Table of Contents

1. Requirements for the Ph.D.
   1. Course work
   2. M.A. Exam and Qualifying Evaluation
   3. Foreign Language Requirement
   4. Transfer of Credit 
   5. Ph.D. Examination
   6. Dissertation Proposal
   7. Dissertation
   8. Dissertation Defense
2. Advising and Evaluation

Requirements for the Ph.D.

The Ph.D. program in Germanic Studies (FIGS) is planned as a five-year sequence, designed to streamline the candidate's progress through the degree program and allow stage-by-stage focus as follows:

1. Course work

Years 1-3 (first five semesters) are devoted to coursework. Students will take 4 courses per semester the first year, 3 courses per semester in the second year and in the first semester of the third year, when they will also be developing their portfolio as Teaching Fellows. In the second semester of the third year they will have either the opportunity to co-teach a content-course (upon approval of the Executive Committee) and the regular language course, or to undertake administrative duties, as part of their professional training.

In selecting courses, students should aim for broad coverage of periods and genres, as well as a diversity of methodological approaches. Courses, designed to train students in scholarly skills both written and oral, normally include research papers and in-class reports, explications de texte, and book reviews to prepare for publishing, teaching, and conference presentations. Non-native speakers of English should write at least 50% of their course papers in English and are encouraged to visit the University's Writing Center, located in Bennett Hall 415, to improve their critical reading and writing skills in English.

A total of seventeen (17) graduate courses are required for the Ph.D., to be distributed as follows:

1. The FIGS Proseminar, FIGS 7770, an introduction to graduate life—a course taken in the first semester of the first year.

2. A FIGS topics course—a content course (topic varies every year) taken in the second semester of the first year.

3. The M.A. Exam Preparation Course, FIGS 5000—taken in the second semester of the student's first year.

4. GRMN 5990 (Teaching and Learning)—a course taken during the first semester of the student's second year to support and implement their service as teaching fellows.

5. A Literary Theory course— taken in the student's first or second year.

6. 4 anchor courses taught in German by the FIGS Germanic faculty from 5 periods (see below). All anchor courses are taught in German, longer writing assignments may be completed in English.

        5 periods, from which students shall take 4 anchor courses in 4 periods. The five periods are:

• medieval (to roughly 1450)
• early modern (to roughly 1789)
• the long 18th century (roughly 1648‐1806)
• the long 19th century (roughly 1789‐1914)
• the long 20th century (roughly 1871‐today)

7. A minimum of 5 electives in Germanic studies is needed (cross-listed courses included). Courses will be chosen in consultation with the Graduate Chair. Depending on their content, courses from other departments may also count, with the approval of the Graduate Chair. 

8. Up to 3 courses outside FIGS in another field pertinent to the student's area of specialization.  Students often take elective courses in Germanic Languages and Literatures (whether taught in English, German, Yiddish or in Swedish or Dutch Studies), other literatures and languages, as well as Comparative Literature, Philosophy, History, History of Art, Music, History and Sociology of Science, and others and toward a certificate in Cinema Studies; Medieval Studies; Women, Gender and Sexuality; Jewish Studies; and at the Center for Teaching and Learning.

9. Portfolio assessment

At the end of the third year, on the threshold of moving from course work, pedagogical training, and mentored teaching to dissertation research, students prepare a portfolio of work completed during semesters 1-5, accompanied by a c.v. and a short narrative reflection (ca. 750 words), in which students introduce themselves and their research and professional interests in relation to the items in the portfolio. The purpose of this exercise is to allow students to reflect on their progress and their identity as scholar/instructors, and to prepare a foundation for the kinds of documents that their pursuit of an academic or related career will require. 

Items (no more than four) may include:

• a seminar paper (20‐page essay)

• a conference paper (12‐page essay)

• an annotated bibliography for a research field (working toward the prospectus and dissertation), including reference works (print and digital), archival materials (manuscript, print, or digital), and scholarship

• a syllabus for a course in German literature and culture

• a statement of teaching philosophy

Please note: these are items that students produce as part of the requirements of seminars or work they have already prepared (such as a conference paper). No new work is required, except for the narrative reflection. Shortly after spring break, students will present their portfolio to a committee of three faculty members who offer oral feedback on each portfolio piece. No grade is assigned.

Students are permitted to continue coursework past 17 course units with Graduate Chair approval.  

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Typical format:

Year 1- Educational Fellow

Fall Semester: 4 courses (including the FIGS proseminar, FIGS 7770)

Spring Semester: 4 courses (including the M.A. exam preparation course (FIGS 5000) and the FIGS topcis course)

M.A. Exam (end of the Spring semester)

Students are strongly encouraged to satisfy one of their language requirements in their first year.

 

Year 2- Teaching/Research Fellow

Fall Semester: 3 courses (including a Literary Theory course and GRMN 5990)

Spring Semester: 3 courses 

 

Year 3- Teaching/Research Fellow

PhD exam (beginning of the Fall semester)

Fall Semester: 3 courses

Spring Semester: no mandatory courses

Dissertation proposal

Students should have earned 17 course units by the end of their 3rd year.

 

Year 4- Educational Fellow

Dissertation research and writing

 

Year 5- Educational Fellow

Dissertation writing and completion 

Dissertation Defense

 

2. M.A. Exam and Qualifying Evaluation

At the end of the first year, in order to continue in the program, students must pass an oral M.A. exam, focused on a reading list of 25 titles. Students will attend a course in the second semester of their first year to prepare for the exam. 

In order to continue in the program, students must pass successfully a qualifying evaluation as well. At the beginning of a student's second year, the faculty will evaluate all aspects of the student's performance during their first year in the program, namely:

a) All written assignments completed for courses (exams and papers)
b) Grades
c) Contribution to class discussion
d) M.A. Exam (based on the reading list)

After all the evidence is considered by the graduate faculty, the student will be informed that they have:

• Passed the evaluation (including the M.A. exam) and are invited to continue studies toward the doctorate. If all the requirements are met, the student will be awarded a Master's degree in December of their second year.
• Passed the evaluation and are eligible to vie for a terminal Master's degree. A student who is judged eligible to vie for a terminal Master's degree will have the option of leaving the program in December or May of the second year. If the student completes course work successfully, they will be recommended to receive a terminal Master's degree either in December or May, as the case may be.
• Failed the evaluation and is asked to withdraw from the program at the end of the fall semester.

 

Guidance for the M.A. Examination

The Germanic Studies Ph.D. provides a solid grounding in the German literary tradition. The M.A. Examination consists of one 60-minute oral exam. It builds upon first-year coursework and a reading list. All students, including those who enter with a masters degree, must pass this benchmark in order to continue in the Ph.D. program.

The Standing Faculty in the Germanics section of FIGS developed a 25-work M.A. Reading List. This list is distributed to all students upon admission to the Ph.D. program. Students are encouraged to begin reading these works independently and with other Germanics graduate students when they arrive on campus. In addition, all students will enroll in an M.A. Exam Preparation Course in the second semester of their first year.

The texts from the Reading List should be read in the original German unless otherwise indicated. The student may determine whether the written or oral examinations will be in English or German.

At the exam, three faculty members from Germanics will ask questions based on the M.A. Reading List. Students will demonstrate general knowledge about individual authors, familiarity with standard periodization and genre designations, and accurate knowledge of a given text’s content. Above all, students will be expected to demonstrate their ability to speak about German literature and culture based on persuasive and compelling analyses supported by textual evidence. The exam responses will address an understanding of relationships among works and draw connections across time periods. Original insights are a plus but not required to pass the M.A. examination. Students may consult standard reference works on literary and cultural history, but it is not expected that students do secondary or historiographical research.

The grade for the exam is pass or fail. Students will be notified of the outcome one week after the exam was taken. 

Examination process should be completed by May 31 at the latest.

Should the student fail the exam, they may retake it one time, within one month. 

After all the evidence is considered by the graduate faculty, the student will be informed that they have:

• Passed the evaluation (including the M.A. exam) and they are invited to continue studies toward the doctorate. If all the requirements are met, the student will be awarded a Master's degree in December of their second year.

• Passed the evaluation and they are eligible to vie for a terminal Master's degree. A student who is judged eligible to vie for a terminal Master's degree will have the option of leaving the program in December or May of the second year. If the student completes course work successfully, they will be recommended to receive a terminal Master's degree either in December or May, as the case may be.

• Failed the evaluation and they will be asked to withdraw from the program at the end of the fall semester.

3. Foreign Language Requirement

German Language Exams. All students will take a German OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) in accordance with ACTFL (American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages) guidelines within the first four weeks of the fall semester of year 1 to assist in ascertaining German linguistic proficiency and to customize an effective course of study. A second OPI will be administered no later than May 10 of year 1. To teach German, students must demonstrate advanced language skills.

Other Language Exams. It is our belief that languages are integral to our intellectual projects and to encouraging international careers. Penn offers the richest choice of language instruction of the Ivy League institutions, and our students can profit from this wealth (free of tuition) at any point in their path to the Ph.D. Students must demonstrate reading knowledge in at least one additional language (other than English) that supports their research and teaching; all language exams must be completed by the end of spring term year 3.

In addition to German, students are required to demonstrate reading knowledge of another foreign language, normally one that is used significantly in their chosen field of specialization. The foreign language must be selected with the approval of the Graduate Chair. Students are encouraged to satisfy the foreign language requirement early in the program and in any case before they sit for the Ph.D. exam at the end of the third year.

This requirement may be satisfied one of three ways:

• A reading examination in a modern language, which will consist of a translation of about thirty lines of prose from a literary text and thirty lines of modern criticism (two hours with a dictionary). Reading exams are offered twice a year, once in October and once in March. The dates will be announced by the Graduate Coordinator. 

• Successful completion of a one-semester Latin course, in which the student has fulfilled all course requirements such as tests, quizzes, and homework assignments. The student will need to produce a letter from his or her instructor that attests to satisfactory performance in the course.

• Successful completion of a summer course for reading knowledge, offered tuition free by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences during the first summer session of each year. Reading courses are usually given in French, German, Spanish, and they are sometimes given in Latin. Students are expected to complete all course assignments and pass the final exam in order to fulfill the language requirement.

Alternative options to satisfying the language requirement may be approved by the Graduate Chair on a case-by-case basis.

Please note: Students specializing in Medieval or Renaissance studies need to fulfill a Latin requirement in addition to the other language. The Latin requirement may be fulfilled one of two ways:

1. Successful completion of a one-semester Latin course, in which the student has fulfilled all course requirements such as tests, quizzes, and homework assignments. The student will need to produce a letter from his or her instructor that attests to satisfactory performance in the course.
2. A translation exam in Latin, which will consist of one passage by a classical author and one passage by a Medieval/Renaissance author.

4. Transfer of Credit

Germanic Studies students can transfer a maximum of three graduate-level courses from a previous degree program toward their total of 17 required courses for the Ph.D. Requests for transfer of credit are reviewed by the Germanic Studies faculty and the Graduate Chair at the beginning of the student's second year in the program. Requests for transfer of credit must be accompanied by the appropriate documentation. Students must submit course descriptions, bibliographies, syllabi, papers, exams, and/or any other materials requested by the Germanic Studies faculty and the Graduate Chair.  Transfer credits will only count as electives courses. Anchor courses cannot be replaced by graduate work done elsewhere.

5. Ph.D. Examination

In order to be admitted to candidacy, students must pass successfully a Ph.D. examination (written and oral).

The Ph.D. exam will be taken in fall of the third year (or the 5th semester). It will be devised by an examination committee organized by the student in consultation with the student’s primary advisor and the Graduate Chair. (Students should choose their advisor and members of their examination committee by the end of the fourth semester.)

In preparation for the exam, students will work with their advisor to create two reading lists of 25-30 works each: 1) a period list, which corresponds to the period or periods relevant for the dissertation and helps the student establish expertise, but that is not narrowly focused on the dissertation topic; and 2) a field list, which includes works from other periods as well as theoretical, thematic, historical, and other works that help constitute the field or fields relevant for the dissertation. These lists must be approved by the examination committee.

The exam will consist of the following:

1. A take-home exam essay, to be completed within four days. The exam will be based on a topic formulated by the student’s advisor (in consultation with the committee). The topic will be in the student's field but will not be directly related to the proposed dissertation topic. It will be based on the texts from the period and field lists. It will be written in English or German and the length of the answer will be approximately 15-20  pages, double-spaced. The grade for the written Ph.D. examination will be pass/fail.

2. An oral exam to follow within one week will further probe aspects from the written exam and also address other texts from the student’s period and field lists. The exam will last about one and one-half hours. The grade for the oral Ph.D. examination will be pass/fail.

6. Dissertation Proposal

Following successful fulfillment of the Ph.D. Examination, the candidate will shape a dissertation project and writing schedule. A Dissertation Chair and a Dissertation Committee will be chosen through a selection process involving the candidate, the FIGS Graduate Chair, and the German faculty. The committee will consist of faculty members and at least 2 of which have to belong to the Graduate group. Whatever the composition of their Committee, all students are encouraged to consult informally and widely with the faculty beyond the Committee, both inside and outside the department. In consultation with the Committee, the candidate will prepare a draft of the dissertation proposal, which will serve as the basis for an informal oral presentation of the dissertation topic to the German faculty in the Spring of their third year.

7. Dissertation

The presentation of a dissertation is the final requirement for the Ph.D. The dissertation must represent the organized result of an investigation into some area or aspect of literature or culture that was previously unknown or at least insufficiently explored. Candidates must be thoroughly acquainted with all University regulations governing the writing and presentation of a dissertation, and should refer to the Doctoral Dissertation Manual. (Copies are available at the Graduate Division, 3401 Walnut Street, Suite 322A, or from the Graduate Coordinator.)

8. Dissertation Defense

A public, oral presentation of the dissertation will take place during the semester in which the student will graduate. The defense is open to all members of the University community. The defense will include both a short presentation given by the student and an oral examination of the thesis material.

2. Advising and Evaluation

Upon entering the graduate program in Germanic Studies, each student will be advised by the FIGS Graduate Chair, who will meet with students in an official capacity once during the fall semester and once during the spring semester to discuss course registration and general progress toward the degree. Students are from the beginning encouraged to consult other faculty members as well and take a maximum number of courses with fullest possible historical coverage of Germanic literature and cultural traditions. When a general area of concentration is identified as a possible source of a dissertation topic, the appropriate professor will become the student's principal adviser and, normally, the dissertation supervisor.

Early in the fall semester of each year, the faculty will meet to review students' overall performance in the program with respect to grades, class participation, quality of written material, and teaching. Because the faculty does not wish to encourage any student who may not be able to complete the degree with distinction, students who have not shown adequate command of oral and/or written German, have failed a course, have a grade point average lower than 3.5, or have generally performed below expectations may be: placed on departmental probation, asked to finish the requirements for a terminal M.A., or asked to leave the program. All students, new and continuing, are encouraged to discuss informally and at any time their progress with their Graduate Chair and their teachers.

Advisor/Advisee Expectations