the commitee by mid-March.

The Examinations

The committee chair is responsible for arranging examination times, and the department's Director of Graduate Studies must notify the graduate school at least two weeks in advance about a pending examination. Students need to make sure that they have no grades of "Incomplete" in class work, that they have paid all fines at the library or elsewhere, and that they have fulfilled all the other degree requirements.

The M.A. examination consists of a written and oral component. The oral exam typically lasts two hours and is taken in the days after completing the written component. The written exam will have two parts:

  •  A 4-hour exam taken in the department (10th floor of POT) devoted to Identifications and a Pedagogy Section related to pedagogical or classroom applications of the theories of language learning (for students who have taught in the program and taken the pedagogy courses). The ID’s are a series of short answers, around half a page each, covering the core reading list. Students may be asked to identify works by title or as a text excerpt. Literary concepts and literary historical developments, such as major movements in German literature, will also be included. Students whose exam does not contain a Pedagogy section will have a more extensive Identification section.

  • A take-home essay written over 48 hours devoted to one essay question each on the specialty list and core reading list.  

The Thesis

In general, the faculty prefers that students use their two years of study time to broaden and diversify their knowledge about German literature and culture. Students considering using plan A (the thesis option) must therefore first consult with the graduate studies advisor to get permission. If the thesis option is approved, the student moves on to choose a committee and Thesis Director (total of three faculty members). The student works out a topic statement for the committee, with a copy to the graduate studies advisor for the file. With the advisor, the student works out a research plan and calendar for completion of the thesis. See the UK Graduate School Bulletin for more details.