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Graduate Program

General Requirements for the Ph.D.

Coursework: A total of 14 courses are required. Among these shall be:

  • Comparative Literature 1210 – Introduction to the Theory of Literature
  • 2 courses in German aesthetic theory: Classical aesthetic theory and Modern aesthetic theory
  • GRMN 2900 (rotates between departments) – Theory and Methods of Foreign Language Teaching
  • 4 courses in a secondary field of study
  • 6 electives at the 2000-level, or 1000-level when appropriate

Students entering the graduate program with a B.A. who have fulfilled some of these requirements during their first year in the graduate program will consult with the Director of Graduate Studies to augment their coursework during the first two years of the Ph.D. program

Foreign Language Exams:

Students may fulfill this requirement in one of two ways

  1. demonstrate reading proficiency in two languages (other than English and German) by taking the reading exams in those departments; or
  2. complete a 1000-level course in one foreign literature department.

Qualifying Exam:

Students will nominate a primary dissertation advisor by the end of the fourth semester, and the student will choose a 3-person examination committee in consultation with the advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. The commitee should include at least 2 members of the Department of German Studies (one of whom will usually be the advisor).

The two-hour oral exam will be based on three reading lists submitted by the student after consultation with the exam committee. The lists will cover three areas in which the student will focus his or her teaching and research. The areas should also be chosen with the dissertation project in mind and should prepare the candidate for work on the dissertation. The three areas are defined as follows:

  1. A period broadly defined, such as 18th century German literature, or 19th century German literature, or 20th and 21st century German literature
  2. A broad area of aesthetics, such as aesthetic theory, or 18th century aesthetics, or modern and postmodern aesthetics (ca. 1900 to the present), or digital aesthetics
  3. An elective field: a specific topic, genre, medium, or author from the students field of specialized interest, such as nationalism, modern drama, postwar cinema, migrant literature and film etc.

The final version of the reading lists shall be submitted to the members of the exam committee at the beginning of the same semester in which the student is to be examined, if the exam is taking place at the end of the semester, or at the end of the previous semester, if the exam is taking place at the beginning of the semester.

Dissertation Proposal:

Upon successful completion of the qualifying exam, the student shall nominate two other dissertation readers (at least one of whom should normally be a member of another department), in consultation with the primary advisor. By the middle of the semester after qualifying, the student shall submit a substantive, written dissertation proposal. The proposal will be examined orally by the three members of the dissertation committee by the end of that semester. The completed dissertation will be defended in an open two-hour examination of the candidate by the dissertation committee.

Teaching:

Students are required to teach for at least two years, though the norm will be higher.

Graduate student teaching is an important component of our program. As teaching assistants, graduate students work with the language program director to teach beginning and intermediate German. Graduate students are required to take a seminar on language pedagogy and to participate in annual teaching workshops held in August.As graduate students progress in their program, they will assist faculty in undergraduate courses in the German Studies Department. Advanced students Advanced students may be offered the opportunity to work with professors to design their own upper-level courses and/or teach such a course with a professor. be offered the opportunity to work with professors to design their own upper-level courses and/or teach such a course with a professor.Faculty mentoring of teaching assistants throughout their course of study is an integral part of our program. Students will be prepared to present a comprehensive teaching portfolio when they enter the job market.

In addition to the language-specific training administered by the German Studies Department, all graduate students are encouraged to participate in the seminars and workshops offered by Brown’s Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning. The Center offers a teaching certificate program through which graduate students may be awarded Certificate I, II and III.

The Goethe Institut Boston also periodically offers pedagogy workshops that graduate students are encouraged to attend.

Advanced students will be offered the opportunity to work with professors to design their own upper-level courses and/or teach such a course with a professor.

Other Requirements:

Students are expected to organize and participate in student-run colloquia. Graduate students and faculty from other departments working in the area of German Studies will be invited to participate in these.Students will present their own work and invite the occasional Brown or non-Brown speaker.