Graduate Program German Studies

One of the leading graduate programs nationally and internationally, German Studies at Cornell offers a flexible yet rigorous course of study that draws on the expertise of faculty members from both the Department of German Studies and a variety of units in the College of Arts and Sciences and other schools (including Comparative Literature; Theater, Film, & Dance; Philosophy; History; Government; Music; and Architecture, Art & Planning). The German Studies faculty has a strong interest in cultural and intellectual history, philosophy, literary theory, gender studies, Jewish studies, visual studies, film, and music. Members of the faculty are also affiliated with the Medieval Studies Program, the Program of Jewish Studies, the Department of Music, the Department of Performing and Media Arts, the Visual Studies Program, and the Department of Comparative Literature.

Students are encouraged to pursue their academic interests by exploring a variety of disciplinary and theoretical approaches. Cornell’s unique field system, which fosters close cooperation among scholars working on related topics across departments and schools, is key to supporting our students’ cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary research in German Studies. Advanced graduate students regularly share their research-in-progress in colloquium series organized each semester by the Institute for German Cultural Studies. Students also organize yearly conferences that provide a venue for showcasing past and current work and typically draw participants from North America and Europe.

For more information about examinations and requirements please refer to the Guide for Graduate Students in German Studies.

Our program is designed to grant students maximum freedom in tailoring their studies to their academic interests. Graduate students work closely with a Special Committee of their choice that advises them and administers the examinations required for an advanced degree. The Graduate School permits any combination of major and minor subjects approved by the candidate's Special Committee.

To allow for maximum flexibility in their studies students are expected to complete a minimum number of required courses, including:

Students encouraged to apply include undergraduates who have completed a German major as well as individuals who have majored in Humanities or Social Sciences and have a strong interest in German Studies. Fluency in the German language is required.

We recommend that all applicants submit scores on the Graduate Record Examination aptitude test (GRE). In addition, we require a writing sample (in either German or English, possibly no longer than 25 double-spaced pages); transcripts; at least two letters of recommendation. Students whose native language is not English must also submit TOEFL scores.

The application process must be done on-line through the Graduate School and must be completed by January 2. Cornell University expects all applicants to complete their application materials without the use of paid agents, credentials services, or other paid professional assistance. The use of such services violates University policy, and may lead to the rejection of application materials, the revocation of an admissions offer, cancellation of admission, or involuntary withdrawal from the University.

Financial Aid:

Incoming graduate students are offered a standard package that includes two years of full fellowship support and three years of Teaching Assistantships in beginning language and literature courses and in the First-Year Seminar Writing Program sponsored by Cornell’s Knight Institute. The package also includes four years of summer funding. Apprentice teaching is considered an essential part of the graduate program in German.

In addition to the guaranteed financial support students can also apply for a number of fellowships that will give them the opportunity for study abroad. They include: one exchange fellowship with the Humboldt University in Berlin, Cornell-Heidelberg Exchange Fellowships, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)Fellowships, and Fulbright Program fellowships administered through the Einaudi Center for International Studies.

More information on graduate fellowships, travel grants, and financial aid is available from the Institute for European Studies and the Graduate School.

The Cornell Libraries have more than 7.8 million volumes, including extensive holdings in all periods and aspects of Germanic studies. Of special interest are the Bopp Philological Collection, the Zarncke Collection of medieval through eighteenth-century texts (including substantial Luther and Lessing collections), the Witchcraft Collection, the Loewy Masonic Collection, and the Fiske Icelandic Collection.

The library actively collaborates with faculty in German Studies on projects such as the digital collection of video conversations between Heiner Müller and Alexander Kluge and Signale: Modern German Letters, Cultures, and Thought, a print + electronic monographic series published under the joint imprint of Cornell University Library and Cornell University Press.

Pandaemonium Germanicum (PG) is the association of graduate students in German Studies. The purposes and goals of PG are as follows:

All current graduate students in the Department of German Studies at Cornell University are eligible for membership. Active participation is voluntary.

Regular activities organized by Pandemonium Germanicum include: