Master of Arts in German
Students wishing to further their education in German can acquire the Master's of Arts Degree at Texas Tech University. This advanced degree is especially useful for students who aspire to professional careers in academia, teaching, international business, foreign service and related fields. Our graduates have had great success in being accepted into major Ph.D. programs.
Graduate students at Texas Tech typically receive a teaching stipend to cover living expenses while pursuing their degree. Our program offers a world class language learning laboratory and resource center, computer facilities, excellent library facilities, and intimate contact with faculty members in small seminars. Students receive personal training in foreign language pedagogy and instructional technology. Opportunities exist for travel and study abroad.
For more information about the MA program in German, please contact the graduate recruiter:
Dr. Ingrid Fry
(806) 742-3145 extension 274
Ingrid.Fry@ttu.edu
Program Information
Currently under revision.
a) Admission:
Students who intend to become candidates for the Master's degree with a major in German must first obtain admission to the Graduate School. Admission procedures and requirements are outlined at the Graduate School website .
Prerequisites:
To be eligible for beginning study toward the Master's degree in German, a student must have taken at least 12 semester hours of work in upper division courses. Otherwise, the appropriate number of hours in such advanced undergraduate courses shall be indicated on the degree plan as leveling work.
Requirements:
The Master's degree program in German requires 30 hours of graduate courses, plus a thesis (which carries, ordinarily, 6 hours of credit). Without a thesis the requirement is 36 hours. Students enrolled in the German M.A. program have four options which are decided upon in consultation with the graduate advisor:
1) 36 hours in German,
2) 30 hours in German plus a thesis,
3) 30 hours in German plus a minor (6 hours), or
4) 24 hours in German plus a minor (6 hours) and a thesis (6 hours).
In consultation with the graduate advisor, courses in Applied Linguistics and Comparative Literature may apply to German program credit hours.
Master's Degree Program:
In the fist year of graduate study, the student shall submit to the Dean of the Graduate School the requisite "Program for the Master's Degree," prepared in consultation with and approved by his/her graduate advisor and, in case the student elects a minor, by an authorized representative of the department concerned. The degree plan should reflect a balanced program of courses, with a comprehensive view of German literature and development of language.
Students are expected to take part in the extracurricular activities sponsored by the department for graduate and undergraduate students.
A "Reading List and Study Guide" (see below) indicates representative works of German literature. Students are expected to be familiar with this material.
Second Foreign Language:
Unless a candidate for the Master's degree majoring in German has another foreign language as a minor, it is necessary to fulfill the reading knowledge requirement of a second foreign language in one of three ways, namely:
- by successfully passing the 2301, 2302 sequence in the required language, with a grade of B or higher in the second course of the sequence (or placing out of 2302 by means of the placement test administered in the Language Lab).
- by enrolling in the appropriate 6-hour program for graduate students ("reading knowledge course") and passing the second half with at least a grade of B.
- by passing satisfactorily one of the examinations furnished for the commonly taught languages by the Educational Testing Service and administered by the University Counseling Center or by a professor in the Department of CMLL.
The student should consult with his/her graduate advisor about the most suitable manner of fulfilling this requirement.
Candidacy for the Master's Degree:
Formal application for admission to candidacy for the Master's degree should be made to the Dean of the Graduate School promptly after completion of 9 to 12 hours of graduate courses. This application, obtainable at the Graduate Office, must be submitted no later than four months prior to the date of expected graduation. Specific requirements for candidacy are listed in the section entitled "Degree Programs" in the Graduate Catalog . The student should take special note of the fact that a grade average of B or higher is required for all graduate work. A period of six years is the maximum length of time generally allowable for completing work credited toward the Master's degree.
The Candidate's Advisory/Examining Committee:
This committee will consist of at least three members of the Departmental faculty. In consultation with the graduate advisor, the candidate is to select the members of the committee and determine its chairperson. The examining committee should be chosen from those professors who have directed the candidate's graduate study and/or whose courses he/she has taken.
Master's Thesis:
Although one has the option of taking extra courses instead of writing a thesis (see item c above), the latter is recommended for capable students, especially those considering further graduate work. The thesis, presenting the results of an original research project, shall be prepared under the direction of a senior member of the faculty, who will also be chairperson of the student's advisory committee (appointed by the Graduate Dean upon the recommendation of the department). Written approval by all committee members is necessary for official acceptance of the thesis. Depending on the student's language proficiency and/or preference, the thesis may be written in English or German. Manuscripts must conform typographically to the style set forth in the pamphlet entitled Instructions for Preparing and Submitting Thesis and Dissertations (obtainable at the Texas Tech University Bookstore). The University requires submission of the original and two copies of the thesis.
The Comprehensive Examination for the M.A. Degree in German:
Non-thesis Option –
- Written exam: The student will be responsible for all material covered in the departmental graduate courses for which he/she received a grade, for the reading list and for any other material agreed upon between the candidate and his/her committee chairperson.
- Oral Exam: The oral portion of the examination is to follow within a few days of the completion of the written examination. The examination will not be limited to questions asked on the written examination.
Thesis Option –
- Written exam: In addition to a general knowledge of German literature and culture, the candidate will be responsible for all material covered in the departmental graduate courses for which he/she received a grade, for the reading list, and for any other material agreed upon between the candidate and his/her committee chairperson. The thesis advisor will be the committee chairperson. The examination is to be completed as early as possible during the final semester in which the student is enrolled.
- Oral exam: The oral portion of the exam will be limited to a thesis defense. The final draft of the thesis is to be submitted to the members of the committee at least two weeks prior to the date of the defense. In order to allow for corrections and revisions (if any) of the thesis, the defense should be scheduled approximately one week before submission of the approved thesis to the Graduate School.
Examination Policy –
- After the written examination has been completed, each member of the committee will evaluate his or her section of the examination. The committee may meet to discuss the examination and to determine whether all sections of the examination have been passed. This meeting may be called by any member of the committee.
- In the event that the candidate fails any part of the written examination, the candidate will not be allowed to take the oral exam.
- The candidate may be reexamined one time after one semester on the sections of the written exam that were not passed.
- The committee evaluating the second examination should be the same committee that was appointed for the first examination.
- The candidate may be examined orally by the committee only after passing the written examination.
THE MINOR IN GERMAN FOR THE MASTER'S DEGREE
Prerequisite : The student must have completed at least the 3301, 3303 sequence (or its equivalent) of undergraduate work. Preferably, he/she should have taken a 4000-level literature course in addition.
Requirement: The minor consists of at least 6 hours of graduate courses. Since the graduate advisor for German is responsible for the minor degree plan, an early consultation with the advisor is recommended. An average grade of not less than B is required in courses for the minor.
FOR THE DOCTOR'S DEGREE
Prerequisite: Same as for the master's minor.
Requirement: A minimum of 18 hours of graduate work must be satisfactorily completed for the doctoral minor. The graduate advisor for German, being responsible for the student's minor degree plan, will be a member of the doctoral examination committee.
MASTER OF ARTS READING LIST AND STUDY GUIDE
Currently under revision
ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR NONDEGREE STUDENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE LUBBOCK COMMUNITY: Persons possessing a bachelors degree or higher may take undergraduate language courses as a Nondegree Student. Admission is simple: Obtain an application at www.ttu.edu/gradschool, apply for admission as a Post Graduate (PRGD) Nondegree Student, pay the $50 application fee, and submit transcripts of all previous college level study. When admitted enroll in the appropriate language course. Once admitted you may register indefinitely in undergraduate TTU courses. For more information contact the CMLL Academic Program Advisor, Liz Hildebrand, liz.hildebrand@ttu.edu, 200 Foreign Languages Building, 806-742-4055.