Contact Info

Contact:Graduate Program Administrator: Germanic Languages and Literatures
Phone:314-935-5170
Email:german@wustl.edu

To earn a PhD at Washington University, a student must complete all courses required by their department; maintain satisfactory academic progress; pass certain examinations; complete all requirements for doctoral candidacy; fulfill residence and Mentored Experience Requirements; write, defend, and submit a dissertation; and apply for program completion (graduation) via Workday Student.

For the details of doctoral degree general requirements in Arts & Sciences, including an explanation of Satisfactory Academic Progress, students should review the Doctoral Degree Academic Information page of the Arts & Sciences Bulletin.

Program Requirements

  • Total Units Required: 51
  • Degree Length: Five years 
    • Note: Students must be enrolled in 9 graduate credits each semester to retain full-time status. As students complete their coursework, if enrolled in fewer than 9 graduate credits, they must enroll in a specific Arts & Sciences graduate course that will show 0 units but does count as full-time status. Students should connect with their department to ensure proper enrollment prior to Add/Drop.
  • Grade Requirement: B–

Dual PhD in German and Comparative Literature

The total number of units of course work required for the dual degree is a minimum of 51 units, exclusive of comprehensive examinations and dissertation.

Required Courses

  • Four courses comprising the Comparative Literature core requirement (12 units total):
    • COMPLITTHT 5200 Introduction to Comparative Literature (3 units)
    • One course each in any three of the following four categories (9 units), one of which must be a 5000-level seminar with Comparative Literature. In rare cases, subject to approval, a course outside of Comparative Literature might fulfill one of these categories:
      1. Category I: Transcultural Studies
      2. Category II: Translation Studies
      3. Category III: Literature, Politics, and Society
      4. Category IV: Media Ecologies, Media Histories, Media Poetics
  • All required courses for the PhD in Germanic Languages and Literatures

Theory and Methods (3 units)

  • One seminar addressing theories of literary and cultural analysis: COMPLITTHT 5050 Theory and Research Methods in the Humanities (3 units) or equivalent

Pedagogy (3 units)

Thematic and Methodological Areas

At least one seminar must be taken from any three of the following four categories. In rare cases, subject to the approval of the department chair and the Director of Graduate Studies, a course from outside of German might fulfill one of these categories. Course descriptions for each seminar offered in the department will indicate which of these categories is covered in the seminar:

  1. Category I: Translation Studies
  2. Category II: Media Studies and Digital Humanities
  3. Category III: Nationalism, Ethnicity, and Race
  4. Category IV: Critical Theory and Intellectual History

Two courses (6 units) in total may count for both programs, with two Comparative Literature courses being allowed to count for either the German distribution area or the German elective units. Courses that will double count must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

In addition, students must participate in a dissertation prospectus workshop in their sixth semester.

Languages Requirement

Students must demonstrate reading proficiency in a language other than German or English.

Qualifying Examinations

Progress toward the PhD is contingent upon the student passing examinations that are variously called preliminary, qualifying, general, comprehensive, or major field exams. The qualifying process varies according to the program. In some programs, it consists of a series of incremental, sequential, and cumulative exams over a considerable time. In others, the exams are held during a relatively short period of time. Exams may be replaced by one or more papers. The program, which determines the structure and schedule of the required examinations, is responsible for notifying the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, of the student’s outcome, whether successful or unsuccessful.

Dual PhD Comparative Literature degree students will take the comprehensive examinations required in the PhD in Germanic Languages and Literatures program. At least one of these examinations must entail a comparatist element; this element is to be identified and negotiated with the examination committee, which will include at least one faculty member representing Comparative Literature. 

Doctoral Candidacy

Candidacy marks the transition from coursework and initial study to independent research and dissertation writing. At this stage, the student is considered prepared to contribute to their field through independent scholarship.

The status of candidacy for WashU Arts & Sciences doctoral students indicates a student has, at minimum, completed and passed their qualifying exam/paper and pre-candidacy requirements. Pre-candidacy requirements are determined by each PhD program. Those requirements may include, for example, completion of required coursework; completion of required foreign language exams; completion of the Mentored Experience Requirement; successful submission of the Title, Scope and Procedure form; and completion of the oral presentation to propose the dissertation to their Research Advisory Committee.

Pre-candidacy requirements include the completion of required coursework; the completion of the qualifying exams; the completion of the dissertation prospectus workshop; the submission of the Title, Scope, and Procedure form; and the completion of the oral defense of the dissertation prospectus. Students must advance to doctoral candidacy prior to the seventh semester.

Mentored Experience Requirement

Doctoral students, MFA in Writing students, and MFA in Dance students at Washington University must complete a department-defined Mentored Experience Requirement. The Mentored Experience Requirement is a degree requirement that is notated on the student's transcript when complete. Each department has an established Mentored Experience Implementation Plan in which the number of units that a student must earn through Mentored Teaching Experience(s) and/or Mentored Professional Experience(s) is defined. Each Mentored Experience Implementation Plan outlines how doctoral students within the discipline will be mentored to achieve competencies in teaching at basic and advanced levels. Some departments may elect to include Mentored Professional Experiences as an avenue for completing some units of the Mentored Experience Requirement. Doctoral students will enroll in ASGS 8005 MTE - Assistant in Instruction Experience, ASGS 8010 MTE - Assistant in Instruction Experience, or ASGS 8015 MTE - Assistant in Instruction Experience; ASGS 8020 MTE - Mentored Independent Teaching Experience; or ASGS 8120 MTE - Mentored Professional Experience to signify their progression toward completing the overall Mentored Experience Requirement for the degree.

The Doctoral Dissertation

A Research Advisory Committee (RAC) must be created no later than the end of the student's second year; departments may set shorter timelines (e.g., by the end of the student's third semester) for this requirement. As evidence of the mastery of a specific field of knowledge and of the capacity for original scholarly work, each candidate must complete a dissertation that is approved by their RAC.

A Title, Scope, and Procedure form for the dissertation must be signed by the committee members and by the program chair. It must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, at least one year before the degree is expected to be conferred or before beginning the eighth semester of full-time enrollment, whichever is earlier.

A Doctoral Dissertation Guide and a Dissertation Template that give instructions regarding the format of the dissertation are available on the website of the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences. Both should be read carefully at every stage of dissertation preparation.

The Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, requires each student to make the full text of the dissertation available to the committee members for their review at least one week before the defense. Most degree programs require two or more weeks for the review period; students should check with their faculty.

Note: The dissertation committee should include at least one faculty member representing Comparative Literature. The dissertation itself should — in its theoretical grounding, approach, transnational or transcultural scope, and/or interdisciplinarity — speak to the field of Comparative Literature as currently constituted. 

The Dissertation Defense

Approval of the written dissertation by the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) is strongly recommended before the student can orally defend the dissertation. The Doctoral Dissertation Committee that examines the student during the defense consists of at least five members. Normally, the members of the RAC also serve on the Doctoral Dissertation Committee. The dissertation committee is then additionally augmented to ensure that the following criteria are met:

  1. Three of the five members (or a similar proportion of a larger committee) must be full-time Washington University in St. Louis faculty members or, for programs involving Washington University in St. Louis-affiliated partners, full-time members of a Washington University in St. Louis-affiliated partner institution. All members must be authorized to supervise PhD students and have appropriate expertise in the proposed field of study. One of these three members must be the PhD student's primary thesis advisor, and one may be a member of the emeritus faculty.
  2. All other committee members must be active in research/scholarship and have appropriate expertise in the proposed field of study whether at Washington University in St. Louis, at another university, in government, or in industry.
  3. At least one of the five members must bring expertise outside of the student's field of study to the committee, as judged by the relevant department/program and approved by the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences.

The approval processes outlined in the RAC section of the Doctoral Council bylaws also apply to the Doctoral Dissertation Committee, including approval of each dissertation committee by the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences.

The student is responsible for making the full text of the dissertation accessible to their committee members for their review in advance of the defense according to program rules. Washington University in St. Louis community members and guests of the student who are interested in the subject of the dissertation are normally welcome to attend all or part of the defense but may ask questions only at the discretion of the committee chair. Although there is some variation among degree programs, the defense ordinarily focuses on the dissertation itself and its relation to the student's field of expertise.

Attendance by a minimum of four members of the Doctoral Dissertation Committee, including the committee chair and an outside member, is required for the defense to take place. This provision is designed to permit the student's defense to proceed in case of a situation that unexpectedly prevents one of the five members from attending. Students should not plan in advance to only have four members in attendance. If four members cannot attend, the defense must be rescheduled. The absence of all outside members or of the committee chair also requires rescheduling the defense.

Students, with the support of their Doctoral Dissertation Committee chair, may opt to hold their dissertation defense in person or by utilizing a virtual or hybrid format.

Master's Degree Along the Way/
In Lieu Of a PhD 

  • Total Units Required: 30

Students enrolled in the regular joint PhD program do not receive an MA along the way to the PhD. For cases in which a student chooses to or is advised to leave the program prior to earning the PhD, however, an MA in lieu of a PhD can be obtained on the basis of a written exam followed up by an oral defense, as long as the student has completed at least 30 units of coursework.

Visit the Comparative Literature and Thought page
for additional information about this program.

As part of their degree requirements, PhD students must complete a program-defined Mentored Experience Requirement (MER) as per these guidelines. The Mentored Experience Implementation Plan (MEIP) is the written articulation of a program-defined degree requirement for PhD students to engage in mentored teaching activities and/or mentored professional activities, collectively referred to as the MER.

Mentored Experience Requirement (MER)

Philosophy of Teaching

German Languages and Literatures Philosophy of Teaching includes the following:

  • Close mentoring of graduate students as they develop as teachers, scholars, and professionals. 
  • Preparing students for a variety of career options both within academia and in other sectors. We believe that both teaching and internship opportunities are critical for developing skills that translate across professional fields: organization, time management, flexibility and adaptability, public speaking, and the ability to give and receive constructive feedback. All students should have the opportunity to (and be encouraged to) take advantage of both Mentored Professional Experiences and Mentored Teaching Experiencess during their course of study.
  • Specific values for Mentored Teaching Experiences: 
    • Thoughtful and intentional pedagogical training that includes an introduction to teaching in the profession, theories of second-language acquisition, and practical methods for classroom management and teaching.  
    • Preparing students who hope to pursue academic jobs for teaching expectations at a variety of types of institutions (including those where they may be asked to do multiple language courses in addition to language/culture content courses). 
    • Maintaining a supportive, collaborative teaching culture (facilitated through observation, conversation, and constructive feedback sessions).
    • Providing opportunities for students to develop increasing independence and responsibility as teachers, beginning with co-teaching and potentially having the chance to teach as the instructor of record.

Preparatory Engagement

Preparatory Engagement activities are those that represent an introduction to the foundational skills associated with teaching or communication. Pedagogical preparation engagement activities are normally completed before students are permitted to engage in assisting or teaching in a classroom.

All students are required to take GERMAN 5020 Teaching Practicum and GERMAN 5030 Theory and Practice of Foreign Language Pedagogy. 

  1. GERMAN 5020 Teaching Practicum (1-credit course; corequisite taken during first year of AI/MIT)
  2. GERMAN 5030 Theory and Practice of Foreign Language Pedagogy (2-credit course; corequisite taken during first year of AI/MIT)

Mentored Teaching Experiences (MTEs)

Assistant in Instruction (AI)

An Assistant in Instruction (AI) is a PhD student who is directly engaged in the organization, instruction, and/or support of a semester-long course primarily taught by a faculty member. An AI receives mentorship from a faculty member related to best practices in classroom engagement, instruction in the field, interpersonal engagement, and other relevant skills. Students and mentors complete a mentorship plan prior to the start of each AI experience. To complete each AI assignment and to ensure that it applies toward their degree requirements, students must register for the appropriate course number for each semester of engagement. Refer to the "Required Pathways for Completion" section below for course numbers and details.

Each German AI opportunity consists of 15 units and involves differing responsibilities. A minimum of two AI engagements or 30 units are required to complete the core.

Language Teaching and Observation AI
  • Language Teaching:  

    • The AI meets weekly with the instructor of record about the syllabus and class goals, assists with group work in class, generally teaches one or two sessions per week, keeps office hours, and assists with assessments and grading.

  • Observation and Syllabus Development:

    • The AI observes an English-language content course or an upper-level German seminar three hours a week for 14 weeks, during which time the AI confers with the instructor of record about the syllabus and class goals, assists with group work in class, leads at least two discussions or gives two lectures or a combination thereof, keeps office hours, and assists with assessments and grading. In addition, the AI creates a portfolio-worthy syllabus for a course teachable at an institution such as WashU.

Mentored Independent Teaching (MIT)

MIT is a semester-long experience for PhD students who engage as the primary instructor or co-instructor of a course under the mentorship of a faculty member as part of the MER. Students and mentors complete a mentorship plan prior to the start of each MIT experience. To complete each MIT assignment and to ensure that it applies toward their degree requirements, students must register for the appropriate course number (ASGS 8020 MTE - Mentored Independent Teaching Experience) for each semester of engagement. Refer to the "Required Pathways for Completion" section below for more details.

German's MIT is optional and available to students who have completed the 30 MER unit core. An MIT engagement is equal to 20 MER units:

  • Instructor of Record for GERMAN 3130 Conversational German  
    • Tasks: The student designs the syllabus and is fully responsible for creating course content.
    • Teaching frequency: 90 minutes per week (1-credit course) 
  • Instructor of Record for Language Course GERMAN 1010-2010
    • Tasks: The student is fully responsible for teaching the course, using the syllabus and materials developed by the faculty mentor. 
    • Teaching frequency: 3 hours per week (3-credit course) 
  • Instructor of Record for English-Language Course in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; the Writing Program; or Global Studies 
    • Tasks: The student follows the guidelines of the department through which the course is offered.

Mentored Professional Experiences (MPEs)

The MPE is an unpaid professional experience for PhD students that allows students to develop skills and experiences relevant to their intended career outcomes. Students and mentors complete a mentorship plan prior to the start of each MPE. To complete each MPE assignment and to ensure that it applies toward their degree requirements, students must submit the Mentorship Registration Request form for approval and register for the appropriate course number (ASGS 8120 MTE - Mentored Professional Experience) for each semester of engagement. Refer to the "Required Pathways for Completion" section below for more details.

MPE placements may be on or off campus; recent placements include the Arts & Sciences College Office, Olin Library, Special Collections, Center for the Humanities, Public Scholarship, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Missouri History Museum. Students will be matched according to their scholarly interests and/or the professional skills they are looking to develop. Students sign an agreement that lays out their responsibilities prior to beginning the internship that is signed by them and their mentors. They write a reflection on the experience at the end of the semester.

Required Pathways for Completion

Students work with their faculty mentor and their Director of Graduate Studies to plan how and when they will complete their MER. Students register during the normal registration period for courses in accordance with one of these approved pathways.

Requirement: 80 to 85 units total of MTE and MPE Experiences with a core and three potential tracks:

  • “Core” = 30 units of AI experiences (minimum one language course AI and one round of observing/syllabus writing AI). Most students will complete Core A. Cores B and C are available options for students who come with more teaching experience or who would like more varied observational experiences in advanced courses or in courses outside of the German department. 
  • Three potential tracks = 80 to 85 units of varied numbers of advanced AI (15 unit), MPE (20 unit), or MIT (20 unit) experiences, depending on the student's professional goals. 

Track 1 — Goal: Diverse Teaching/Professional Portfolio = 80 units 

  • Core: 1× Teaching AI/Language course (15 units) + 1× Observation AI (15 units) = 30 units 
  • Track requirements can be fulfilled through the following:  
    • 2× Teaching AI (15) + 1× MPE (20) = 50 units

Track 2 — Goal: Independent Teaching = 80 units 

  • Core: 1× Teaching AI/Language course (15 units) + 1× Observation AI (15 units) = 30 units 
  • Track requirements can be fulfilled through the following:  
    • 2× Teaching AI (15) + 1× MIT (20) = 50 units

Track 3 — Goal: Focus on Professional Experiences / Teaching Creative Praxis = 85 units 

  • Core: 1× Teaching AI/Language course (15 units) + 1× Observation AI (15 units) = 30 units 
  • Track requirements can be fulfilled through the following:  
    • 2× MPE (20) + 1x Teaching AI (15) = 55 units

Pathway #1
ASGS 8015 Take four times
ASGS 8120 Take one time

Pathway #2
ASGS 8015 Take four times
ASGS 8020 Take one time

Pathway #3
ASGS 8015 Take three times
ASGS 8120 Take two times

Optional Activity: Teaching Intensive Pathway (TIP)

The TIP is an optional pathway for those students whose career interests lie in academia or another field that would benefit from extended teaching experiences. This immersive experience allows students to further explore the breadth and depth of teaching best practices and pedagogy related to their respective field. Students who are interested in participating in this elective experience must formally request to participate, which is subject to program approval. Due to this experience being an elective, unpaid experience, students who participate in the TIP will not receive compensation.

Students may apply to this track (with a short statement of intent to the Director of Graduate Studies that will be approved by the German faculty) after completing a Required Pathway. This TIP does not count toward the other units required for MTE.

Optional Pathway
ASGS 8020 Take one time