Admissions & Financial Aid

Admissions

The application includes a statement of purpose, academic writing samples in English and German, three letters of recommendation,  and TOEFL results for applicants without a degree from an English-language institution.

Applicants are also required to upload to the application system copies of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. Visit our How to Apply page for a complete list of required materials, additional details, and FAQs. 

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Fall deadlines:

• January 15: all M.A. and Ph.D. applicants (deadline for scholarship and funding consideration)
• April 1: non-fellowship applicants (final deadline, no scholarship/funding consideration)

Spring deadline:

• November 1: (final deadline, no scholarship/funding consideration)

The department awards competitive fellowships, tuition scholarships, and teaching and research assistantships. For up-to-date information about applications and admissions or to start your application, please visit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or e-mail the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Financial Aid

The German Department provides generous year-round support, making completion of the Ph.D. program in five years financially and academically feasible. Full financial support is guaranteed for this period for students in good academic standing. Students pursuing a terminal Master’s degree are eligible for financial support as well, although priority funding is generally given to students in the Ph.D. program.

Financial Support for Ph.D. students includes:

• Full tuition coverage and a competitive annual stipend for the academic year*
• Summer support through teaching, research, internship, or study abroad (see below)
• Optional coverage of health insurance made available through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
• Reimbursement for all required course materials
• Support for conference participation, travel, and study abroad

*Depending on the stage of their graduate careers, graduate students receive annual stipends in the form of (1) Research Assistantships, (2) Teaching Assistantships, or (3) Dissertation Fellowships.

In addition to these regular support mechanisms, exceptional candidates may be nominated for departmental Roth Fellowships.

Summer Support:

Summer months are integrated into the course of study.  Graduate students are eligible to receive summer support by taking on teaching responsibilities (Georgetown summer school; Trier program), RA responsibilities, or approved internships in the DC area. As part of our graduate exchange programs with the Technische Universität Dresden and the Universität Trier, students may also request support to spend the summer semester in Trier or Dresden.

Summer support is provided with the understanding that students spend the summer months, in addition to the above responsibilities, deepening their learning experience and developing their research interests. This engagement can take different forms, including:

• reading additional materials
• taking courses in a second foreign language
• taking courses in Germanistik at Trier or Dresden
• revising a paper for publication
• preparing for exams
• working on the dissertation