Handbook
for Graduate Students in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures
PREFACE
This "Handbook" is an attempt to
describe the most essential aspects of the graduate study of German, as
determined by departmental policy and University regulations. In addition
to this compilation of rules and guidelines, every graduate student should
read the pertinent sections of the latest edition of the Graduate School
Catalog.
Quotations in the text refer either
to the current edition of the Graduate School Catalog (GS Cat.)
or to the current edition of the College Graduate Division Advising
Manual (Coll. Man.)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ADVISING
DIAGNOSTIC
EXAMINATIONS
GRADUATE
RECORD EXAMINATION
TRANSFER
OF CREDITS
Ph.D.
RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT
ENROLLMENT
IN GRADUATE COURSES
KINDS
OF GRADUATE COURSES
FREQUENCY
OF COURSE OFFERINGS
TERM
PAPERS
GRADES
APPLICATION
FOR DEGREE
COMMENTARY
ON DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
COMMENTARY
ON DEGREE EXAMINATIONS
THE
MASTER'S THESIS AND THE DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
PROCESSING
OF THE THESIS OR DISSERTATION
POST-COMPREHENSIVE
ENROLLMENT
G.T.A.
/ G.R.A. SUPPORT
TRAVEL
MONEY
GRIEVANCE
PROCEDURES
ANNOUNCEMENTS
AND COMMUNICATIONS
ATTENDANCE
AT DEPARTMENTAL EVENTS
EMPLOYMENT
APPENDIX
A: THE GRADUATE PROGRAM
APPENDIX
B: DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
APPENDIX
C: GRADUATE COURSES OFFERED
APPENDIX
D: TWO-YEAR CYCLE PLAN FOR COURSES IN THE GRADUATE PROGRAM
APPENDIX
E: GUIDELINE FOR THE EXAMINATIONS
APPENDIX
F: M.A. REQUIRED READING LIST
APPENDIX
G: VISITATION POLICY
APPENDIX
H: DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEES CONCERNING GRADUATE AFFAIRS
ADVISING
At the time of first enrollment in the Graduate
School, students will consult individually with the graduate director
of the Department, who will discuss their academic plans with them and
serve as their graduate advisor during the first year. Subsequently,
during advising periods the students will confer with their advisor
and arrive at an appropriate schedule of courses. Beginning with the
second year, students will work with a different faculty advisor chosen
by the student and the graduate director. Students should never hesitate
to approach faculty members for counsel about their academic standing.
DIAGNOSTIC EXAMINATIONS
During the week before classes, all incoming
graduate students will be given a diagnostic examination administered
by the Graduate Committee. The examination will consist of a written
part (a one-hour essay) and an oral part (approximately 15-20 minutes).
The purpose of this examination is to determine the students' level
of spoken and written German.
In the case of native speakers of German, the
Diagnostic Examination shall be given in English, rather than in German.
By "native speaker" we understand a person who has completed the Abitur.
Students who are found deficient in their command of English will be
advised to take appropriate course work in the Applied English Center
or in the English Department, depending upon their needs, as determined
by the Graduate Committee.
Graduate students who do not pass the diagnostic
test of language skills in German or English will have their admission
status changed to "provisional". Students will have two semesters or
one year to remove the deficiency in their language skills. If students
have not passed the diagnostic test by the beginning of the third semester
of graduate work, they will not be allowed to continue enrollment in
the graduate program in German.
GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is one
of the requirements for admission to the departmental graduate program.
In cases where applicants find it impossible to complete this examination
before being considered for admission, an assistantship or fellowship,
this requirement may be waived by the graduate director.
TRANSFER OF CREDITS
For the Master of Arts, six hours of transferred
graduate credit (eight if the student holds a Bachelor's degree from
the University of Kansas) may be applied to the total of thirty semester
hours required for the degree. Students planning to transfer graduate
credit from other institutions are urged to secure advance approval;
in order to have this credit count, they must submit, to the Department,
two transcripts showing the work done elsewhere and indicating clearly
that it was taken for graduate credit while enrolled in a graduate program,
but not used for another degree. M.A. candidates who desire to use transfer
credit to fulfill specific course requirements for the M.A. degree (GERM
701; GERM 711; GERM 721) must pass a qualifying examination in that
subject administered by the Department before receiving such credit.
No transfer of credits is allowed for the Ph.D.
(see GS Cat.).
Ph.D. RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT
"Two semesters, which may include one summer
session, must be spent in resident study at the University of Kansas.
During this period of residence, the student must be involved full-time
in academic or professional pursuits, which may include an appointment
for teaching or research if the teaching/research is directed specifically
toward the student's degree objectives. The student must be enrolled
in a minimum of six (6) credit hours per semester, and the increased
research involvement must be fully supported and documented by the dissertation
supervisor as contributing to the student's dissertation or program
objectives. The research work must be performed under the direct supervision
of the major adviser if on campus, or with adequate liaison if off campus."
(GS Cat.; emphasis added)
The following student loads for course work
and/or appointments in this University for teaching or research represent
full-time graduate student status for purposes of meeting the residence
requirement:
- twelve (12) semester credit hours per semester,
or six (6) in one summer session;
- nine (9) semester credit hours and 25% teaching
or research per semester;
- six (6) semester credit hours and 50% teaching
or research per semester;
- three (3) credit hours and 50% teaching or
research in one summer session. (Coll. Man.)
Employment outside the university may be petitioned
to be used to fulfill residency if it pertains directly to dissertation
research. A minimum of six hours enrollment per semester, or three during
one summer session, is required if the residency requirement is to be
met by outside employment. (Coll. Man.)
ENROLLMENT IN GRADUATE COURSES
Graduate work is considerably more demanding
and involves much more independent investigation than undergraduate
study. For this reason, students who have been used to carrying fifteen
or eighteen or even more hours per semester in college must learn to
cut down their load in graduate school. The university regards twelve
credit hours as the normal desirable full-time load in a fall or spring
semester; a comparable load in a Summer Session would be six hours.
Assistant instructors may reduce their graduate course load according
to the amount of time they spend teaching; for a regular half-time graduate
teaching assistant, for example, six hours is the normal course
load.
KINDS OF GRADUATE COURSES
In addition to the differences between undergraduate
and graduate courses, there are also great differences among
graduate courses. In general, the following descriptions hold true in
this Department:
- 700-level courses: Introductory and
general courses without prerequisites. Coverage likely to be more
intensive, field likely to be more specialized, than undergraduate
courses. Amount of writing and student participation in class work,
much of it reflecting independent study, also likely to be greater.
GERM 701 should be taken by incoming students the first time it is
available to them.
- 800-level courses: Similar to 700-level
courses, except that prerequisites are normally required.
- 900-level courses: Coverage likely
to be quite limited; amount of writing and student participation in
class work, a great deal of it reflecting independent investigation,
likely to be larger than in 700-level courses. This group includes
all seminars and the more specialized philology courses.
FREQUENCY OF COURSE OFFERINGS
The Department commits itself to course planning
in two-year cycles. See Appendix
D.
TERM PAPERS
As a rule, every graduate student is expected
to write at least one term paper each semester, as long as he or she
is enrolled as a regular graduate student before passing the Ph.D. oral
comprehensive examination. This may not apply to a certain combination
of introductory courses in which term papers are not expected. While
departmental graduate students are strongly encouraged to cultivate
their research skills by writing term papers at every available opportunity,
current departmental policy stipulates that they not be required to
write more than one term paper per semester. If a student should be
faced with a situation in which he or she might be expected to write
more term papers than he or she is able to produce, either the instructor(s)
or the student's advisor should be consulted. A record of the term papers
written will be kept by the Department office.
GRADES
Only the grades of A or B are normally taken
as indications that a graduate student has done satisfactory work in
the courses in which they are received. Under current Graduate School
regulations, A designates above average work; B, average work; C, passing
but below average graduate work; D and F, failing graduate work.
The grade I is used to indicate work of passing
quality in a course some part of which is, for good reason, unfinished.
It is given only by advance arrangement between instructor and student.
The Department discourages the taking of I's except in emergency situations.
The accumulation of I's can lead to serious academic difficulties and
may be a factor in non-reappointment to assistant instructorships.
In the Graduate School grading system defined
above, at least a B average is required on course work counted toward
the master's degree. Course work counted toward a doctorate, including
that for a master's degree if obtained at the University of Kansas,
should average better than a B. For the purpose of computing the graduate
average, only work performed at the University of Kansas which has been
accepted for graduate credit is used.
Upon falling below a cumulative graduate grade
point average of B, computed in the manner described above, the student
is placed on probation. At the end of the next semester of enrollment,
the student's overall graduate average must be raised to B (in which
case the student is returned to regular status), or a departmental recommendation
will be required for the student to continue in graduate study.
If admitted on probation, a student's overall
graduate average during the first semester of enrollment must be at
least B (in which case the student is considered to have achieved regular
status), or a departmental recommendation will be required for the student
to continue in graduate study. If admitted as a provisional graduate
student, the Department will review the student's performance after
the first semester of graduate study and make an appropriate recommendation.
APPLICATION FOR DEGREE
Early in the semester in which he or she expects
to complete degree requirements, a graduate student should obtain an
application-for-degree card from the Graduate Division. It should be
returned to the Graduate Division when it has been filled out.
COMMENTARY ON DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
For a summary of all degree requirements, as
listed in the Graduate School Catalog, see Appendix B. In addition,
the following comments may be helpful:
I. Master of Arts
- Time limit. Master's degree students
are normally allowed seven (7) years for completion of all requirements
for the degree. In cases in which compelling reasons or circumstances
recommend a one-year extension of the normal seven-year limit, it
will be necessary for both the advisor and departmental graduate director
to write strong letters of support to accompany the petition.
- Note: Courses within the Master's framework
are no longer considered "out-of-date" after seven years.
- A leave of absence is not an option in any
Master's degree.
- Practicum for Graduate Teaching Assistants.
New graduate teaching assistants will normally be required to enroll
in GERM 700 at the beginning of their first semester of teaching.
- French Requirement. The French requirement
may be satisfied by either passing the graduate reading course offered
by the French Department (FREN 100) or, given sufficient preparation,
through an individual examination by a member of the French Department
faculty. Students do not receive graduate credit for FREN 100 and
are expected to satisfy the requirement in addition to their regular
course load.
- Continuous enrollment. M.A. students
are required to be continuously enrolled up to the semester in which
they take the M.A. examination, even after completing the 30-hour
requirement.
- Thesis degree vs. Non-thesis degree.
The above comments regarding the time limit, the practicum for graduate
teaching assistants, and the French requirement apply to both degree
options.
II. Doctor of Philosophy
- Time limit and leave of absence. "The
following time constraints apply for completion of doctoral programs
in the Graduate School:
- Doctoral degree candidates will normally
complete all requirements for the degree in eight (8) years after
first enrollment in a doctoral program leading directly to the
doctoral degree or after completion of a Masters degree at the
University of Kansas. In cases in which compelling reasons recommend
a one year extension of the normal eight year limit, the Division
shall have authority to grant the one year extension on the written
permission of the studentþs advisor and Departmental chair/graduate
director.
- Extension of the tenure periods specified
above may be granted in exceptional circumstances for one year at
a time by the [College Graduate] Division upon receipt of a satisfactorily
documented petition from the student concerned, supported by the chairperson
or graduate advisor of the Department, and the student's dissertation
chairperson." (Coll. Man.)
- The College Graduate Division specifies three
extensions, which are dealt with as follows:
- 1st extension - This will be handled by
the Graduate Division, and requires only the signatures of the
student's advisor plus the graduate director of the Department.
- 2nd extension - This extension will be
handled by the subcommittee of the Committee on Graduate Studies
which deals with petitions. The second extension requires strong
letters of support from the student's advisor and the departmental
graduate director. Both the petitioner and advisor should set
up a tentative completion schedule.
- 3rd extension - This will require a meeting
with the full committee of both the petitioner and his/her advisor.
(memo)
- The above time limits apply to all graduate
students, whether or not they hold appointments as graduate teaching
assistants. The Department will make an effort to advise individual
students of their time limits. But in principle it is the students'
responsibility to make certain that they comply with them.
- In all cases where students admitted to the
program are either interrupting their studies or taking very little
coursework, the time limits imposed by the Graduate School may be
difficult to meet. Such students are advised to make use of the possibility
of obtaining a leave of absence. The following statement from
the Graduate School regulations in the Catalog and in the College
Manual spells out the most important aspects of leaves of absence:
A student in any of the above categories
may petition the [College Graduate] Division through the Department
for a leave of absence during either the pre-or post-comprehensive
period to pursue full-time professional activities related to
the student's doctoral program and long-range professional goals.
Leaves of absence may also be granted because of illness or other
emergencies. Ordinarily a leave of absence is granted for one
year, with the possibility of extension upon request. After an
absence of five years, however, a doctoral aspirant or candidate
loses status. In order to continue, the former student must apply
and be accepted for readmission to the Department and to the [College
Graduate] Division. (Coll. Man.)
- Dependent upon the recommendation of the Committee
on Graduate Studies, a readmitted student may be required to revalidate
the oral comprehensive examination, the research skill(s), and to
redo the residency requirement.
- It should be noted, however, that applications
for most post-comprehensive leaves of absence are only granted in
the most unusual circumstances in view of the requirement of "continuous
enrollment" established by the Graduate Council. The Department can
support such applications only if convincing evidence is provided
that no facilities of the University and no staff time will be used
during the period in question, or that a case of severe hardship exists.
Applications are addressed to the Graduate Division of the College
and examined by the departmental Graduate Committee. The Graduate
Committee will consider the recommendation of the dissertation advisor
in reviewing the application.
- Practicum for Graduate Teaching Assistants
and French Requirement. The requirements are the same as the ones
above for the M.A.
- Philology. Students specializing in
philology should note that they have to meet an additional Latin requirement
(see Appendix B).
I. Master of Arts
Near the completion of requirements for the
M.A. degree, the student is given an examination by an examining committee,
which is appointed by the chairperson of the Department and the graduate
director after consultation with the student. To be eligible for the
examination, the candidate must have satisfied the departmental foreign
language requirement, virtually completed course work, and (if following
the thesis option) finished at least a first draft of the thesis.
It is the obligation of the candidate to advise
the chairperson of the Department or the graduate director that he or
she plans to take the examination; this must be done at least one month
before the date of the examination. The student should also consult
with his or her advisor.
The M.A. candidate may state a preference for
one member of the graduate faculty in German to serve on the three-person
examining committee.
The student will be admitted to the oral examination
after passing the written examination.
For the student's official University record,
the examiners will report one of three grades: Honors, Satisfactory,
Unsatisfactory. For the departmental file, they place him or
her in one of four categories:
- Honors, highly recommended for further graduate
study;
- Passing, recommended for further graduate
study;
- Passing, but not recommended for further graduate
study; or
- Failing.
The grade for the examination will be based
solely on the oral examination (Honors, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory).
The written examination will serve only as qualifying examination for
admission to the oral examination.
The examination committee is expected to make
a recommendation for or against further graduate study. The entire departmental
graduate staff, however, is responsible for determining whether or not
a student who has passed the M.A. examination shall be permitted to
go on for the Ph.D. It will take very seriously the examiners' recommendation,
but will also take into account the student's grades and his or her
graduate instructors' evaluations of work done in courses. Ordinarily
at least a 3.5 grade average (on a 4-point scale) is required of Ph.D.
aspirants.
The M.A. exam is given three times each academic
year: (1) at the beginning of the academic year (in August); (2) at
the beginning of the Spring semester (in January); and (3) at the end
of the academic year (in March). No examinations are scheduled in the
summer. Candidates repeating the M.A. examination shall normally be
required to adhere to the regular examination schedule as described
above.
For the format of the M.A. examination see
Appendix E.
Sequence of examination parts: The written
examination for the M.A. degree will be given in one part consisting
of two sections. The oral examination is scheduled as early as possible
after the written examination.
The examination for the thesis degree is the
same as that taken by non-thesis degree candidates. Additional discussion
of the candidate's thesis will ordinarily be included in the oral portion
of the examination. The thesis committee, composed of three members
of the Department, will also serve as the examination committee.
II. Doctor of Philosophy
1. The Preliminary and Oral Comprehensive
Examinations. With regard to the student's obligation to advise
the chairperson of the Department of his or her intention to take these
examinations and with regard to the grades reported for the official
University record, the regulations are those described above for the
M.A. examination. The following statements intend to spell out the most
essential procedural aspects as far as they differ from those of the
M.A. examination.
Function of the Ph.D. Preliminary and Oral
Comprehensive Examinations. The Ph.D. preliminary and oral comprehensive
examinations will formally qualify the student to proceed with the writing
of the doctoral dissertation. Upon passing these examinations, the student
becomes a candidate for the Ph.D.
Examination dates. The examination is
given three times during each academic year: (1) at the beginning of
the academic year (in August); (2) at the beginning of the Spring semester
(in January); and (3) near the end of the academic year (in March).
Written notice of intent to take the examination is usually filed with
the chairperson of the Department or the graduate director in the form
of a completed questionnaire. Questions relating to the examination
should be discussed with the graduate director. Candidates repeating
the Ph.D. examination shall schedule the make-up examination in consultation
with the Graduate Committee.
Sequence of examination parts. The written
parts of the examination for the Ph.D. degree will be scheduled within
one week, with one day in between each part.
The Oral Comprehensive Examination will be given
as early as possible after the satisfactory completion of all written
examinations. (See also Appendix
E)
In the view of the Department, the two examinations
(i.e., the Preliminary Examination and the Comprehensive Examination)
are part of an integrated sequence. Therefore, a student who is ready
to write the Preliminary Examination must also be prepared to take the
Comprehensive Examination at the earliest possible date as determined
by the Department.
Individual examination committees for the
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination. Each individual committee will
normally consist of four members of the departmental graduate faculty
and one graduate faculty member from outside the Department, who serves
as the Graduate School observer. The committee for the written preliminary
examinations consists of the departmental members of each committee
excluding the committee member from outside the Department. Each student
scheduled for such an examination is permitted to state the following
preferences to the chairperson of the Department or the graduate director:
1. One member of the German graduate faculty whom the student would
prefer to be on the committee because he or she intends to write the
dissertation with that faculty member or who is in the student's opinion
best acquainted with his or her work. 2. Students may also state their
preference for the committee member from outside the Department.
The departmental chairperson and the graduate
director will compose each examination committee. Normally the student's
wishes relative to the above options will be followed. The student is
invited to discuss any questions relative to the examination procedure
with the graduate director.
2. The Final Oral Examination. When the
dissertation has been tentatively accepted by the dissertation committee,
the Final Oral Examination will be scheduled on the recommendation of
the Department. Two additional examiners (one from the Department, the
other from another KU graduate program representing the Graduate School)
are appointed who, in addition to the members of the dissertation committee,
bring the total number of examiners up to five. Although the examination
committee is responsible for certification of the candidate, any member
of the graduate faculty may be present at the examination and participate
in the questioning
It is the obligation of the candidate to advise
the chairperson of the Department or the graduate director that he or
she plans to take the oral examination; this must be done at least one
month before the date proposed for the examination. The final oral examination
for the Ph.D. in German is, essentially, a defense of the dissertation.
When it is passed, the dissertation is graded Honors or Satisfactory
by the dissertation committee. In those exceptional cases where a student's
committee determines that the oral defense is impracticable and unnecessary,
it may - through the Graduate Committee - petition the Graduate Division
for a waiver of the requirement. The final decision on such petitions
rests with the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies.
The Department gives no degree examinations
between the end of Summer Session and the beginning of the fall semester.
Within the course of the Summer Session, a defense will be scheduled
only in exceptional cases.
The M.A. Thesis: The candidate choosing
the thesis degree option should complete an extended piece of research,
working closely with the graduate faculty member who will direct the
thesis and sign the title page. A proposal for an M.A. thesis is approved
by the thesis advisor and requires no committee approval. The completed
thesis, however, requires the approval of the entire examination committee,
which also serves as the thesis committee. One of the three members,
apart from the advisor (and chairperson) should be competent in the
particular field of the thesis, and at least two members of the committee
shall be from the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures.
In addition to the copies of the M.A. thesis
required for the Graduate Division of the College, one bound copy must
be turned in to the Department.
The Ph.D. Dissertation: The dissertation
should represent the results of the writer's own original research,
carried out under the direction of the dissertation committee. Though
accepted primarily for its scholarly merit rather than for its rhetorical
qualities, the dissertation must be stylistically competent. (The Department
follows the latest editions of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers (New York), or The M.L.A. Style Manual (New York:
Modern Language Association of America) as its authority in matters
of style). A variety of approaches are acceptable to dissertation committees,
and it may be stated with confidence that any dissertation topic which
can gain the approval of three members of the graduate faculty, at least
one of whom is authorized by the University's Graduate Council to direct
dissertations, will be viable.
The time schedule for filing a dissertation
proposal is stated in Appendix B. The dissertation advisor will serve
on the Examination Committee. Together with the advisor the candidate
solicits two other members of the graduate faculty to serve on the dissertation
committee. Normally these members will be approached by the advisor.
The dissertation advisor reports the names of the members of the dissertation
committee to the Department chair. The chair makes an official record
of the membership of the committee and sends a copy of it to the members
of the dissertation committee.
As soon as possible after the appointment of
a dissertation committee the student should submit to its members a
proposal for the dissertation. This should indicate (1) the purpose
of the proposed investigation, (2) its scope, (3) its importance, (4)
its scholarly method, and (5) its originality. When his or her dissertation
committee has approved the proposal, a copy of the proposal will be
made available to the departmental graduate faculty for their comment.
The dissertation advisor consults with the committee
members whenever a portion of the dissertation has been submitted.
Instructions regarding the preparation of manuscript
may be obtained from the College Office, Graduate Division. It is the
responsibility of the student to comply in every respect with the dissertation
regulations established by the Graduate School. In all stages of the
preparation of the dissertation, the student should work as closely
with his or her dissertation committee as possible.
In addition to the copies of the dissertation
required for the Graduate Division of the College, one bound copy must
be turned in to the Department.
For the Master of Arts: At least three
copies of the final draft of the thesis must be signed by the thesis
advisor before binding. Two unbound copies must be deposited
in the Graduate Division, plus a $25.00 binding fee, not less than one
month before the date on which the degree is to be conferred. The third
copy is kept by the Department and should be bound by the student before
being deposited.
For the Doctor of Philosophy:
Not later than three weeks before the final
oral examination, the candidate must make available enough copies of
the dissertation so that all five members of the examining committee
will have an opportunity to read it prior to the examination. When the
final oral examination has been passed and the approved dissertation
signed by the dissertation committee, the dissertation is to be bound.
Two unbound copies must be deposited in the Graduate Division, plus
a $25.00 binding fee, not less than one month before the date on which
the degree is to be conferred; a third copy is kept by the Department.
Before qualifying for the degree the candidate must have arranged with
the Graduate Division for the preparation of a microfilm copy under
approved conditions and made other final arrangements with the Graduate
Division.
After passing the comprehensive oral examination
the candidate must be continuously enrolled - including summer sessions
- until the degree is completed; each enrollment shall reflect as accurately
as possible the candidate's demands on faculty time and University facilities.
During this time, until the degree is completed or until 18 post-comprehensive
hours have been completed (whichever comes first), the candidate shall
enroll for a minimum of 6 hours a semester and 3 hours a summer session.
(Post-comprehensive enrollment may include enrollment during the semester
or summer session in which the comprehensive oral examination has been
passed.) If after 18 hours of post-comprehensive enrollment the degree
is not completed, the candidate shall continue to enroll each semester
and each summer session until the final oral examination has been passed;
the number of hours of each enrollment shall be determined by the candidate's
adviser and must as accurately as possible reflect the candidate's demand
on faculty time and University facilities.
A leave of absence - because of illness, to
pursue full-time professional activities related to the doctoral program
and long-range professional goals, or for any other valid reason - may
on rare occasions be granted on petition to the Graduate Division of
the College, endorsed by the chairperson of the Department or by the
Graduate Committee. (See also above under Degree Requirements, sec.
II).
- For students seeking the M.A. degree, graduate
teaching/research assistantships will normally be terminated at the
end of four semesters of teaching. In order to be eligible
for continued financial support at the Ph.D. level, M.A. students
have to be approved for the Ph.D. program before the end of the last
semester of their M.A. studies.
- Ph.D. students who begin their studies with
only a B.A. degree (or equivalent) will normally be eligible for ten
semesters of support; Ph.D. students who begin their studies with
an M.A. degree (or equivalent) will normally be eligible for six semesters
of support. The second year of Ph.D. level support will be contingent
upon selection of an approved area of specialization and a faculty
mentor. A third year of support will be contingent upon the filing
of a dissertation proposal and subsequent admission to candidacy.
- Normally, Graduate Teaching Assistantships
in German are defined as a 50% appointment with a teaching load of
12 -15 hours per school year. The time spent in classroom teaching,
preparation, grading, consultation with students, etc. (calculated
to be a total of 20 hours per week) is to include one hour per week
desk-duty in the Engel German Library.
- Graduate Research Assistants serve as librarians
for the Engel German Library and the Max Kade Center for each academic
year and the following summer session and are appointed at a 50% rate
for 11 months.
- Graduate teaching/research assistants are
subject to periodic review by the Committee on Graduate Students.
In individual cases graduate teaching/research assistantships may,
upon its recommendation, be interrupted or terminated. The final decision
is reached by the faculty members of the Voting Staff.
- Criteria for the renewal of Graduate Teaching/Research
Assistantships include previous departmental or University financial
support; academic progress as measured in terms of Grade Point Averages;
teaching skill as ascertained by departmental mechanisms for evaluating
such skill; and a hearing in which the recommendations of the faculty
members of the departmental Voting Staff are solicited.
- A year of study abroad on a direct
exchange or other scholarship will not be counted as departmental
support and will not reduce the total number of semesters for which
a student is eligible for such support. M.A. students who plan to
include in their M.A. work one year of studies abroad should, however,
target the second year of their studies for a Fulbright, Direct
Exchange, or DAAD grant.
- Superior students are also eligible for Graduate
School Honors Fellowships (for three years), Summer Fellowships, and
Dissertation Fellowships.
- For the summer, opportunities for financial
support through the Department include one research fellowship, one
dissertation fellowship, teaching assistantships, possibly one or
several research assistantships, and a summer appointment for the
librarians of Engel German Library and the Max Kade Center.
The Graduate School Office maintains a small
fund to underwrite the travel expenses of Ph.D. candidates who attend
conferences to present research papers or who need to visit libraries
or other off-campus locations in connection with their dissertation
research. Application information for the Graduate Student Paper Presenter
Fund and the Graduate Student Dissertation Research Travel Fund is available
in the Graduate School Office, 222 Strong Hall. For a more detailed
description of the application process and the deadlines, the student
may consult the section on "Graduate Student Travel Funds" in the Graduate
School Catalog.
Should a grievance arise, the student should
make the circumstances known to the chairperson of the Department. If
the matter cannot be satisfactorily resolved at the departmental level,
the next recourse is the office of the Graduate Division of the College,
where one of the associate deans is empowered to deal with student grievances.
The last resort, if neither the Department nor the College has been
able to resolve the problem, is the Office of Research and Graduate
Studies.
All graduate students will be assigned a mailbox
in the mailroom opposite the departmental office. It is the students'
responsibility to check their mailboxes regularly, preferably at least
once a day, since departmental communications are usually transmitted
in this way. The Department cannot be held responsible if the students
miss a deadline due to their negligence in this matter. General items
of interest are posted on the departmental bulletin boards, located
in the hallway outside the departmental office and in the mailroom.
Graduate students are also expected to keep the departmental office
informed of any changes in their names, addresses, and schedules.
Each year the Department makes special efforts
to schedule lectures by invited scholars and speakers, as well as faculty
and graduate student presentations within the Department. These events
are part of the professional activities that provide cultural and intellectual
opportunities both for the faculty and the graduate students. They can
be meaningful only if all faculty and graduate students in the Department
attend them regularly. It should be understood that they are an essential
part of graduate education. Thus the Department expects all graduate
students to attend these events.
During the fall of the year preceding the academic
year in which students expect to take a full-time teaching position,
they should make their availability and particular needs and interests
known to the chairperson of the Department. The Department is notified
of many job openings; it is the responsibility of the chairperson to
make these notices available to interested and qualified graduate students
and to do what he or she can to help persons getting higher degrees
in German at the University find the sort of positions they want. Job
seekers, in turn, must take responsibility for working closely with
the chairperson as he or she attempts to assist them. They should also
register with the University Placement Center and consider filing a
dossier. The MLA Job Information List (published four times a
year) is the most widely followed source of information concerning professional
positions; the Chronicle of Higher Education may be consulted
in addition.
- Graduate degrees. The Department offers
courses of study leading to M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. The program provides
our students with training of a scope and quality that leads mainly
to careers as teachers and scholars.
- Specializations. Ours is one of the relatively
few graduate programs in the country that offers specialization both
in literature and in philology and linguistics.
- Faculty. The departmental graduate staff
(currently 8-9 members) consists of a number of specialists who, as
a group, represent the discipline in its entirety. The student will
be exposed to both American and German-trained members. Each Spring
semester a distinguished Max Kade professor from Germany teaches in
the Department. The Max-Kade Professorship provides a regular contact
with outstanding German scholarship and adds intellectual profile to
the campus community. The following scholars have held this position:
Gerhard Storz, Stuttgart (1965), Heinz Otto Burger, Frankfurt (1966),
Wilhelm Emrich, Berlin (1967), Friedrich Beissner, Tübingen (1970),
Richard Alewyn, München (1971), Helmut Koopmann, Bonn (1972), Friedrich
Sengle, München (1973), Lutz Röhrich, Freiburg (1974), Wilhelm
Vosskamp, Bielefeld (1975), Jacob Steiner, Karlsruhe (1976 and 1983),
Hans Eggers, Saarbrücken (1977), Ulrich Fülleborn, Erlangen
(1978), Hans- Jürgen Schings, Würzburg (1981), Hartmut Steinecke,
Paderborn (1984), Hugo Steger, Freiburg (1985), Jörg-Ulrich Fechner,
Bochum (1986), Helmut Arntzen, Münster (1987), Uwe-K. Ketelsen,
Bochum (1988), Hans Esselborn, Köln (1989), Bernd Witte, Aachen
(1990), Rolf-Peter Janz, FU Berlin (1991), August Stahl, Saarbrücken
(1992), Kurt Rein, München (1994), Hans-Gert Roloff, FU Berlin
(1995), Walter Haug, Tübingen (1996), Burghard Dedner, Marburg
(1997), Gert Sautermeister, Bremen (1998).
- Faculty and student research. Faculty
members engage in various research activities in their areas of specialization.
The "Max Kade Center for German-American Studies" is attached to the
Department. Some staff members have been involved in editorial work
for national organizations. Furthermore, the staff regularly participates
as readers of research papers and as officers in professional organizations
at the regional, national and international levels. Faculty and graduate
students contribute to the departmental Research Colloquia.
- Graduate curriculum. The graduate curriculum
is composed of six distinct groups of courses, which are designed for
a learning process in three stages (introductory - general - specialized)
in either of the three major areas of study: literature, philology,
and linguistics. Within the total number of approximately 40 graduate
courses listed, the program emphasizes in-depth knowledge of German
language and literature, specifically a thorough acquaintance with (1)
the outstanding figures and works of German literature, (2) the historical
dimension of literature, (3) the historical development of the language,
(4) older language forms of the Germanic family, and (5) the linguistic
analysis of modern German.
- Student training and participation in departmental
operation. Most graduate students are Graduate Teaching Assistants,
who teach elementary courses under faculty supervision. This practical
preparation for the teaching profession is an important dimension of
our training program. Graduate students participate in the decision-making
process by electing representatives to the departmental Voting Staff
and various departmental committees.
- Study abroad. University exchange programs
with the Universities of Bonn, Erlangen, Hamburg, Kiel, Mainz, Stuttgart,
and Tübingen and the University's Advanced Summer Language Institute
(Holzkirchen) offer ample opportunities to study abroad. These programs
have attracted graduate students to Kansas, and most students take advantage
of these exchanges.
- Library facilities. The University Library
is the only one in Kansas adequately equipped for advanced studies in
German. The collection has a good basic stock. A special research collection
of rare books provides study and research opportunities in specific
areas, such as Rilke scholarship or 16th/17th century grammar studies.
The Max-Kade Center for German-American Studies preserves important
materials which are needed to understand the extensive German-American
cultural influence. The collection contains more than 4,000 volumes
and is constantly enlarged for special research. The Engel German
Library -- a study facility adjacent to the Department -- provides
ready access to frequently used primary and secondary study materials,
current newspapers and periodicals, and a good selection of German language
and musical recordings.
- Function in the State of Kansas. The
University of Kansas is the only institution in the state offering the
highest degree in the field. For students pursuing B.A. and M.A. degrees
in other institutions in the state, our program represents the logical
choice for advanced work. Through the Kansas Association of Teachers
of German the Department maintains strong ties with high school and
college German programs throughout Kansas.
The Department sponsors public lectures and symposia. These are
attended by residents of Kansas and Missouri within a 60-80 mile radius.
The Max-Kade Center for German-American Studies provides information
concerning German-American cultural relations.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS
Admission Requirements
In addition to the general requirements of the
Graduate School, a student should have the equivalent of an undergraduate
major in German at the University of Kansas. A qualifying examination
may be required by the Department for those students who have not been
awarded an M.A. from the University of Kansas.
Nonthesis Degree Requirements
- Normally, 30 hours of graduate work in German
in courses numbered 700 and above, including the following:
- GERM 701, GERM 711, GERM 721, and at least
one literature course -- or, in exceptional cases, a 900-level
seminar -- from each of the following three periods: (1) Age of
Goethe or Romanticism (GERM 760, GERM 762; GERM 960, GERM 962),
(2) 19th century (GERM 764; GERM 964), (3) 20th century (GERM
766; GERM 966). M.A. candidates who desire to use transfer credit
to fulfill specific course requirements for the M.A. degree (GERM
701; GERM 711; GERM 721) must pass a qualifying examination in
that subject administered by the Department before receiving such
credit.
- The remaining 12 hours in the program
may be taken from departmental course offerings in literature,
philology and linguistics at the graduate level. Equivalent courses
may be substituted with the approval of the departmental Graduate
Committee.
- A reading knowledge of French.
- A written and oral examination.
Requirements may be reduced for students in high
standing subject to the rules of the Graduate School. On the other hand,
students may be required to take more than the minimal load. New graduate
teaching assistants will normally be required to enroll in GERM 700
concurrently with their first semester of teaching.
Thesis Degree Requirements
- Normally, 30 hours of graduate work in German
in courses numbered 700 and above, of which 6 hours will be in GERM
899 (Master's Thesis). The following must be included: 1
- GERM 701, GERM 711, GERM 721, and at least
one literature course -- or, in exceptional cases, a 900-level
seminar -- from two of the following three periods -- (1) Age
of Goethe or Romanticism (GERM 760, GERM 762; GERM 960, GERM 962),
(2) 19th century (GERM 764; GERM 964), (3) 20th century (GERM
766; GERM 966). M.A. candidates who desire to use transfer credit
to fulfill specific course requirements for the M.A. degree (GERM
701; GERM 711; GERM 721) must pass a qualifying examination in
that subject administered by the Department before receiving such
credit.
- The remaining 9 hours in the program may
be taken from departmental course offerings in literature, philology
and linguistics at the graduate level. Equivalent courses may
be substituted with the approval of the departmental Graduate
Committee.
- A reading knowledge of French.
- A completed and approved master's thesis.
- A written and oral examination.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
IN GERMAN
In addition to the general requirements of the
Graduate School for the Doctor of Philosophy degree (especially the
residence requirement), a student must meet the following specific departmental
requirements:
- Selection of an approved area of specialization
and a faculty mentor in the first year. The following areas of specialization
have been approved:
- Twentieth-Century German Literature (1890þPresent)
- Nineteenth-Century German Literature (1800-1890)
- "The Age of Goethe (1750þ1830)
- Early Modern German Literature ("Mittlere
Deutsche Literatur," 1400þ1750)
- Medieval German Literature (750þ1500)
- Germanic Linguistics
- German-American Studies
- German 900, Workshop for Ph.D. students (1
hr.).
- Normally a minimum of 27 credit hours (exclusive
of German 900, Workshop for Ph.D. students, and German 999, Doctoral
Dissertation) beyond that required for the M.A. degree. Three courses
should be in the student's area of specialization; six courses in
other areas. Students in philology or linguistics must have two courses
in post-1400 literature; students in post-1400 literature must have
two courses in philology or linguistics.
- At least one semester of half-time teaching
or equivalent (normally course 700 will be required concurrently with
the first semester of teaching).
- The filing of a dissertation proposal In the
second year. The dissertation proposal must be approved at least two
weeks before the date of the Oral Comprehensive Examination.
- A reading knowledge of French. Students specializing
in philology or older literature will also be required to demonstrate
a reading knowledge of Latin. For students electing the Ph.D. option
in Germanic Linguistics, the research skill requirement consists of
a reading knowledge in French and in a modern Germanic or Slavic Language.
- A three-part written departmental Preliminary
Examination. In order to be admitted to the Ph.D. Oral Comprehensive
Examination (required by the Graduate School) the candidate must have
passed all parts of the Ph.D. Preliminary Examination.
GERMAN
700. PRACTICUM FOR GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTS.
(1)
Practical Introduction to basic problems and techniques of teaching
German. Required of graduate teaching assistants in their first semester
of teaching in the Department.
701. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF LITERATURE.
(3)
Introduction to methods of literary research and presentation of seminar
papers. Exercises in the use of basic guides to the study of German
language and literature, in the documentation of scholarly research,
and in the writing of interpretive essays, based on reading and discussion
of selected works from different periods of the departmental "Basic
Reading List."
703. METHODS OF LITERARY CRITICISM. (3)
Differentiation of critical methods. Exercises in textual criticism.
704. GERMAN STYLISTICS. (3)
Stylistic analysis of literary texts; writing in German.
705. GERMAN PHONETICS. (3)
A systematic study of German phonetics.
711. HISTORY OF THE GERMAN LANGUAGE. (3)
A comprehensive introduction to the basic concepts of Germanic philology
and various aspects of historical linguistics, including the nature
of language and linguistic change, discoveries of the pioneer philologists
of the 19th century regarding the prehistory of German, and the beginnings
of a national German language.
712. THE STRUCTURE OF MODERN STANDARD GERMAN.
(3)
A descriptive study of the phonetics/phonology and grammar of contemporary
Standard German. Special emphasis on problems of teaching German to
English-speaking students.
716. TOPICS IN GERMAN LITERATURE: _____. (3)
Intensive study of a selected topic in German literature. May be repeated.
Offered only in conjunction with GERM 616 when taught by a Max Kade
Distinguished Visiting Professor. Graduate students will be assigned
additional work.
721. INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE HIGH GERMAN LITERATURE.
(3)
The elements of Middle High German as required for reading medieval
texts in the original. Intensive reading and literary study of at least
one text in full.
732. SURVEY of Early-Modern German Literature
(Humanism, Baroque, Enlightenment) (3)
734. SURVEY of German Literature in the Age
of Goethe (Sturm und Drang, Classicism, Romanticism) (3)
736. SURVEY of Post-Romantic Nineteenth-Century
German Literature (Biedermeier, Vormärz, Realism, Naturalism) (3)
738. SURVEY of Twentieth-Century German Literature
(1900þpresent) (3)
751. SPECIAL TOPICS IN CULTURE. (3)
Intensive study of a selected topic in German culture. May be repeated.
753. INVESTIGATION AND CONFERENCE. (1-3)
To be taken only in exceptional cases. Permission of the instructor
who will supervise the student's work is required.
754. STUDIES IN HUMANISM, RENAISSANCE, AND REFORMATION
LITERATURE. (3)
May be repeated.
755. STUDIES IN BAROQUE LITERATURE. (3)
May be repeated.
756. STUDIES IN ENLIGHTENMENT LITERATURE. (3)
May be repeated.
760. STUDIES ON WRITERS OF THE AGE OF GOETHE.
(3)
May be repeated.
762. STUDIES IN ROMANTICISM. (3)
May be repeated.
764. STUDIES IN THE LITERATURE OF THE 19th CENTURY.
(3)
May be repeated.
766. STUDIES IN LITERATURE SINCE 1890. (3)
May be repeated.
800. SEMINAR: TEACHING GERMAN AS A SECOND LANGUAGE.
(3)
Introduction to selected aspects of second-language acquisition, foreign-language
pedagogy, and contrastive contrastive grammar, with the major concentration
on practical guidance in teaching elementary German, in test preparation
and grading, and in the use of equipment.
822. SURVEY OF MEDIEVAL GERMAN LITERATURE. (3)
Text-oriented study of the literature of 750-1500 with selected readings
in the original and in translation.Prerequisite: German 721.
823. READINGS IN MIDDLE HIGH GERMAN EPICS. (3)
Reading and literary analysis of one of the following: Nibelungenlied,
Erec and Iwein, Tristan, Parzival. Prerequisite: German 721.
824. READINGS IN MIDDLE HIGH GERMAN LYRICS.
(3)
Reading and literary analysis of one of the following: Minnesangs Frühling,
Walther von der Vogelweide. Prerequisite: German 721.
851. STUDIES IN GERMANIC PHILOLOGY. (3)
Topic to be announced. Emphasis on studies in etymology, semantics,
vocabulary, medieval dialects, linguistic theories. Prerequisites: German
711.
852. SPECIAL TOPICS IN LITERATURE. (3)
Prerequisite: GERM 701.
854. STUDIES IN THE WORKS OF _______________
(3)
In depth study of the work of a major author in German Literature. Prerequisite:
GERM 701.
899. MASTER'S THESIS. (1-6).
900. WORKSHOP FOR Ph.D. STUDENTS. (1)
Introduction to job-seeking skills, including use of the computer, grant
application and publication skills. To be taken in the first year of
Ph.D. work. Meets the first four weeks of the spring semester.
901. GOTHIC. (3)
Reading of selected Gothic texts. Historical and descriptive study of
Gothic phonology and grammar, with an introduction to comparative Germanic
grammar. Prerequisite: German 711.
902. OLD SAXON. (3)
Introduction to the elements of its grammar and discussion of its role
in the Germanic family. Selected readings from the Heliand and
discussion of the entire work. Prerequisite: German 711.
903. OLD HIGH GERMAN. (3)
Reading and discussion of selected prose texts and poetic documents;
phonological and grammatical features of the Old High German dialects.
Prerequisite: German 711.
951. SEMINAR IN GERMANIC PHILOLOGY. (3)
May be repeated.
952. SEMINAR IN MEDIEVAL GERMAN LITERATURE.
(3)
May be repeated.
954. SEMINAR IN HUMANISM, RENAISSANCE, AND REFORMATION
LITERATURE. (3)
May be repeated.
955. SEMINAR IN BAROQUE LITERATURE. (3)
May be repeated.
956. SEMINAR IN ENLIGHTENMENT LITERATURE. (3)
May be repeated.
960. SEMINAR ON WRITERS OF THE AGE OF GOETHE.
(3)
May be repeated.
962. SEMINAR IN ROMANTICISM. (3)
May be repeated.
964. SEMINAR IN THE LITERATURE OF THE 19TH CENTURY.
(3)
May be repeated.
966. SEMINAR IN LITERATURE SINCE 1890. (3)
May be repeated.
967. SEMINAR IN SPECIAL TOPICS. (3)
May be repeated.
953. INVESTIGATION AND CONFERENCE. (3)
To be taken only in exceptional cases. Permission of the instructor
who will supervise the student's work is required.
999. DOCTORAL DISSERTATION. (1-10)
SCANDINAVIAN
660. MODERN SCANDINAVIAN LITERATURE IN ENGLISH
TRANSLATION. (3)
Selected works by various Scandinavian authors from the nineteenth and
twentieth century.
753. INVESTIGATION AND CONFERENCE. (1-3)
Independent study and directed reading on special topics. Permission
of the instructor is required.
906. OLD NORSE. (3)
Introduction to the grammar and reading of the prose literature of the
"saga-age" (1100-1350). Varied selections from the literature provide
the context in which the language is discussed.
907. READINGS IN OLD NORSE LITERATURE. (3)
Intensive discussion of a single longer saga or several shorter works,
or a combination of these on a single theme. Dialectal differences between
W. Norse and older Germanic dialects will be noted. Prerequisite: Scandinavian
906.
I
Fall I (Fall 1998)
- GERM 700 Practicum for Assistant Instructors
(1 hr.)
- GERM 701 Introduction to the Study of Literature
- GERM 721 Introduction to Middle High German
Literature
- GERM 732 Survey of Early-Modern German Literature
(Humanism, Baroque, Enlightenment)
- GERM ___ Special course
- GERM ___ Special course
- GERM 9__ Seminar
Spring I (Spring 1999)
- GERM 716 Kade Professor course
- GERM 734 Survey of German Literature in the
Age of Goethe (Sturm und Drang, Classicism, Romanticism)
- GERM 822-824 Survey of Medieval German Literature
or special course on medieval literature
- GERM ___ Special course
- GERM 900 Workshop for Ph.D. students (1 hr.)
- GERM 9__ Seminar (Kade Professor)
II
Fall II (Fall 1999)
- GERM 700 Practicum for Assistant Instructors
(1 hr.)
- GERM 711 History of the German Language
- GERM 736 Survey of Post-Romantic Nineteenth-Century
German Literature (Biedermeier, Vormärz, Realism, Naturalism)
- GERM --- Special course
- GERM --- Special course
- GERM --- Special course
- GERM 9__ Seminar
Spring II (Spring 2000)
- GERM 703 Methods of Literary Criticism.
- GERM 712 Structure of Modern Standard German
- GERM 716 Kade Professor course
- GERM 738 Survey of Twentieth-Century German
Literature (1900þpresent)
- GERM ___ Medieval German literature (800 or
900 level)
- GERM 900 Workshop for Ph.D. students (1 hr.)
- GERM 9__ Seminar (Kade Professor)
(Subject to revision)
The following applies to all graduate examinations:
A graduate examination may be canceled by a
student up to twenty-four hours in advance of the scheduled time. In
the event of a late cancellation, the graduate faculty must give express
permission to reschedule the examination.
Sample copies of an examination are available
upon request from the graduate director.
THE M.A. EXAMINATION CONSISTS OF:
- One written examination on literature
(4 hours) limited to the M.A. Required Reading List (Appendix
F) and consisting of two sections:
- An interpretation of a text chosen
from a selection representing three different genres and periods.
The interpretation should place the work in the context of its
period. ( 2 hours)
- An essay in literary history. There
will be a choice of four such questions, each addressing a different
period which is not represented by texts (see section a
above). 2 hours)
This part also serves as a language proficiency
test. The candidate must write one of the two essays in German,
the other in English.
- An oral examination (90 minutes), which
will be based in part (50%) on a 20-work reading list prepared by
the candidate from the general Reading List. The remainder of the
exam will be based on the general list.
In order to be admitted to the oral examination the candidate must
have passed both sections of the written M.A. examination. An unsatisfactory
performance on an individual section of the examination requires that
the student pass a second examination on that individual section.
The Department will permit one reexamination of the written sections
failed as well as one reexamination of the oral part. For a reexamination
of a section or the entire written examination in March, students
will be given one of three dates, as determined by the examination
committee:
- Three weeks after completion of the written
exam;
- Six weeks after completion of the written
exam;
- At the next regular examination date (August).
The examination committee will determine
the appropriate option after consulting with the student and report
the date for the reexamination to the Graduate Committee.
After completing the M.A. examination, the examination
committee makes a recommendation to the graduate staff regarding the
candidate's potential for doctoral work. The graduate staff's majority
vote determines admission to the Ph.D. program.
THE (WRITTEN) DEPARTMENTAL Ph.D. PRELIMINARY
EXAMINATION for students specializing in GERMAN LITERATURE consists
of:
- An interpretation with a choice of
three texts outside the period of the student's specialization. The
interpretation should place the work in the context of its period.
(3 hours)
- An essay on literary history: with
a choice of three topics in the period of the student's specialization.
(3 hours)
- An essay on a literary genre: with
a choice of three topics from any period. The genre is selected by
the student and declared before the examination. Since the rationale
for the genre requirement is to extend the student's preparation beyond
the area of specialization, the choice is limited to the main genres,
i.e., to narrative literature, drama, and lyric poetry. (3 hours)
As in the case of the M.A. examination, the
Department will permit one reexamination of the written parts failed.
THE ORAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION(2
hours)
With due consideration given to the student's
specialization, the two-hour examination will have the following parts:
- Dissertation plan (30 minutes; no more than
10 minutes will be allotted to the candidate to present the dissertation
proposal);
- Period of specialization (30 minutes);
- Literary history (one hour). Students are
expected to cover literary history from medieval to present outside
the period of specialization.
In order to be admitted to the Ph.D. Oral Comprehensive
Examination the candidate must have passed all parts of the Ph.D. preliminary
examination. The Department will permit one reexamination of the Oral
Comprehensive Examination.
Ph.D. EXAMINATION for students specializing
in MEDIEVAL PHILOLOGY
The departmental Preliminary Examination
consists of:
- A Philology part consisting of
three sections. In this case, the composition of the individual sections
is flexible, according to the range of the student's preparation).
(3 hours)
- A Literature part on literary
history: An essay written in answer to one of three questions
from the medieval period. (3 hours)
- A Literature part on textual
interpretation: An interpretation based on one of three texts
from different periods of the literature after 1500. (3 hours)
The Oral Comprehensive Examination:
With due consideration given to the student's
specialization, the two-hour examination will have the following parts:
- Dissertation plan (30 minutes; no more
than 10 minutes will be allotted to the candidate to present the dissertation
proposal);
- Medieval Philology and Germanic Linguistics
(45 minutes);
- Literary history after 1500 (45 minutes)
Ph.D. EXAMINATION for students specializing
in GERMANIC LINGUISTICS
The Departmental Preliminary Examination
consists of three parts; the first two parts will have three sections
each. Topics of unspecified sections in parts 1 and 2 will be determined
on the basis of the student's preparation and course work.
- Specialized Option (sample).
(3 hours)
- History of the German language
- Phonetics
- Middle High German
- Germanic Linguistics (sample).
(3 hours)
- Modern German dialects
- Old High German
- Old Norse
- Literary Interpretation. (3 hours)
- German Literature after 1500.
The Oral Comprehensive Examination
(as described in the Medieval Philology option)
With due consideration given to the student's
specialization, the two-hour examination will have the following parts:
- Dissertation plan (30 minutes; no more
than 10 minutes will be allotted to the candidate to present the dissertation
proposal);
- Period or area of specialization (30
minutes);
- Germanic Linguistics and Philology (one
hour).
MEDIEVAL
Hildebrandslied
Hartmann von Aue:
Der arme Heinrich, Gregorius
Wolfram von Eschenbach:
Parzifal
Gottfried von Strassburg:
Tristan
Nibelungenlied
Wernher der Gartenaere:
Helmbrecht
Lyric Poetry
Der von Kürenberg: "Ich zôch
mir einen valken"
Dietmar von Eist (Aist):
"Slâfest du vriedel ziere"
Walther von der Vogelweide:
"Under der linden," Ich saz ûf eime steine"
Hartmann von Aue: "Maniger
grüezet mich alsô"
Heinrich von Morungen: "Owê,
sol aber mir niemer mê"
Friedrich von Hausen: "Mîn
herze und mîn lîp diu wellent scheiden"
EARLY MODERN
Tepl: Der Ackermann aus
Böhmen
Reuchlin: Henno
Erasmus: Lob der Torheit
Luther: Sendbrief vom Dolmetschen
Rebhuhn: Susanna
Sachs:Der fahrend Schüler im Paradeisz
Historia von D. Johann Fausten
Bidermann: Cenodoxus
Grimmelshausen: selections from Simplicissimus
Gryphius: Peter Squentz
Lessing: Nathan der Weise, 17. Literaturbrief, Minna von Barnhelm,
Emilia Galotti
Lyric Poetry
Luther: "Ein feste burg ist vnser
Gott"
Hutten: "Ain new lied" ("Ich habs gewagt mit sinnen")
Fleming: "An Sich."
Gryphius: "Es ist alles eitel"
Rist: "O Ewigkeit, Du Donnerwort"
Hofmannswaldau: "Die Welt"
Klopstock: "Das Rosenband," "Frühlingsfeyer"
Claudius: "Abendlied" ("Der Mond ist aufgegangen"),
"Kriegslied"
GOETHEZEIT
Lenz: Die Soldaten
Goethe: Die Leiden des jungen Werther, Iphigenie, Faust I, Götz
von Berlichingen
Schiller: Die Räuber, Kabale und Liebe, Maria Stuart, Über
naive und sentimentalische Dichtung
Kleist: Prinz Friedrich von Homburg, Das Erdbeben in Chili,
Der zerbrochene Krug
Novalis: Hymnen an die Nacht, and selections from Heinrich
von Ofterdingen (blaue Blume-Episoden)
Tieck: Der blonde Eckbert
Brentano: Geschichte vom braven Kasperl und dem schönen
Annerl
Arnim: Der tolle Invalide auf dem Fort Ratonneau
Hoffmann: Der goldne Topf
Eichendorff: Aus dem Leben eines Taugenichts
Jakob und Wilhelm Grimm: Kinder- und Hausmärchen
Lyric Poetry
Goethe: "Wilkommen und Abschied,"
"Mailed," "Wanderers Nachtlied (Ein Gleiches),"
"An den Mond" ("Füllest wieder..."), "Prometheus,"
"Erlkönig," "Dauer im Wechsel," "Gesang
der Geister über den Wassern," "Selige Sehnsucht,"
"Das Göttliche," "1. Römische Elegie,"
"Urworte. Orphisch"
Schiller: "Die Teilung der Erde," "Nänie,"
"Das Ideal und das Leben," "Die Bürgschaft,"
"Der Ring des Polykrates," "Sehnsucht," "Der
Handschuh"
Hölderlin: "An dieParzen,"
"Hälfte des Lebens," "Brot und Wein (1st Stanza)"
Brentano: "Zu Bacharach am Rheine," "Der Spinnerin Nachtlied,"
Eichendorff: "Mondnacht," "Sehnsucht,""Der
frohe Wandersmann," "Waldgespräch," "Die zwei
Gesellen"
POST-ROMANTIC NINETEENTH CENTURY
Grillparzer: Der arme Spielmann, Ein
Bruderzwist in Habsburg
Hebbel: Maria Magdalene
(incl. Mein Wort über das Drama)
Büchner: Woyzeck,
Lenz
Heine: Die Harzreise
Mörike: Mozart
auf der Reise nach Prag
Droste-Hülshoff: Die Judenbuche
Stifter: “Vorrede zu Bunte Steine,” Brigitta
Ebner-Eschenbach: Das Gemeindekind
Gotthelf: Die schwarze Spinne
Keller: Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe
C. F. Meyer: Der Heilige
Storm: Der Schimmelreiter
Fontane: Effi Briest
Holz/Schlaf: Die Familie Selicke
Nietzsche: Die Geburt der Tragödie aus dem Geiste der Musik
Raabe: Stopfkuchen
Lyric Poetry
Droste-Hülshoff: "Am Thurme" “Der Knabe im Moor”
Fallersleben: “Auswanderungslied”
Heine: "Die Grenadiere," "Die schlesischen Weber"
Aston: “Lied einer schlesischen Weberin”
Platen: "Tristan"
Mörike: "Um Mitternacht"
Storm: "Hyazinthen," "Die Stadt"
Meyer: "Der römische Brunnen" “Alte Schweizer”
Fontane: "John Maynard"
TWENTIETH CENTURY
Hauptmann:
Bahnwärter Thiel; Die Weber; Der Biberpelz
Hofmannsthal: Der Tor und der Tod
Schnitzler: Leutnant
Gustl
Rilke: Malte Laurids
Brigge
Wedekind: Frühlings
Erwachen
Kaiser: Von Morgens
bis Mitternachts
T. Mann: Buddenbrooks,
Der Tod in Venedig
F. Kafka: Die Verwandlung,
Das Urteil
Toller: Hinkemann
Döblin: Berlin
Alexanderplatz
Keun: Nach Mitternacht
Seghers: Transit
Werfel: Jakobowsky und der Oberst
Brecht: Mutter Courage, Der gute Mensch von Sezuan
Dürrenmatt: Der Besuch der alten Dame
Frisch: Homo Faber
Böll: Ansichten eines Clowns
Grass: Katz und Maus
Handke: Publikumsbeschimpfung
Wolf: Kassandra
Plenzdorf: Die neuen Leiden des jungen W.
Jelinek: Theaterstücke
Brussig: Helden wie wir
Lyric Poetry
Nietzsche: "Vereinsamt"
George: "Komm in den totgesagten park und schau"
Hofmannsthal: "Terzinen," "Manche freilich," "Die
Beiden"
Rilke: "Ich lebe mein Leben in waschsenden Ringen," "Herbsttag,"
"Der Panther"
Trakl: 'Traum des Bösen," "Verfall"
Heym: "Der Krieg"
Lasker-Schüler: "Weltende"
Benn: "Kleine Aster," "Einsamer Nie"
Kaschnitz: "Nicht gesagt," "Hiroshima"
Eich: "Inventur"
Celan: "Todesfuge"
Brecht: "An die Nachgeborenen," "Radwechsel"
Bachmann: "Alle Tage"
Enzensberger: "geburtsanzeige"
Jandl: "schtzngrmm"
- All Graduate Teaching Assistants will
be visited for the first four semesters of teaching at the University
of Kansas, subject to the following:
- G.T.A.'s may voluntarily request more
visitation than provided for above.
- Each G.T.A. will be assigned at the
beginning of the semester to a faculty member who will be available
to consult and advise the G.T.A. informally for the duration of
the semester. The same faculty member will also visit the G.T.A.
during the semester.
- Incoming G.T.A.'s with teaching experience
of two years or more shall be visited for only two semesters.
- Faculty visitors will announce their
visits and arrange definite times with the G.T.A. for conferences
immediately after each visit. The faculty member will make at least
two visits per semester.
- Evaluation procedure:
- G.T.A.'s will administer a short
(10-15 responses) departmental questionnaire which is so designed
as to permit at least five degrees of response (i.e., scores of
1-5) to each question. These completed questionnaires remain anonymous.
The student designated by the G.T.A. to administer them will return
the completed forms, in a sealed envelope, to the departmental
chairperson.
- It will be the responsibility of
the chairperson to assign faculty visitors to G.T.A.'s on a random
basis. In addition to their responsibilities as described in 1.b.
above, the faculty visitors will, at the end of each semester,
summarize their observations regarding each G.T.A. in their charge
on a single departmental questionnaire (described in a. above).
Each faculty visitor will sign this form and return it to the
departmental chairperson. The faculty evaluation will represent
50% of the total evaluation of the G.T.A.
- From the student-response questionnaires
supplied for each G.T.A. the departmental chairperson will determine
the average class score for each question.
- Questionnaires, together with a
summary tally sheet for each G.T.A., will be stored in the departmental
office where they will be available to departmental faculty. G.T.A.'s
may, upon request, be shown their questionnaires and summaries
on an individual basis by the chairperson and the graduate advisors.
- Teaching competence should be one factor
in the decision to rehire a G.T.A.
- G.T.A.'s are encouraged to visit any
classes of their course supervisors and any other faculty.
(Excerpts from the Departmental Procedures,
Article II)
THE GRADUATE COMMITTEE
This committee is responsible for the
day-to-day operation of the graduate program and for submitting recommendations
for changes and modifications in that program to the Graduate Staff
for action. The chairperson shall report on all business under consideration
to the Graduate Staff at its next meeting or within one month, whichever
occurs first.
THE COMMITTEE ON GRADUATE STUDENTS
The Committee on Graduate Students processes
the application for graduate study and financial support, assesses the
performance of graduate teaching assistants already on the staff, and
makes appropriate recommendations for the action of the Department chairperson.
The recommendations of the Voting Staff shall be solicited in all cases
involving continued financial support.
|