Department of German

The German Department is committed to supporting the professional development of its graduate students through tuition and fellowship support. Priority is given to Ph. D. students in good academic standing who receive funding for the time of their course work plus five semesters, i.e., for a total of five and a half years. M.A. students are usually eligible for financial support for the duration of their course work.

Fellowships include:

• Full tuition coverage plus a competitive annual stipend for the academic year.
  
• The offer to cover the cost of health insurance made available through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
• Reimbursement for all course book purchases

Depending on the stage of their graduate careers, graduate students may also receive (1) Research Assistantships, (2) Teaching Assistantships or (3) Dissertation Fellowships.

(1) Research Assistantships may involve research with a faculty member, assistance with library acquisitions, course development, and/or technological development for the curriculum or the Department. Each student is assigned a faculty mentor, and these positions are awarded on a semester basis;

(2) Teaching Assistantships are initially mentored positions, and proceed through the curriculum to the extent possible (i.e, beginning with lower levels and culminating in advanced courses). Teaching Assistantships may be awarded to those entering with a Master's Degree and the equivalent of the graduate teaching methods course. Each student should be prepared to teach, based on completion of the Methods course, by the second year of graduate study. Coordination Practica may be available to advanced students with extensive teaching experience who would like to gain administrative experience through coordination of one multi-sectioned course. These coordinators will work closely with the Language Program Director;

(3) Dissertation Fellowships provide full funding for one semester without teaching duties to enable students to focus on their dissertations.

These assignments depend upon availability of funds, individual progress in both academic and professional work reviewed yearly by the faculty, and overall availability of course sections. We strive to achieve a balance of scholarship, service and teaching experience among graduate students in order to facilitate students' transitions beyond graduate school.

The Deparment considers conference participation, travel and study abroad a vital part of the graduate study experience, and makes funds available for graduate students to pursue such activities.

In addition to these regular support mechanisms, exceptional candidates may be nominated for departmental Roth Fellowships, the University Fellowship, or a number of other targeted university-wide fellowships.

The Department currently maintains programs for summer teaching for Georgetown's undergraduate summer program in Trier, graduate exchange programs (semester or year) with the Technische Universität Dresden and the Universität Trier, and a program with the Lehrerfortbildung in Dillingen.

The Department also encourages its graduate students to seek outside support for summer, semester or year-long research and teaching stays in Germany or Austria. Our graduate students have been exceedingly successful in securing outside funding from sources such as the Social Science Foundation, the DAAD, Fulbright, Goethe Institut, Senat of Berlin, and others.