Graduate Program in German Studies
The graduate program in German Studies at the University of Michigan is widely recognized for its transdisciplinary approach.
Our world-renowned experts have won a stunning number of research and teaching awards. Faculty in the department are trained in German, as well as Comparative Literature, Film and Media Studies, History, Museum Studies, Music, Political Science and Philosophy. We offer a program of study rich in breadth, depth, and historical scope while entertaining close ties with other units across the university.
Experience a vibrant intellectual space that values innovative thought.
Our students benefit from close mentoring and exchange with faculty and our small class sizes create a deeply stimulating learning experience focused on careful balance between close textual analysis and historical and theoretical reflection. We offer classes on Modernism, German Idealism, Museum and Memory Studies, Translation Theory, Classical Reception, Imperium and Ruin Studies, Migrant and Minority Studies, Critical Theory, German-speaking cultures after 1945, Film and Media Studies, Music and Sound Studies, History of Sexuality, and Judaic Studies. See here for a list of recent graduate classes, and a list of required courses here.
Explore opportunities for research, study abroad and internships.
We maintain departmentally funded exchange programs in Germany and assist our students in obtaining competitive fellowships from national and international organizations to conduct research abroad. Our graduate school also provides funding for students to undertake internships at organizations of their choice.
Meet and collaborate with a highly diverse group of graduate students.
Our department fosters a climate of inclusivity that supports students from a variety of backgrounds. We are dedicated to increasing and supporting diversity within our program and the field of German Studies. Our students actively organize conferences and interdisciplinary workshops, such as the Alamanya Transnational German Studies Workshop, and participate in academic life on campus and beyond. Besides your concentration in German Studies, you can pursue certificate programs (or dissertation minors) in Film, Televisions and Media, Museum Studies, Judaic Studies, Translation Studies or Women and Gender Studies.
Learn to teach in the nation’s largest undergraduate program in German.
Aided by our outstanding language coordinators, graduate students gain valuable experience in a variety of pedagogical settings and regularly win competitive teaching prizes. In cooperation with the Center of Research on Learning and Teaching, our students may also work towards a Graduate Teacher Certificate that documents professional development as college-level instructors and prepares for a faculty job search.
We offer competitive funding packages for all students in our PhD program.
Our five-year package of full support, which includes tuition, health insurance, and a generous stipend, comprises a combination of fellowships, teaching, and summer funding.
We have an excellent placement record.
Graduates from our department are exceptionally well qualified for academic careers in German. Our program also prepares you well for other professional positions in museums, the nonprofit sector, the State Department, or as translators. See what recent graduates have to say about our program here.
