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Research Proposal

Information for All Applicants

A research proposal should be clear, coherent and compelling, contain all the key elements involved in the research process and include sufficient information for the committee to evaluate the proposed study. The proposal should situate the project’s objectives in the context of existing research, debates and literature on the topic. The research design should be realistic in scope and responsive to theoretical and methodological concerns of a particular discipline but should also be of demonstrable cross-disciplinary interest. Applicants should show an appropriate level of training and skill to undertake the proposed study, including evidence of language fluency adequate to complete the project and participate in the German language colloquium at the Freie Universität Berlin.

Applicants should demonstrate a sound knowledge of the local academic context and the available research resources and specify why an extended period of research in Berlin is critical to the successful completion of their proposed research.

Regardless of the discipline, research area, the methodology and academic level of the research project, all proposals should include the following information:

• An explicit statement of the major questions to be explored or hypotheses to be tested.
• Importance of the research to disciplinary concerns.
• An explicit description and justification of the research methods.
• Availability and quality of sources/material/data.
• Preliminary research already completed or plans for research prior to going overseas.
• Proposed location(s) for research and explanation of why the project requires overseas research and why Berlin is of particular significance for the project.
• Contacts/affiliations which have or will be established with institutions/interview partners etc. relevant to the proposed research project in Berlin/Germany/Europe.  
• A research schedule with bimonthly target dates as well as reflections on possible challenges and how to address them. Include the local sources (archives, libraries, museums, data, institutions, individuals)  you will be working with or are planning to work with.
• Bibliography listing most important topical sources including German-language publications - or other European language publications respectively - which reflect the state of research on your topic.

Information for Postdoc Applicants

The Berlin Program funds recent postdocs, i.e. applicants whose Ph.D. was conferred in the last two calender years or will be conferred before the fellowship - if granted - would begin.

An application for a postdoc fellowship may  involve:

• revising a dissertation into a book manuscript,
• launching a new research project,

If you are proposing a dissertation revision, state this, explaining the changes to the manuscript that you plan, and how you will accomplish these goals. Use this the opportunity to highlight how your dissertation contributes to the field, but also how your proposed research will advance your study. Make sure you clearly describe the questions you will ask beyond those examined in your dissertation. As you will have the potential readership of your future book in mind and try to extend the publication’s reach to the broader academic community, reflect on additional research questions, analysis of additional sources/data/literature.

If you are applying for support of a new project, and this may seem a bit of a challenge as you are still finishing your dissertation and had not had time to work on the new project, do not be alarmed. As described above, provide an overview of the new project, explaining the basic ideas, problems, or questions examined by your research, i.e. help the committee get the bigger picture and the new avenues you are pursuing. You could reflect on how the new research connects to your existing work or adds new dimensions in your research foci (e.g.  a change of century, adding a comparative dimension, or a shift in methodology etc.). Identify the methods, sources etc. by which you will accomplish these research goals. Describe how the project will complement, challenge, or expand relevant existing knowledge in the field. Demonstrate your ability to do this in the time line submitted.

If you are apply for funding to both revise your launch a new project, make sure you include both titles in the project description, the research proposal and the research schedule. If applicable, explain the connection between the both.

Learn from our skills workshop How to Become a Superapplicant run in November 2021 by BP alumni Veronika Fuechtner (Dartmouth College) and Johannes von Moltke (Michigan University).

Continue with Pointers and Advice .

Guidelines for Master’s Theses

There are very few formal requirements when writing your master’s thesis. We have put together the most important of these as well as additional helpful information in our guidelines for master’s theses .

You can also download a style sheet . This is a pre-formatted Word document you can directly use to write your thesis.

Information about academic writing and how to avoid plagiarizing can be found here .

We have also provided a list of past master’s theses to help you brainstorm ideas for your own thesis.

Graduate Program Handbook

Last updated September 13, 2024

Download the full Graduate Handbook.pdf

Table of Contents

German studies graduate program, chair’s welcome note.

• Departmental Website
•   Checklist for New Students
•   Advising
•   The Parlor
•   Mailboxes, Emails
•   Georgetown Box
•   Canvas
•   Departmental Calendar

Faculty and Their Roles

• Coursework and Program of Study for M.A. and Ph.D. students
• MA Colloquium

Annual Reflective Statement

Second foreign language requirement.

• Ph.D. Qualifying Examination

Dissertation

Transfer of credits.

• Current Courses  

TA Development

• Admission & Financial Aid
• Conference Support
• Summer Support 

Study Abroad

Graduate student career resources, the graduate school of arts and sciences.

•   Graduate Bulletin and Policies
•   Registration and Academic Calendar
•   Academic Integrity/Academic Misconduct Issues
•   Leave of Absence
•   Grade Appeals
•   Incompletes
•  Language Study Scholarships and Policies
•  International Issues (Office of Global Services)
•  Graduate School Contacts and Resources
•   Graduate Student Government (GradGov)
•  Graduate Student Ombuds
• Georgetown Alliance of Graduate Employees (GAGE-AFT)
•  Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Policy Statements
•   Student Health Services

Need-Based Aid: Office of Student Financial Services

Merit-based aid: graduate school dean’s office.

This handbook provides practical information on the policies, procedures, and resources related to the Graduate program in the Department of German. The Department offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in German Studies. With the BMW Center for German and European Studies, the Department also offers the  joint MAGES/Ph.D. in German .

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We are delighted that you have chosen the German Department at Georgetown University to pursue a Master’s or Ph.D. degree in German Studies!

Graduate study brings with it great opportunities and challenges that require informed decisions. We have drafted this Handbook to assist you with many of these decisions by providing essential information on policies and resources available to you. The Handbook contains information specific to your degree program in the German Department (part I) and information on general policies of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (part II). The online version includes hyperlinks to the Graduate School and other pertinent websites. Please take time to familiarize yourself with the information provided in the Handbook and contact your advisor or me with questions about any aspect of our graduate program.

We are a mid-sized department of faculty and students with a long-standing tradition of collaboration on research projects, including curricular issues, often resulting in joint publications. As chair of the department, I want to encourage you to make use of these opportunities and get fully involved in our departmental life beginning with your first semester at Georgetown! This involvement includes participation in committees, workshops, lectures, and symposia at Georgetown and beyond (e.g., at the local Goethe Institut), as well as in graduate student initiatives (ranging from brown bag lunches with visiting scholars to organizing graduate student conferences). In short, try to benefit from your time at Georgetown not only in the classroom but also beyond!

Our graduate program is ideally positioned to respond to the challenges in the profession and to the changing role of the humanities. Many program features already reflect the recommendations of the recent  MLA report on Doctoral Study , illustrating the forward-looking character of the Graduate Program in German (examples include the central role of teacher education and year-round financial support). Results of a recent graduate alumni survey confirm that the graduate program prepares our alumni well for a range of career paths in academia and other professional contexts.

On behalf of the entire German Department faculty, I wish you a successful and rewarding time at Georgetown.

Peter C. Pfeiffer, Professor of German & Chair

Departmental Web Site

The department’s website is your primary resource for information about the Department of German. It contains announcements, academic guidelines, course offerings, and administrative policies and procedures.

General Information for Graduate Students

Checklist for new students.

This section provides useful information for graduate students in the German M.A. or Ph.D. program at Georgetown University, and it can also be a helpful resource for exchange students. (The Office of Global Services also offers additional important information for exchange students and incoming graduate students on an F-1 visa.)

Before their arrival at Georgetown, new graduate students and exchange students should read this section carefully and submit the necessary documents.

Immunization Records

All students regardless of age are screened for tuberculosis by completing the risk assessment questionnaire form. All students under the age of 26 at Georgetown University are required to submit proof of immunizations as required by the District of Columbia. The deadline for submission for new and incoming students entering the fall semester is August 1, and for the spring semester, the deadline is December 15. For additional information, please go to the Immunizations website .

Health Insurance

According to registration criteria, Georgetown University requires most full-time students in a degree-seeking program to have adequate health insurance. A charge for the Premier Plan appears on students’ accounts when their course registration meets the eligibility criteria. If graduate students are granted a graduate stipend, Georgetown University will also cover the cost of the Premier Plan. Students who want this coverage need to accept it online. Enrollment in the Premier Plan can be waived if a student has other adequate coverage. More information about Student Health Insurance can be found through the Student Health Office’s online insurance resources .

Stipends, Income, and Taxes

Graduate School Tuition Scholarships and Assistantships are considered earned income and therefore subject to federal, state, and local tax withholdings. All recipients of assistantship stipends who have not been employed previously by Georgetown University during the current calendar year (or who have been terminated) must complete Form I-9 by the first day of the semester. For more detailed information about tax documentation please go to Georgetown University, 15.2 Merit-based Aid in this handbook and use the provided links.

The Department of German advises its new graduate students to start searching for housing a few months prior to the beginning of their first semester at Georgetown. Graduate students may apply to live in the Georgetown graduate housing located at 55 H Street NW. This housing is managed by the Office of Residential Living and is subject to their billing schedule. To see more information and apply, please visit the Graduate Housing website . For off-campus housing inquiries, graduate students should call or write to the university’s office of Neighborhood Life (202-687-5138; [email protected]), use ApartmentList ,  craigslist , the Washington DC housing Facebook group , or PadMapper for their apartment hunt, or contact one of the graduate students in the Department of German. Desirable housing locations are close to public bus stops, to GUTS bus stops (university-operated buses that are free for Georgetown students), to metro stations (Georgetown does not have a metro station but can be accessed by buses that leave from various metro stations such as Rosslyn or Dupont Circle), and to the Capital bikeshares . Suggested neighborhoods are as follows:

• North Arlington, Virginia: Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon
• Washington, DC: Georgetown, Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, Glover Park

It is recommended that exchange students also consult the document “ Tipps für Austauschstudenten ” provided by the Department Administrator. 

The Department is committed to providing individual advising and mentoring to all of its graduate students. While all professors participate in this process, students select a permanent advisor during their first year. Students are encouraged to stay in close contact with their advisor throughout the degree program and to discuss their academic interests and questions related to the profession with this person. The advisor also approves course selection during pre-registration and signs the required paperwork. 

Incoming graduate students are advised by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). At the beginning of the first semester, new graduate students meet with the DGS to discuss course selection and registration. In the spring semester of their first year (before registration in early April), graduate students select a faculty member as an advisor whose research interests correspond with their own. (Note for Ph.D. students: The advisor is not necessarily identical to the dissertation mentor. If students’ research interests change over the course of their studies, they are encouraged to find a new mentor.) 

The Parlor and Faculty Offices

The Parlor is the office space for all graduate students. The Parlor provides a space to work, study, grade, and relax. Upon their arrival, new graduate students will receive a key to the Parlor. Graduate students who are teaching do not hold their office hours in the Parlor but rather use one of the faculty members’ offices. Graduate students will be assigned to a faculty office and coordinate their office hours with the respective faculty member.

Mailboxes, Emails

The Department of German assigns graduate students their own mailboxes. These mailboxes are mainly used for departmental and university-related communication. Students are discouraged from using the Department’s address as their personal mailing address. Every student will receive her/his own NetID and can access her/his Georgetown email account through Georgetown Apps .

Georgetown Box

The Department of German uses the university’s online platform, Georgetown Box , to store, upload, and manage curricular and administrative documents. Graduate students who are teaching and/or preparing to teach in the Department of German download and use existing teaching materials available in Box. Before uploading new teaching material onto Box, graduate students need approval from the Director of Curriculum.

Canvas is the university’s online platform that lists all courses offered at Georgetown. Graduate students use Canvas in two distinct ways: As students, they can access course materials and post their responses online when asked to participate in the course blog or online class discussions. As instructors, they upload and make available class materials to their students. They can also use Canvas to communicate with their students and post discussion board questions.

Departmental Calendar

Events, talks, and meetings relevant to or organized by the Department of German can be found on the Departmental Calendar.  The calendar changes every semester and the most recent version is available in Box (All Files > All Department).

Graduate Program

Coursework and program of study for m.a. and ph.d. students.

This document provides a chronological overview of the M.A. and Ph.D. programs in German at Georgetown, including coursework, teaching opportunities, and specific requirements and recommendations. It lays out the program of study for a “typical” M.A./Ph.D. student, i.e., a student entering the M.A./Ph.D. program in the fall semester of a given academic year with a BA degree and no prior teaching experience. For students entering the Ph.D. program with an M.A. degree, the program of study will be adjusted accordingly.

Please note: Different requirements apply to German majors enrolled in the five-year BA/MA program and to students in the joint MAGES/German Ph.D. program .

Students advance through the graduate program in close consultation with their advisor, the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), and the Director of Curriculum.

The graduate program fosters students’ critical thinking, intellectual engagement (with a range of competing ideas, concepts, and approaches), and comprehensive knowledge either in the area of literary and cultural studies or in German second language teaching and learning (G/SLA). The Department defines “comprehensive knowledge” as the ability to make connections between texts and ideas across historical periods and theoretical approaches at a high conceptual level.

M.A. students usually take a total of 12 courses over a period of four semesters. Ph.D. students usually take 17 courses in six semesters, including a minimum of two courses in G/SLA or Applied Linguistics. First-year students may take courses in the German department only. Thereafter students may take no more than one course per semester in another department with the approval of the advisor, with the exception of SLA students who may occasionally take more than one course in the Linguistics Department. Beyond the required coursework, this document includes a number of recommendations that are meant to foster students’ intellectual and professional development as researchers and teachers.

Student performance will be assessed in the annual graduate review letters from the Director of Graduate Studies, based on written input from all faculty and discussion of students’ performance at the first faculty meeting of the calendar year. Continuation in the graduate program is contingent upon academic progress and faculty recommendation. 

At the end of their coursework, students in the M.A. program take the M.A. colloquium in German to demonstrate their ability to draw meaningful connections between topics, texts, and historical periods. Ph.D. students take the Ph.D. qualifying examination consisting of a written and oral component (see “Degree Requirements” for further information). Both parts of the exam are designed to assess comprehensive knowledge and intellectual engagement as defined above. Students are expected to demonstrate their qualifications as generalists and as specialists in a given research area. Preparation for and successful completion of the exam will also assist them in identifying a dissertation topic. Particular emphasis is placed on an examinee’s preparedness to perform independent research. Students who have successfully completed the exam advance to Ph.D. candidacy.

In addition to these departmental rules and guidelines, all rules of the Graduate School regarding completion of the Ph.D. degree apply.

Fall/Semester 1:

• M.A. & Ph.D. students: Regular course load of nine credits: three graduate level courses, one of which is “Fundamentals of Teaching towards Advanced Literacy in a Foreign Language.” (Joint MAGES/Ph.D. students usually take this course in their second year.)

Spring/Semester 2:

• M.A. students: 2nd semester through 4th semester: regular course load of nine credits
• Ph.D. students: 2nd semester and subsequent three semesters: regular course load of nine credits
• By early April (before pre-registration), first-year students select a permanent advisor by asking the respective professor and by informing the DGS of their choice.
• Extensive observation at Levels I – III or paired teaching with an experienced instructor
• Recommendation for Ph.D. students: enrollment in a 2nd foreign language course

1st Summer:

• Annual reflective statement due to advisor by mid-August for first-year M.A. and Ph.D. students. See section 5.2.2 for more information on the reflective statement.
• Summer support via TA- or RA-ships or approved internships in the DC area; occasional opportunity for spending the summer semester in Dresden or Trier (upon recommendation by DGS and advisor and successful application; application forms are due November 1).
• Extensive reading: Begin compilation of Reading List for M.A. oral colloquium at the end of the 4th semester or oral Ph.D. exam at the end of the 6th semester (see “Degree Requirements” for further information).
• Recommendation for Ph.D. students: individually tailored annotated bibliography as a helpful research tool .

Fall/Semester 3:

• 3rd semester and subsequent semesters: Teaching with class visits and feedback by the Director of Curriculum and other faculty.

Spring/Semester 4:

• Recommendation for Ph.D. students: enrollment in a 2nd foreign language course .
• Ph.D. students are eligible to receive a Master’s in passing.
• M.A. degree candidates: course-based oral colloquium in German (for more information, see section 5.2.1 ).

2 nd Summer:

• Annual reflective statement due to advisor by mid-August for second-year Ph.D. students.
• Summer support via TA- or RA-ships or approved internships in the DC area; occasional opportunity for spending the summer semester studying in Dresden or Trier or teaching for the Georgetown Summer School in Trier (upon recommendation by chair and advisor).
• Initial Statement of Teaching Philosophy in consultation with the Curriculum Coordinator.
• Extensive reading: continued work on the reading list and annotated bibliography.
• Recommendation: revision of a course-based research paper and submission to a journal and/or conference .

Fall/Semester 5:

• Extended class observations of “Text in Context” or “Issues and Trends” are required for students interested in teaching a Level IV course; other options may include RA-ship with Curriculum Coordinator

Spring/Semester 6:

• Last semester of coursework for Ph.D. students: Enrollment in two courses and pre-thesis research (to maintain full-time status).
• In consultation with their advisor, Ph.D. students choose their exam committee which usually consists of two additional faculty members.
• Due after spring break to all committee members: 1. final version of Ph.D. Reading List; 2. Statement of Intellectual Development (SID) , including three or four broad themes (determined in consultation with the committee) that will guide the oral examination.
• Preparation for the oral Ph.D. exam.
• Preparation of a proposal for the written part of the exam (Literature Review), due to the committee before the Oral Ph.D. exam.
• After the end of classes: Oral Ph.D. exam, including feedback on the proposal for the written exam (total length: two hours).

3rd Summer:

• Summer support via TA- or RA-ships
• After successful completion of the oral exam and approval of the proposal, students spend approx. six weeks on the Literature Review.

Fall/Semester 7:

• Public Presentation and Discussion of Literature Review. Once a student has passed the Ph.D. exam, a departmental presentation on the Literature Review is scheduled (open to all faculty and graduate students). The feedback at this event informs the student’s dissertation project and proposal.
• Submission of dissertation proposal to the Graduate School.
• Recommendation: application for research grants or dissertation fellowships (deadlines for DAAD/Fulbright are usually in the early fall) and/or for conference participation. 

The period between submission of the dissertation proposal and completion of the dissertation:

• Contingent upon satisfactory progress, students receive support for three additional semesters (and summer support where applicable).
• It is recommended that students apply for a DAAD or Fulbright dissertation fellowship to conduct research in a German-speaking country (most deadlines are in the early fall). Students may also apply for a semester- or year-long exchange in Trier or Dresden upon recommendation by their advisor and successful application.
• Students who have the requisite background in teaching upper-level courses are encouraged to submit a proposal for a Level IV or V course. An important part of the job market portfolio, the syllabus demonstrates the student’s ability to translate research interests into a viable course. In accordance with the department’s goals, the syllabus should clearly spell out the integration of language and content. (Actual teaching assignments at this level depend on the Department’s curricular needs.)
• Students are encouraged to submit a revised version of a research paper to an academic journal.

Upon completion of dissertation:

Dissertation defense.

• 20-minute presentation of dissertation research and results followed by comments and questions from the dissertation committee and the public (total length: two hours).

Additional Degree Requirements

M.a. degree, m.a. colloquium.

At the end of their coursework (usually in early May), students who complete their studies with the M.A. take an oral colloquium in German to demonstrate their ability to draw meaningful connections between topics, texts, and historical periods. This course-based colloquium is administered by two professors of the student’s choice (length: one hour). Prior to the colloquium, students submit a Statement of Intellectual Development (SID), a list of all courses taken during their time at Georgetown, and a list of materials studied in these courses. In the SID (3-4 pages), students reflect on how their interests have evolved during their time in the graduate program; these reflections will provide the point of departure for the colloquium. 

Ph.D. Degree

The following sections provide detailed information about specific requirements for Ph.D. students beyond coursework regarding the annual reflective statement, second foreign language exam, the qualifying examination, and dissertation writing.

The annual reflective statement helps students to engage in academic and professional development through reflective practice. Reflective practice is already an integral part of the graduate program at Georgetown University’s German Department. While the coursework and teaching opportunities throughout the academic year foster critical thinking skills, intellectual development, and comprehensive knowledge, the summer break presents an ideal opportunity for graduate students to pause and reflect on how their academic interests have evolved and on what kind of issues they plan to pursue in the future. In addition, the summers also give students the time to actively explore and engage with professional development resources, as well as to develop a basic understanding of their professional profile vis-à-vis the demands of the job market.

Consequently, the goal of the annual reflection is twofold. On the one hand, students ponder their intellectual development, their future course of study, and how connections between past and future coursework can be drawn. On the other hand, students look forward and contemplate how their current academic profile and skill set relate to the demands of the job market. In order to reach these goals, graduate students will work both independently and with guidance from their advisors.

The graduate student : engages with past coursework; draws on professional development resources curated by graduate students; explores the job market and develops an understanding for research foci and skills that are in demand.

The advisor : provides guidance on future academic coursework and relevant readings in the student’s area of interest, as well as on how research projects can develop (non)academic skills the student hopes to attain.

Ultimately, the annual reflection aims to support graduate education by helping students identify and/or develop areas of research interest in a targeted manner with guidance from the advisor early on and over their entire course of study; fostering an intellectual and mentoring relationship between advisor and advisee; familiarizing students with the task of writing the Statement of Intellectual Development (SID; see below); encouraging students to actively explore and familiarize themselves with the demands and dynamics of the job market, as well as with career/professional development resources on and off campus.

Format and time frame : the reflective statement is 1 – 3 pages in length and should be submitted to the advisor no later than mid-August; it serves as the basis for a conversation with the student’s advisor.

As part of the Ph.D. program in the German Department, students complete a second foreign language requirement. It is fulfilled by completing six credits in a foreign language with a passing grade, irrespective of instructional level, during their studies at Georgetown and prior to taking the Ph.D. qualifying examination. (Students in the joint MAGES/Ph.D. program fulfill the requirement by completing the MAGES 2nd FL requirement.) Classes have to be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and tuition scholarships are awarded in accordance with the rules of the Graduate School. Language Scholarship policies can be found in section II.E.3 of the Graduate Bulletin .

This requirement reflects a number of intellectual and experiential goals that align with the graduate program’s academic and educational profile. Among these are the values of

• enhancing one’s language abilities so that they can be used to advance research and professional communication;
• experiencing language learning and language teaching with a higher level of awareness regarding the teaching and learning of a foreign language in a classroom setting;
• projecting qualities of an educated person in the humanistic tradition who is able to move about in the global multilingual and multicultural environment of research and researchers.

Ph.D. Qualifying Exam

At the end of their coursework, students will take the Ph.D. qualifying exam that consists of an oral and written component. (The student’s advisor will coordinate all logistical aspects of the exam.) Both parts of the exam are designed to assess comprehensive knowledge and intellectual engagement as defined above. Particular emphasis is placed on an examinee’s preparedness to perform independent research. Students are expected to demonstrate their qualifications as generalists and as specialists in a given research area. Successful completion of the examination will assist them in identifying a dissertation topic. Students who have successfully completed the exam present the results of the written exam (i.e., the literature review) at a public event and advance to Ph.D. candidacy.

Oral Part of the Ph.D. Examination

Required Documents Prior to the Oral Exam:

At the end of spring break (or at least one month prior to the Oral Exam) students submit two documents: the final versions of a Course-Based Reading List consisting of all primary and major theoretical sources covered in the student’s coursework; and a Statement of Intellectual Development (SID) of approximately five to six pages. There is no prescribed format for the SID but it includes both reflections on how the student’s academic interests have evolved during the time at Georgetown and on what kind of issues the student plans to pursue in the future. As part of the SID and in consultation with the committee, the student identifies three or four broad themes that will guide the oral Ph.D. exam. 

The Course-Based Oral Exam

Immediately following completion of coursework, students take a course-based oral exam (in either English or German) based on their Reading List. Students are expected to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge by making connections between texts and ideas across historical periods and theoretical approaches at a high conceptual level. The oral exam is guided by three or four broad themes the student identified in the SID. The exam also includes a brief discussion of the student’s proposal for the written part of the Ph.D. Examination (see below). The total exam time is two hours. 

(For some students whose research focus is SLA, the committee for the written exam may be different from the course-based oral exam. In those cases, feedback to and approval of the proposal for the written part of the exam will not take place during the oral exam but at a separate meeting to be convened by the student’s advisor.)

A student who does not pass the oral exam receives written feedback from the exam committee and is granted one retake. It will take place within two weeks of the original exam date. 

Written Part of the Ph.D. Examination: Literature Review/Forschungsbericht

Document Required Prior to the Literature Review

At the end of the final semester of coursework and prior to the Oral Ph.D. examination, students submit a proposal that describes the area of scholarship they intend to review and the rationale for selecting it. The research question(s) need not be explicitly formulated, but the overall topic should be clear. The student’s exam committee members will review the proposal and it will become the focus of a 10-15 minute discussion during the oral examination. Upon approval, students spend part of the summer (approximately six weeks) writing the literature review so that it is ready for submission in mid-August. Students who complete their coursework in the fall semester write the literature review during the first six weeks of the spring semester.

The Literature Review/Forschungsbericht

Before embarking on the writing of a dissertation, any researcher in German literature, culture, or G/SLA must be able to survey the existing literature on the topic of her/his choice, indicate and evaluate a range of views and approaches to that topic, and identify gaps or disagreements in the literature that merit further research. The literature review goes beyond summarizing existing research and analyzes, synthesizes, and historicizes distinct views, methodologies, and schools of thought. The literature review surveys and assesses theory and criticism. In the case of G/SLA, the literature review surveys previous empirical research and clearly indicates major findings and their implications for our understanding of language learning and teaching.

Writing a literature review will help students construct a research question or problem and will enable them to begin to specify an appropriate critical/methodological approach for the selected topic. It should therefore culminate in the articulation of a genuine puzzle or substantive research question(s). Particularly in the case of G/SLA, research questions should be stated in a way that allows them to be investigated through empirical research.

For the literature review, students select a topic in German literature, culture, or G/SLA. The review should be 25–30 pages in length, excluding the bibliography or references. Students writing an SLA-themed literature review are likely to draw on empirical research of language acquisition other than German (e.g., English); however, such research must be directly relevant to the research topic, which is focused on a phenomenon in German.

The topic and sources encompass a body of research that is sufficiently large to make it possible to discern distinct theoretical/critical/historical/aesthetic/methodological trends. In particular, the literature review:

• includes books as well as articles ;
• incorporates different points of view in German literature, culture, or G/SLA; understood as interdisciplinary fields. The topic may require reading in adjoining fields. If such sources are included the review should address questions of disciplinarity and how a field’s dominant methodology shapes researchers’ approaches to the topic.
• uncovers important changes in perspective over time. The discussion of the selected topic should seek to uncover important changes in scholarly approaches and should include German intellectual discourses and critical traditions. For G/SLA, the historical scope of the topic may not extend beyond a few decades. It is nonetheless possible to identify distinct theoretical and empirical trends in research, and a discussion of such developments and their causes is necessary.

The literature review demonstrates why the topic is important, why approaches have changed over time, and/or why critical/field affiliations have resulted in different foci and findings. Most importantly, it identifies what questions or problems now merit the kind of research that is proposed.

A student who does not pass the written part of the Ph.D. exams receives written feedback from the exam committee and is granted one retake. The retake consists of four additional weeks devoted to revisions of the student’s Literature Review following the feedback of the exam committee.

Public Presentation of the Literature Review

Once a student has passed the Ph.D. qualifying exam, a presentation on the Literature Review is scheduled (open to all faculty and graduate students). The feedback at this event informs the student’s dissertation proposal.

Dissertation Proposal and Dissertation Format

The Dissertation proposal (see the Graduate School form ), approved by the dissertation committee, should be submitted to the Graduate School during the same semester in which the student presents the literature review.

The Department accepts two dissertation formats: the monograph form; or a series of five related projects and a reflective essay. Both formats demonstrate the student’s ability to perform independent and original scholarship. The second format (five related projects) requires particularly close consultation with the advisor and the dissertation committee.

Upon successful completion of the dissertation, a two-hour dissertation defense is scheduled. The defense consists of the student’s presentation of dissertation research and results (approx. 20 minutes), followed by comments and questions from the dissertation committee and the public. Once the requested revisions are completed and approved by the advisor, the dissertation is submitted to the Graduate School.

Students entering the Ph.D. program with an M.A. degree from another institution may request transfer of credits. Requests for transfer of credits are decided by the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the student’s advisor.

Current Courses

For detailed information about course offerings please visit our list of course synopses .

The German Department offers graduate students exceptional opportunities to develop their teaching abilities in its exemplary, nationally recognized curriculum, Developing Multiple Literacies. The curriculum carefully integrates language and content instruction in unique ways. Our TA development program enables students to teach on all levels of the undergraduate curriculum, including the most advanced undergraduate courses. Graduate students also participate regularly in collaborative projects to develop instructional materials and curricular revisions where they translate their knowledge of second language acquisition research into the programmatic realities of curriculum construction and pedagogy. The Department’s content-based curriculum inherently presents a particular focus for TAs. Overall, the TA program has the comprehensive aim of training classroom teachers to be independent and reflective decision-makers and views learners as autonomous participants. More information can be found in our section on TA development .

Admission and Financial Aid

Applications include a statement of purpose, academic writing samples in English and German, and TOEFL results (for non-native English speakers who hold no college degree from the U.S. or another English-speaking country).

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Deadlines for fall semester admission:

Jan 15: deadline for scholarship/funding consideration

April 1: final deadline (no scholarship/funding consideration)

Deadline for spring semester admission

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 download an application form, please visit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences .

Financial Aid

The German Department provides generous year-round support, making the completion of the Ph.D. program in five years (for incoming BA students) 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 generally not considered for financial support.

Financial Support for Ph.D. students includes:

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

Conference Travel Support

Departmental policy.

Note: Students are expected to plan ahead and comply with the Graduate School’s deadlines for funding requests.

Conference participation is an important part of professionalization and requires a substantial time commitment (writing/revising a paper and attending the conference itself). It thus has to be carefully planned, especially if the conference takes place during the semester when you are busy with coursework and your RA or TA responsibilities. Most importantly, conference participation has to make sense academically and is recommended primarily for advanced Ph.D. students (year 3 and beyond) who are ready to present their work to a community of scholars.

• If you are interested in participating in a particular conference, please discuss your plans with your advisor and/or chair prior to the submission of your proposal. Travel support is contingent upon approval from your advisor and the chair. Generally, the Department will support conference participation if the project is related to the student’s dissertation research.
• In exceptional cases, the Department will support the presentation of papers at the AATG/ACTFL even when they are not related to your dissertation research. Support will be limited to the most successful projects developed in conjunction with departmental SLA classes.
• This takes planning and cannot be done at the last minute (Grad School deadlines are generally in September and January). Departmental support is limited to one conference per academic year (fall through spring semester).
• The Department will cover expenses for approved conference visits (i.e., the part not covered by the Graduate School) with the understanding that students make every effort to contain costs (by sharing accommodation, registering early, finding reasonable flights, etc.). Maximum amount covered per academic year: $1,000 (this includes up to $500 in Graduate School support). Applications for departmental support should be made through this Google form .
• We recommend that students attending conferences take full advantage of them: Beyond the presentation of your own paper, this means attending other panels, special events (including social events like cash bars), keynote addresses, and book exhibits — all of which are opportunities for establishing contacts with other scholars. (Faculty members attending the same conference are happy to help in these efforts but it also takes individual initiative.)
• If you are interested in attending a conference close to the DC area, some departmental support might be available even when you are not presenting a paper. In these cases, please contact the chair ahead of time.

Graduate School Policy

The Graduate School is pleased to support the professional development of graduate students by providing Conference Travel Grants to both master’s and doctoral students on the Main Campus and the Medical Center.

The Graduate School also invites nominations for Dissertation Research Travel awards for up to $5,000 each. These competitive awards support the travel costs of students enrolled in doctoral degrees as well as students engaged in archival or field research outside the United States.

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 or Trier program), RA responsibilities, or approved internships in the DC area. As part of the Department’s graduate exchange programs with the Technische Universität Dresden and the Universität Trier, students may also request support to spend the summer semester in Dresden or Trier. Applications for summer teaching in Trier, summer teaching at Georgetown, and the graduate exchange program should be submitted through this Google form .

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

• reading additional materials
• taking courses in a 2nd foreign language
• taking courses in Germanistik in Trier or Dresden
• revising a paper for publication
• preparing for exams
• working on the dissertation

Prior to reaching the dissertation-writing stage, students may request to spend the summer semester at the University of Trier or Dresden. The department has longstanding and well-established exchange programs with the TU Dresden and Universität Trier and provides full financial support.

Students who have completed their coursework are encouraged to apply for DAAD or Fulbright dissertation fellowships or short-term research grants to conduct research in a German-speaking country (most deadlines are in September/October). Students may also apply through the Department for a year or half-year fellowship in Trier or Dresden. Faculty provides feedback and support in the application process, and applications should be submitted through this Google form . Detailed information can be found on our Graduate Study Abroad site.

Information has been assembled by German department graduate students in order to provide a comprehensive list of resources provided by Georgetown University to assist in career planning. This document is continuously changing and the most up-to-date version can be found in Google Drive or in the Georgetown Box folder All Department > Graduate.

Also available in the same location is a wide-ranging collection of external internship and fellowship opportunities in the Washington, DC area.

Graduate students and faculty, May 2023

Graduate Bulletin and Policies

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences establishes minimum requirements for admission and the award of degrees. Students should familiarize themselves with all the rules, regulations, and procedures relevant to their pursuit of a Graduate School degree. The Graduate Bulletin and Graduate School Policies and Procedures can be found on the Graduate School’s website .

Registration and Academic Calendar

Important policies and procedures pertaining to graduate student registration are found in the Graduate Bulletin, Section II: Registration.  The Graduate School offers a website on procedures and links for graduate student registration .

In addition, all graduate students must be aware of the registration schedule, withdrawal deadlines, academic calendar, course schedules, and other important academic information published each semester by the University Registrar on the Registrar’s website . 

Academic Integrity/Academic Misconduct Issues

The policies and procedures for Academic Integrity issues are found in the Graduate Bulletin, Section VI: Academic Integrity: Policies and Procedures (view/download the Graduate Bulletin from the top of the Policies page ).

Leave of Absence

During the course of a graduate student’s time at Georgetown, it may be necessary to take a leave of absence for personal or medical reasons. The policies and procedures for this are found in the Graduate Bulletin, Section VII: Graduate Student Leave Policies (view/download the Graduate Bulletin ).

Grade Appeals

If a graduate student feels that there is reason to appeal an official grade, the policies and procedures for this are found in the Graduate Bulletin, Section III-A-5: Academic Regulations and Procedures/The Grading System/Appeals Contesting Grades (view/download the Graduate Bulletin ).

Incompletes

A grade of Incomplete (I) denotes that the student has not satisfactorily completed all course requirements or met stated learning objectives, but the student has made arrangements with the faculty to meet course requirements by an agreed date. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the faculty member before the course ends to arrange make-up work. All incomplete coursework must be finished within six months of the last day of that course. If the required coursework is not completed within the requisite time, the grade of (I) will become the grade of record.

Language Study Scholarships/Policies

There are specific policies and procedures that cover graduate student enrollment in language classes. The policies and procedures for this are found in the Graduate Bulletin, Section II.E.3 Language Study Scholarships (view/download the Graduate Bulletin ).

International Issues (Office of Global Services)

Issues of special relevance to international graduate students are handled by Georgetown University’s Office of Global Services (OGS).  These include visa and immigration issues; work visas; full-time/part-time study issues; emergency situations; and other topics. OGS is located in the Car Barn building at 3520 Prospect Street NW (near 35th and Prospect Street) in Suite #210.

Graduate School Contacts/Resources

A list of GRADUATE SCHOOL DEANS & OFFICES and contact information is updated periodically by the Graduate School.

The GRADUATE STUDENT LOUNGE is located at 3520 Prospect Street, on the roof pavilion (4th Floor) of the Car Barn. It provides a quiet space exclusively for graduate students to study. The Graduate Student Lounge is wifi-enabled, has comfortable seating and study desks, and is open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. or as posted.

Graduate Student Government (GradGov)

Georgetown University Graduate Student Government (GradGov) is the governing body for graduate students and also serves as an advisory board for student organizations composed primarily of graduate students. To help unite graduate students across the Georgetown campus, GradGov hosts academic, networking, cultural and social events and also allocates funding to member organizations for events and programming.

Graduate Student Ombuds

The Office of the Student Ombuds provides an informal, impartial, neutral, and confidential environment where graduate and undergraduate students can discuss University-related concerns and disputes. The Ombuds office does not advocate for any individual point of view, and does not participate in any formal grievance process, but works to promote a fair process for all. The function of the Student Ombuds is to listen thoughtfully and sympathetically to students’ concerns and to assist them in identifying options for addressing them. Graduate students can contact the Student Ombuds at [email protected]

Georgetown Alliance of Graduate Employees (GAGE)

Information regarding the collective bargaining agreement between Georgetown University and the Georgetown Alliance of Graduate Employees and the American Federation of Teachers (GAGE-AFT) can be found on the GAGE-AFT Resources page.

Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Policy Statements

• Georgetown University’s website addressing sexual misconduct
• Georgetown University’s Sexual Misconduct Policy Statemen t
• Georgetown University’s Harassment Policy Statement
• Other University policies pertaining to diversity, equity, and affirmative action
• General University Policies

Student Health Services

Student Health Services provide psychological and medical care to Georgetown students, helping them to stay healthy as well as focused mentally and physically. 

Counseling and Mental Health (CAPS)

The University offers its own Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) that serve the mental care needs of students and the campus community. Many students go to CAPS when they experience life events or academic pressures that leave them feeling anxious, confused, lonely, angry, depressed, or overwhelmed. CAPS is located at the back of Darnall Hall and operates Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. CAPS phone numbers are 202-687-6985 (during business hours) and 202-444-7243 for after-hours emergencies (ask to speak to an on-call clinician). The CAPS website offers more detailed information on their services.

Medical Care and Student Health Center

The Student Health Center (SHC) provides medical care and is a service provided by the Georgetown University Hospital at Georgetown University. Students can make appointments for common health issues either by phone: at 202-687-2200 or online via My Medstar Connect . A list of services available can be found on the Health Center’s website .

Financial Aid for Graduate Students

The Office of Student Financial Services (OSFS) provides counseling services to prospective and current students and their families about:

• Options available for financing higher education costs
• Eligibility for assistance
• Applying for and obtaining funding
• Budgeting expenses and paying bills

For both undergraduate and graduate students, the OSFS determines eligibility for assistance from federal, state, and private financial aid programs based on the rules and regulations established by those external agencies.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers merit-based awards on a competitive basis to some programs for incoming and continuing students. The primary purpose of this financial assistance is to support qualified graduate students in the pursuit of their academic careers and the timely completion of their Graduate School degrees.

The Graduate School offers additional information on its website about the types of merit-based aid available to graduate students.

Graduate School of East Asian Studies

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• Application

Application Proposal

The research proposal is an outline of your doctoral project. In the German Humanities and Social Sciences, we expect applicants to propose an individual dissertation project for the next 4 years. This also means that you should convince us that your project is academic (including research methods and literature), feasible (both methodologically and within a study period of 4 years), and innovative.

The research proposal and the topic are the main part of your application to GEAS. The outline of your proposed dissertation project should have a maximum of six pages . Please use a common citation style (APA or MLA) and do not write more than 5,000 words . Keep in mind that this proposal reflects your style as well as your research interest and potential. Please also make sure to use full sentences and not just bullet points.

Please keep to the following structure:

1. Context, research questions and objectives of your research project

• Describe the context of your research proposal.
• Pose a central research question you aim to answer in your thesis and explain its academic relevance.
• Explain the hypotheses relevant to answering your question.

2. Current state of research and most relevant literature (literature review)

• Place your topic in the current academic debate
• Include a literature review

3. Tentative theoretical framework and research methods

Address the methodology and theoretical framework you want to use, and explain why this framework was chosen.

Explain the relevant sources of information (sources, archives, interviews, databases) and explain how your fieldwork will be conducted.

4. References and Bibliography (not counting within the 5,000-word limit)

• reference all sources that you mention in your proposal.

5. Time schedule (separate upload)

A detailed schedule with milestones (of your work as well as the GEAS program) and fieldwork plan for 4 years

Program Requirements

In briefest outline, the program has the following components: Study towards the M.A. degree, usually completed after the first year, is intended as an introductory period, a time for both faculty and students to decide on the suitability of an extended graduate program. It is followed by a period of increasingly specialized research, culminating in the Ph.D. exam and, ultimately, the writing of the dissertation. Training for language teaching is part of the sequence usually in years 1, 2, 4 and 5.

Students in the Department of Germanic Studies are admitted to the entire Ph.D. sequence of study. Students entering the Ph.D. program with a master's degree in German or related fields from another institution can either acquire an additional M.A. or count their previous M.A. toward the Ph.D.

See the Germanic Studies Graduate Student Handbook for details. 

Downloadable Documents

Germanic Studies Graduate Student Handbook

Pedagogical Training Plan Germanic Studies  

General Requirements

The program requirements outlined here are further detailed by the Germanic Studies Graduate Student Handbook available for download to the right of the main image above and at the bottom of this page. Details about the Pedagogical Training Plan are available for download as well. 

Language Exam Requirement

ARCA Language Exam Information

Following an  annual performance review , conducted by faculty during the Spring Quarter, the DGS will provide students individually with written feedback , and address concerns, should there be any. In addition, students will attend an in-person one-on-one meeting convened by the DGS at the beginning of Autumn Quarter , to discuss the course of the coming academic year.

Master's Level Study

The University of Chicago also offers Masters level study in Germanic Studies through the Master of Arts Program in Humanities . In this one-year program, extendable to two years, students build their own curriculum with graduate-level courses in any humanities department (including Germanic Studies) and complete a thesis with a University of Chicago faculty advisor

MA and PhD Examinations

The purpose of the M.A. exam is to test students’ ability to work with concepts central to the discipline, to articulate literary-historical arguments, to discuss significant patterns that extend beyond individual texts, and to articulate how such concepts relate to the interpretation of individual works. Just as importantly, it initiates and gives form to a departmental conversation around the student’s interests that, once started, needs to keep building until the completion of the dissertation.

The M.A. examination generally takes place in the eighth week of Spring Quarter of the student’s first year of graduate study. Its basis is a list of some twenty to twenty-five texts selected by the student in consultation with the members of the student’s M.A. exam committee. The committee—usually consisting of three members of the department’s core faculty (unless otherwise approved)—is to be designated by the DGS in consultation with the student. The list of texts should reflect a category of literary research such as a genre, a period, or a general concept bearing on a mode of writing. Examples of the former might be “The Bourgeois Tragedy” or “Modern Urban Short Prose” or “The Elegy.” Periods can be variously conceived: e.g., Enlightenment, Realism, Weimar Republic. General concepts are more abstract categories such as “narrative” or “performance” or “argumentative writing.” Lists could also be organized along thematic lines or in terms of a traditional narrative subject. The point is that the list be designed so as to sustain a process of coherent intellectual inquiry. In addition to the 20-25 primary texts, the list will also include a representative cross-section of secondary literature addressing the topic under study.

The examination itself has two components:

a) a take-home written examination, and

b) an oral examination approximately one hour in length.

The take-home component consists of three essays (each of two and one half, never more than three double-spaced pages) written in answer to questions devised by the faculty. These questions offer the student an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to explore various intellectual issues raised by the list as a whole as well as by specific works on the list. Students will usually receive these questions on Friday morning of the eighth week of classes and submit their completed essays by 5:00 p.m. the following Monday. The oral examination is devoted to a critical discussion of the students’ three essays as well as to works included on the list but not addressed in the written part of the examination. It will usually take place one week after the written exam. Following a discussion of the essays (ca. forty minutes), the student and the faculty examination committee will assess the student’s overall progress, including course work.

The Ph.D. exam consists of a four-hour, open-book, written exam and an hour-long oral exam. The exam takes place in the second or third Ph.D. year, as determined by the DGS, and focuses on a small archive of literary, philosophical, and literary critical works (approximately 50 works) established by the student. This “major field list” should be organized around a broad topic that will in many cases anticipate the larger field within which the dissertation project will be situated. Some examples from previous exams: “Discourses of Madness from Kant to Musil,” “Worldly Provincialism: German Realism 1850-1900,” and “The Aesthetics of Sacrifice in Postwar German Literature and Art.” Works on the list should be grouped into clusters according to categories and questions relevant to the topic. These criteria should be expressly formulated in the list.

Students are encouraged to meet with as many faculty members as possible as they work on these materials. In consultation with the DGS, they should determine an exam committee of three faculty members: An exam chair plus a second faculty member (normally both members of the department) to compose and evaluate the written examination questions, and a third faculty member (from either departmental or resource faculty) to serve as an additional examiner for the oral exam. The exam chair oversees and schedules the exam with the examiners.

Five weeks prior to the exam, each student will submit to the exam committee and to the DGS a final draft of the list. As noted, the list should be organized by way of the categories and questions that indicate what the students considers to be the salient issues animating the different clusters of texts. Faculty will use this list as a guide in preparing the exam. Within two weeks of the exam, the full committee will meet with the student for an hour-long discussion that will encompass the exam and plans for the dissertation. Students should then begin work on their dissertation proposals. The final proposal is due no later than one quarter (not including summer) after passing the Ph.D. exam. If a student fails their Ph.D. examination, they will be administratively withdrawn from the program.

For further details regarding the Ph.D. exams, including a detailed timeline, please consult the Germanic Studies Graduate Student Handbook .

Dissertation

Committee Constitution and Responsibilities

The Dissertation Committee is to be constituted within three weeks following successful completion of the PhD Examination. Notification of the Committee membership is made to both the DGS and the departmental administrator. Typically, the Dissertation Committee consists of a Director and two Readers; the roles of Director and Reader are distinct. The Director is the primary advisor in consultation with whom the candidate develops the overall direction of the dissertation as well as the details of its execution. In short, the Director has the primary advisory role and closely monitors the production of the dissertation to ensure its timely completion and its qualification as a genuine contribution to scholarship. Readers, by contrast, have a primarily “inspirational” role; they are “resources” for the doctoral student and their primary task is to suggest concepts, connections, and archives that might further the project as well as to call attention to potential problems. A consequence of this distinction of roles is a division of labor in the evaluation of chapter drafts. Chapter drafts are always read first and thoroughly commented on by the Director. All revisions called for by the Director are to be completed before the chapter drafts are submitted – now in nearly final form – to the Readers. Readers, then, receive substantially complete chapter drafts. Their task is limited to the identification of errors or lacunae that may have been overlooked as well as the suggestion of minor additions (e.g., useful references, comparisons, clarifications).

The Dissertation Proposal

The dissertation proposal, consisting of approximately 15 pages and a bibliography, should be problem-driven and question-oriented, and should contextualize the project within relevant scholarly debates. It ought not attempt to predict the final conclusions of the project before the research is fully under way. Instead, it should seek to divide the project into subordinate questions and to rank the parts of the project in terms of priority. It should include a preliminary bibliography and a potential chapter structure, and also indicate a rough timetable for the research and writing of the dissertation. The student will discuss the project in a proposal defense with the dissertation committee, to be scheduled in consultation with the primary advisor and the departmental administrator. This will usually be done one quarter (not including summer) after the Ph.D. examination. Students must file copies of their exam lists and proposal with the departmental administrator. Typically, proposals will accomplish the following:

1. Characterize the topic or problem with evident invention and conceptual acuity.

2. Indicate an exceptional grasp of previous work on the topic or problem.

3. Sketch the proposed methodology and its relationship to extant methodological precursors.   

4. Outline what the dissertation will contribute to the field.

5. Sketch the proposed chapters including an overview of the salient conceptual stakes and the analytic claims to be covered.

6. Provide a comprehensive working bibliography, and

7. Demonstrate the capacity to integrate critical feedback.

The student’s dissertation committee will make a judgment on the dissertation proposal defense. If a student fails the defense, they will be administratively withdrawn from the program. In some cases, where the proposal shows promise but still requires work, the committee will assess and determine whether the student can revise the proposal. If the student can revise the proposal, they will be placed on academic probation. In the latter case, the student has until the end of the next quarter (the one after the quarter in which the initial defense was scheduled) to rework their proposal, reschedule the defense, and to pass it. Students who do not adhere to these terms, will be administratively withdrawn from the program.

Meetings of the Dissertation Committee

A first meeting of the Dissertation Committee with the candidate occurs for the discussion and evaluation of the Dissertation Proposal. If the Proposal, a description of the dissertation project including an outline of the chapters and a working bibliography, is deemed acceptable by the Committee, the student is “advanced to candidacy.” Advancement to Candidacy should occur no later than Winter Quarter of the fourth year (Spring Quarter of the third year for students who have entered with an M.A. degree). Furthermore, the Committee should collectively meet with the candidate at least twice per academic year. These meetings provide an opportunity for an exchange of ideas bearing on the development of the dissertation as it has taken shape in the course of research and writing. It is the responsibility of the Director (perhaps with the aid of the departmental administrator) to arrange these meetings, typically in Fall and Spring quarters.

Joint Direction

Doctoral students may find it useful to have two directors. This is often the case when students are pursuing a joint Ph.D. degree, in which case there will typically be a Co-Director from each Department or Division. But joint directors can also be useful when a dissertation topic bridges two areas of specialization each represented by different members of the faculty. In cases of joint Directorship, there should be an explicit understanding among the Directors and the student as to the expectations for advising. It is also highly recommended that just one of the two Directors assume the responsibility for calling meetings throughout.

Submission of Chapter Drafts

As indicated above, chapter drafts are first submitted to the Director. Only when all alterations (expansions, clarifications, editorial changes, etc.) have been made, are chapter drafts submitted to the Readers. In all cases, it is expected that chapter drafts will be returned with comments to candidates within thirty days. In order to guarantee timely response to submitted chapter drafts, candidates should notify the departmental administrator upon submission. The administrator will then send out a three-week alert reminding Director and Reader that the thirty-day deadline is approaching. If the one-month period has passed without response, the departmental administrator will notify the Department Chair and DGS.   

Students should submit work to their committee chapter by chapter. A minimum of one  approved chapter per academic year is required, but it is expected that most students  will complete and receive committee approval for two (or more) chapters per year.

General Remark

The production of a dissertation is a complicated process involving at least four parties (Candidate, Director, Readers) and it is in everyone’s interest that this process runs smoothly. It is therefore crucially important for candidates to remain in regular touch with all members of the Dissertation Committee, especially with the Director. Everyone should be apprised of the candidate’s progress. Moreover, it is important, especially for the Director, to make clear what her expectations are regarding the frequency of progress reports, the level of “polish” required for drafts to be read, and any other factors that play into the cooperation. Readers should also be aware of both the responsibilities and the limitations of their role. Finally, everyone should cooperate in addressing tasks in a timely fashion and keeping the process moving efficiently toward completion.

Help for Dissertation Writers, including Workshops

Working on a dissertation is often a long and lonely experience. To alleviate the pressures of this situation, the University sponsors graduate workshops, one of the primary purposes of which is to provide a supportive intellectual environment for the dissertation writer. Graduate students often present chapters of their dissertations here for constructive criticism. Students are strongly encouraged to begin participating in one or more of these workshops even before starting the dissertation. Through the process, students will become acquainted with the forms of PhD proposals and chapters. The University also sponsors dissertation-writing support groups. Further information on these and other resources are available from the DGS or the Dean of Students Office.

The Dissertation Defense

The purpose of the dissertation defense is for the student to defend the method and  conclusions of the dissertation, and to demonstrate general and contextual competence  in the field of study and research.

Scheduling the Defense:

Six weeks prior to the proposed exam date, the student must submit the following  to the departmental administrator:

• Notice of the exam date. (The Departmental Administrator is available to help with scheduling.)

• A title and a 3-5 page, double-spaced dissertation abstract

Two weeks prior to the proposed exam date, the student must submit a copy of their completed dissertation draft, which will be circulated to the department chair. Defenses are ideally only scheduled during the academic year. Please note: only students who successfully defend and submit their dissertations by the Spring Quarter deadlines are eligible to walk for graduation at the end of Spring Quarter.

In certain circumstances (e.g., the student has an academic job starting in the fall that  requires a PhD in hand), exceptions may be made to schedule a defense in the  Summer Quarter if all committee members agree to do so.

Format of the Defense:

Typically, the defense will last one to two hours (though this varies). At the beginning  of the defense, the student should be prepared to formally introduce and contextualize the argument of the Dissertation (approx. 10 minutes). The rest of the defense will consist of questions from the committee and others. All Germanic Studies faculty and students are welcome to attend all defenses and participate in questioning if time allows.

After the Defense: Filing the Dissertation and Receiving the Diploma

Once the student has successfully defended their Dissertation and completed any changes required by their committee, they must file their dissertation with the Dissertation Office. In order to ensure all requirements are met, the student should consult the University Dissertation Office and the Department Administrator, who can provide students with details about the tasks that follow the defense process. For further information see:

https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/research/scholar/phd/

Typically, students will need to file an application to graduate in the first week of the quarter in which they plan to receive their degree. Final submission of the dissertation must be completed on the date set by the Dissertation Office, usually a Wednesday by 4:30pm towards the end of the quarter. Check with the Humanities Dean of Students office before the quarter of planned graduation to get the specific deadlines for that quarter or visit the Dissertation Office website at

https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/research/scholar/phd/students/dissertation-deadlines/

More details are outlined in the Germanic Studies Graduate Student Handbook .

Genres of Writing

In preparation for their academic careers, students will need to develop expertise in a number of different genres of writing. These include, e.g., longer research papers; interpretive essays; conference papers; response papers or reading diary; short book reviews; review essays; Forschungsberichte ; take-home exams. In order to ensure that students have a chance to gain a facility in these different formats and have time to complete assignments in a timely fashion, students will be required to write three research papers during their course work (usually, one during the M.A. year; one during each of the two post-M.A. years). A research paper (20-25 pages) should include a reasonably comprehensive survey of the relevant literature on the chosen topic. Students will inform the instructor of the seminar no later than 5th week if they plan to write their research paper in that seminar. The deadline for submission of the research paper is 4 weeks after the end of the quarter in which the seminar is conducted. If students wish to write additional research papers under the same conditions, this is, of course, permitted and welcome; such papers might well become the basis of later publications or dissertation chapters. Students should also inform the DGS about the classes for which they intend to write research papers. All choices of genre must be approved by the instructor of the seminar.

Incompletes

Incomplete Policy within the Department

In general, in the Germanic Studies Department, papers are due on the date assigned by the instructor of the course. These dates allow the instructor to enter a letter grade by the deadlines set by the Registrar. (See below.) Instructors have the option of offering an extension of four weeks beyond the due date during which time no grade will be entered. At that point, if the paper has still not been turned in, a grade of “I” is entered on the student’s transcript. However, the student still has a chance to earn a letter grade for the course. This window closes for all courses of a given academic year at the outset of the autumn quarter of the following academic year .

The classes in which students write research papers have a modified schedule . Students who do not turn in the research paper by the deadline, i.e., four weeks after the end of the quarter in which the seminar is conducted, will be granted an additional four weeks. The final deadline for a research paper is the outset of the autumn quarter of the academic year following the quarter in which the paper was initially due. If students do not have quality grades by then, the Incomplete grades become UW grades or Unofficial Withdrawal. UW grades bear no credit. Students who accumulate three UW grades will be placed on academic probation and be given a written timeline to return to good academic standing.

Additional divisional grading policies are provided by the Registrar here:

https://registrar.uchicago.edu/records/grading/grade-policies/

Academic Standing

Students are expected to progress through the program according to the schedule laid out in the Program Completion Plans found below in this document (one for students coming in with a B.A., one for students coming in with an M.A.). Successful progress constitutes “good academic standing.” Student progress will be assessed on a regular basis by the DGS in consultation with departmental faculty, and more specifically in the annual spring review. Failure to maintain good academic standing may result in academic probation or withdrawal from the program depending on the unmet expectations as articulated in the Plan.

More details are outlined in the Grad Student Handbook .

Conference and Research Travel Grants

Division of the Humanities Conference Reimbursement Grant

The Division of the Humanities has limited funds available for partial support for travel to

academic conferences where the student is giving a paper. The Division of the Humanities Conference Reimbursement Grant provides up to $400 in reimbursement for eligible travel expenses. Students can receive the grant a maximum of three times in their graduate careers, but only once in any given academic year (July 1 through June 30). See Division of Humanities Travel Grants: https://humanities.uchicago.edu/students/financial-aid/conference-travel-grants

Division of the Humanities Dissertation Research Travel Grants

The Humanities Division provides limited funding for students who plan to travel to  conduct dissertation research. A student may only receive a Dissertation Research Travel  Grant once in his or her graduate career and the grants are not renewable. Funding from these grants is extremely limited. Students should first apply for travel  grants from departments and centers (e.g., Nicholson, France Chicago, CEAS, COSAS)  before requesting these funds.

Applicants will be awarded funds based on their specific travel and financial needs, the  quality and feasibility of their projects, in addition to other academic qualifications.

Further information be found here: https://humanities.uchicago.edu/students/financial-aid/dissertation-research-travel-grants

Departmental Funding for Graduate Student Participation in Professional Conferences 

The Department is committed to supporting graduate-student participation in professional conferences for students in good academic standing. Because the Department has limited funds available for such support, however, we have established the guidelines. Pease see the handbook for details. 

Grant Opportunities

Information about Divisional grants and fellowships is available here: https://humanities.uchicago.edu/students/financial-aid/fellowships

Students are also encouraged to contact the Associate Dean of Students for more information on available grants.

Additional resources for information about grants include colleagues in Germanic Studies and other departments; the Office of International Affairs; the Office of Career Advancement; UChicagoGRAD, which has a library of grant directories, information, and successful applications; and other websites. Don’t be passive when it comes to finding grants—no one person or place will have all the information needed.

Grants vary in the documents required. These may include transcripts, curricula vitae, budgets,  itineraries, autobiographical statements, proposals, statements of progress, and letters of reference. No application will ask for all of these, but the list is a fair representation of what the student may be called upon to provide.

Grad Student Handbook Germanic Studies

Pedagogical Training Plan Germanic Studies

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Stuttgart Dissertations

All information on the publication process of your dissertation as part of your doctoral degree studies.

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Submission of the mandatory copies and the corresponding documents HERE

The publication of the dissertation is part of the doctoral degree studies. A prescribed number of mandatory copies has to be submitted to the University Library within one year after the oral examination (within two years for the humanities). The submission of the mandatory copies of the dissertation and their form are specified in the current Doctoral Degree Regulations of the University of Stuttgart.

Doctoral students who were accepted or admitted to doctoral degree studies before the new version of the Doctoral Degree Regulations (April 1, 2019) came into effect can still complete their doctoral degree studies according to the Doctoral Degree Regulations 2016 (DE) . However, please take note that interim regulations must be complied with (cf. sec. 21 of the Doctoral Degree Regulations 2019 ).

Publication Types

The number of mandatory copies to be submitted (see sec. 13, par. 2 of the Doctoral Degree Regulations 2019) and which further documents we require from you depends on the type of publication. Even if the doctoral degree studies are completed in accordance with older Doctoral Degree Regulations, doctoral students are free to publish the dissertation according to the terms of sec. 13 of the Doctoral Degree Regulations 2019.

Electronic Publication on the Publication Server of the University of Stuttgart (OPUS)

You publish the dissertation via the University Library, freely accessible online. Further information on Publishing with OPUS Further information on the procedure for Dissertations

We need from you:

• the electronic version For this purpose, please log in to OPUS and upload the file(s) including the description of your work via an online form.
• 6 printed copies
• the licensing terms (DE) filled out and signed by you

Please note the guidelines for the outer form below.

Publication in a Publishing House

A commercial publisher handles the production and distribution via bookstores.

• 6 copies of the publisher’s edition
• the publisher’s evidence of a print run of at least 150 copies or confirmation that the title will be available for at least four years in case of Print on Demand

Self-printing

You commission a printer or a print shop with the printing of your dissertation.

• 34 printed copies

Publication as Volume of an Institution Series

If your dissertation is released within a series published by an institution of the University of Stuttgart, the number of mandatory copies to be submitted and which further documents we need from you depend on the publication type of the series.

• If the series is published electronically, the regulations for the electronic publication apply.
• If the series is released in a publishing house, the regulations for publisher releases apply.
• If the series is published by the institute itself, the regulations for self-printing apply.

Publication as Special Print

You publish your dissertation in a journal. In the journal the work has to be marked as dissertation in a footnote. The journal title, the year (or volume), and the page number have to be absolutely clear from the copies to be submitted.

• 6 copies of the special print

Guidelines for the Outer Form of the Publication

The outer form of the respective publication type is regulated in the „ Leaflet for Doctoral Students Regarding the Outer Form of the Dissertations " (appendix to the Doctoral Degree Regulations, only available in German).

Please pay attention to the following:

• At least the mandatory copies to be submitted must contain a German and a usually English abstract
• In case of being published in a publishing house, the entire edition has to be marked as dissertation by imprinting the code number "D 93" (stands for "Dissertation of the University of Stuttgart"). "D 93" can only be omitted if the entire edition contains the indication in plain writing that it is a dissertation or if the dissertation title page is the only title page.
• The dissertation must be printed on both sides.
• The binding type must not be a spiral binding, but a durable binding, e.g. adhesive binding.
• Due to the long-term archiving, recycling paper must not be used. If possible, the dissertation should be printed on acid-free paper.
• Standard format of the printed copies is DIN A5. In special cases, e.g. works with larger drawings and tables, other formats may be used, preferably DIN A4. However, this must be approved by the doctoral committee depending on the faculty or institution.

Please inquire further specifications from the office of the dean responsible for you. In cases of doubt, only the responsible doctoral committee is authorized to make decisions, not the library or the main reporter (see sec. 7, par. 1 of the Doctoral Degree Regulations).

Submission to the University Library

Both the mandatory copies and the corresponding documents have to be submitted at:

University of Stuttgart Library Team Publication Services (T3) Holzgartenstr. 16 70174 Stuttgart

The „Dissertation Office“ is located on the ground floor (room 00.098). Please make an appointment for the submission with us beforehand:

• +49 711 685-83512

Alternatively, you can ask someone else to submit both your dissertation and the corresponding documents or send them to us via mail. In your package please include your contact details (address, telephone number, email address) and the address of your main reporter.

Further Procedure

As soon as we have received everything in correct and complete form, we send 4 copies of the dissertation to the main reporter (in accordance with sec. 13, par. 4 of the Doctoral Degree Regulations). The main reporter compares the copies to the manuscript and reports the correspondence by forwarding one copy to the respective office of the dean. Clearance is given by the dean or the chairperson of the doctoral committee. The office of the dean informs both the University Library and the examination office of the clearance. The examination office issues the certificate and we add the dissertation to the library holdings and release the electronic version, if applicable.

Completed Dissertations

An overview of dissertations completed in Stuttgart, sorted by faculty, can be found in the biannually published directory "Dissertationen und Habilitationsschriften der Universität Stuttgart" .

Further Information on Doctoral Degree Studies at the University of Stuttgart

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German Studies

Requirements.

Information about coursework, foreign language requirements, the qualifying exam, dissertation and teaching.

A total of 13 courses are required. Among these should be:

• LANG 2900 (taught by the Director of the Center for Language Studies) - "The Theory and Practice of Foreign Language Learning and Teaching"
• 4 courses in a secondary field of study, usually consisting of a sequence of courses in another Ph.D. program at Brown, such as Comparative Literature, History, Music, Theater Arts & Performance Studies, Philosophy, MCM, and History of Art & Architecture.

Students may, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Students, count up to 2 courses at the 1000-level towards fulfillment of the coursework requirements.

Graduate students entering the Ph.D. program at Brown with a prior M.A. in hand may petition to be allowed to take up to 2 of their 13 required course credits on an “Audit” basis.

Students are required to take 8 graduate seminars in the Department of German Studies, 2 per semester during the first 4 semesters.

At the beginning of each academic term, graduate students will meet with the Director of Graduate Studies in order to discuss their progress and to have their proposed coursework for the respective semester approved.

Foreign Language Requirement

Graduate students in the Department of German Studies must demonstrate proficiency in at least one language other than German and English that is germane to their research interests. Students demonstrate proficiency by taking a translation exam or its equivalent. The language requirement should be satisfied before the qualifying examination.

Qualifying Exam

The qualifying examination consists of two parts:

• A general examination and
• A specialized fields examination based on two reading lists prepared by the candidate.

General Exam

The first part of the examination, the general exam, takes place at the end of the first semester in the student’s third year. It is a 90-minute oral examination based on a standing departmental list of 30 items drawn from the tradition of German literary writing and critical thought. Students will add 3 more items of their choice.  The German reading list  will be made available to the student by the Director of Graduate Studies upon entry into the program. The student will work with a committee of 3 faculty members (chosen by the student) to select the texts, and the departmental faculty as a whole will administer this portion of the examination.

Specialized Fields Exam

The second part of the examination takes place at the end of the second semester of the student’s third year. It is a 2-part written exam, each part based on a reading list compiled in consultation with the student’s chosen committee, including the dissertation advisor. One list will address the student’s dissertation topic; the second list will represent another field of interest. The lists must reflect a theoretical engagement with their respective topics. Each list will be accompanied by a statement outlining the student’s main ideas, theses and questions represented in the list. Based on these lists and statements, the committee will prepare a question in relation to the 2 areas the lists address. The student will receive the question for the first list on a Friday by noon; he or she will then have until 5:00 p.m. the following Monday to prepare and submit a written answer, which will normally be between 10 and 15 pages. The following Friday, the student will receive the question for the second list, again by noon; the student will then have once again until 5:00 p.m. the following Monday to prepare and submit a written answer, which will normally be between 10 and 15 pages.

By the first Friday after the second part of the written examination, a two­ hour oral examination based on the written responses will be held.

Students will be assigned either "Pass with Honors," "Pass," or "Fail" for the qualifying examination.

Upon successful completion of the qualifying examination, graduate students are eligible to be awarded the M.A. in German Studies.

Should a candidate fail to pass the qualifying examination or a portion thereof, he or she will be allowed to take the examination (or the portion that was failed) one more time during the following semester. If a candidate fails a second time, the result is termination.

Dissertation

Dissertation proposal.

After successfully completing the qualifying examination, the student shall, in consultation with his or her primary dissertation advisor, nominate two other dissertation readers. By the end of the first week of the fall semester in the fourth year of study, the student shall present a substantive written dissertation proposal.

The exact format of the proposal will be determined by the primary advisor, but it will generally be between 15 and 20 pages in length, and include a tentative chapter outline and preliminary bibliography. The proposal will be examined orally by the three members of the dissertation committee by the end of that semester. The committee will either approve the proposal or recommend revisions. Once the proposal is approved, the student will be advanced to Ph.D. candidacy.

Dissertation Defense

After the dissertation has been completed and accepted by all three members of the dissertation committee, a dissertation defense takes place, consisting of a public presentation and discussion of the thesis. The date of the defense is selected in consultation with the dissertation committee. The defense will begin with an oral presentation by the candidate, offering a brief overview of the main theses and structure of the dissertation (usually 15-30 minutes). This presentation will be followed by a 60– to 90– minute discussion in which the candidate responds to questions posed by the committee, and, if present, other faculty. At the end of the defense, members of the committee consult and vote on whether to pass the dissertation. The Graduate School requires that the dissertation be accepted by all three readers before the doctoral degree can be awarded.

Students are required to teach for at least two years, though the norm will be higher.

Graduate student teaching is an important component of our doctoral program. As teaching assistants, graduate students work with the Language Program Director to teach beginning and intermediate German. Graduate students are required to take a seminar on language pedagogy and to participate in annual teaching workshops held in August. As graduate students progress in their program, they will assist faculty in undergraduate courses in the German Studies Department. Advanced students may be offered the opportunity to work with professors to design their own upper-level courses or to teach such a course with a professor. Faculty mentoring of teaching assistants throughout their course of study is an integral part of our program. Students will be prepared to present a comprehensive teaching portfolio when they enter the job market.

In addition to the language-specific training administered by the German Studies Department, all graduate students are encouraged to participate in the seminars and workshops offered by Brown’s  Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning . The Center offers a teaching certificate program through which graduate students may be awarded Certificate I, II, and III.

The  Goethe Institut Boston  also periodically offers pedagogy workshops that graduate students are encouraged to attend.

Advanced students will be offered the opportunity to work with professors to design their own upper-level courses or teach such a course with a professor.

Other Requirements

Students are expected to organize and participate in student-run colloquia. Graduate students and faculty from other departments working in the area of German Studies may be invited to participate in these. Students will also have the opportunity to present their own work and invite the occasional Brown or non-Brown speaker.

Unfailing attendance at all academic lectures by guest speakers, symposia, special seminars, conferences, etc. organized by the Department of German Studies is expected of all graduate students, regardless of their stage in the program. This opportunity for scholarly exchange is an integral part of their graduate education and an important element in the Department’s intellectual culture.

Additional Information

Graduate students.

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PhD thesis defense in German: Rigorosum, Disputation, Kolloquium, or Verteidigung?

In order to finish a PhD and obtain the title of doctor, the candidate must present their thesis and do a defense, that is, roughly speaking, to discuss the thesis and answer questions from the jury.

In English, we call it thesis defense , and in French it is called soutenance .

I would like to know how to say that in German. It seems (but of course, I am not sure) that one could say it as

• Verteidigung
• Disputation

Could someone tell me if all these four words are synonyms and if they are really equivalent to thesis defense in English? If they mean the same, are some of them more formal than others? And is there another way to say it?

• translation
• english-to-german

• Note that this is not restricted to a PhD, but Bachelor and Master theses as well. –  infinitezero Commented Sep 23, 2020 at 17:10
• A Google search for "Promotionsordnung" gives you many hits. It seems that Disputation occurs most frequently, but also Kolloqium and (öffentliche) Verteidigung occur. It depends on the university. See also hochschulkompass.de/promotion/promotionsphase/… . –  Paul Frost Commented Sep 29, 2020 at 22:45

2 Answers 2

First beware that this is a typical case of academia varies more than you think it does . There is no general rule on how doctoral exams are done; instead, this is decided by the faculty. As a consequence, doctoral exams vary widely between universities and faculties. I know of two universities which have a joint graduate school for one field and even there doctoral exams differs extremely between the two universities.

This also applies to the terminology. So, the same term may mean something considerably different at a different faculty, in particular when it comes to official procedure. Therefore, in the following I can only write about how these terms are generally understood:

Verteidigung is arguably the most general term and the most frequently used term. Every¹ doctoral examination has at least one component in which the candidate has to face questions from the examiners and Verteidigung covers it. Official rules that are not specific to universities usually use this term when necessary. E.g., the date of the doctoral exam is usually referred to as Datum der Verteidigung.

While Disputation is just a Latin word for Verteidigung, it is used much more rarely and usually refers to a specific format of the exam, where the defendant faces questions from the examiners in public, possibly in a strict format. It can also be used in a more general sense, synonymously to Verteidigung, but at least in my experience that is rather rare.

A Rigorosum is a specific kind of doctoral exam that is characterised by featuring questions on the entire field of the candidate. It is usually not public. Many faculties do not perform this kind of exam.

A Kolloquium is a general term for a public talk, usually with questions from the audience. In the context of a doctoral exam, the candidate gives a talk on their thesis, which is usually public but may be restricted to members of the university or similar in special cases.

For example, my own doctoral exam consisted of a Kolloquium, where I talked about my thesis on dynamical systems, and was followed by a Rigorosum, where I was asked questions on my thesis but also on particle physics and solid-state physics. The entire thing was referred to as Verteidigung.

In conclusion , I strongly recommend Verteidigung unless you want to specify the mode of exam.

Finally note that the above primarily reflects the situation in Germany and the usage of these terms is somewhat different in Austria. For example, Rigorosum has a broader scope .

¹ At least as far as I know. As I said academia varies more than I think it does.

• 2 Excellent answer. I would have considered Verteidigung and Disputation synonyms, with the latter perhaps becoming less common. I can be wrong, though. –  Carsten S Commented Sep 23, 2020 at 10:07
• @CarstenS: Disputation can be used synonymously with Verteidigung, but at least in my experience that’s very rare and reason enough not to use the term when you want to avoid confusion (also see my edit). –  Wrzlprmft ♦ Commented Sep 23, 2020 at 11:16
• 1 @Olafant: Please see my edit. –  Wrzlprmft ♦ Commented Sep 23, 2020 at 11:16
• Thank you very much for such a complete answer! Rigorosum was not clear to me probably because the PhD programs that I am used to do not have this evaluation step and the questions from the jury are, in general, only about the thesis. –  Hilder Vitor Lima Pereira Commented Sep 23, 2020 at 11:53
• Actually, "Vortrag"/"Abschlussvortrag" and "[mündliche] Prüfung" are two more terms in use, sometimes in combination. –  O. R. Mapper Commented Sep 23, 2020 at 17:38

I have heard this being refered to as Verteidigung, Disputation and Rigorosum. These are all in use. Which one is used depends on university and faculty tradition I'd say, but they're all understood.

I haven't heard Kolloquium being directly used for this kind of event, Kolloquium is a broader term that refers to all kinds of meetings and discussion events with an academic topic. A disputation can be seen as a special kind of Kolloquium.

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About DissOnline

The German National Library houses the largest national collection of online dissertations in Europe. We have been collecting online dissertations and theses since 1998. Since then, the collection has grown to more than 284,000 documents (as of November 2020).

Since these activities began under the aegis of DissOnline more than 20 years ago, electronic publishing has become a part of everyday university life. This is due to the close cooperation between universities, their libraries and computer centres, and representatives of academia as well as the long-standing support provided through projects funded by the German Research Foundation ( DFG ).

The DissOnline project was brought to a successful, sustainable conclusion. Stakeholders whose initiative had supported DissOnline then became free to transfer their commitment to other areas. In June 2012, the DissOnline advisory committee therefore decided to integrate the functions and information on the website www.dissonline.de into the German National Library’s services. This is particularly relevant in terms of the deposit of works with the German National Library. The extended metadata format XMetaDissPlus enables all types of publications and documents available in subject-specific and institutional repositories and on university servers to be deposited in just one fully automated transaction.

Deposit information

The DissOnline portal is also integrated into the German National Library's catalogue as a search option. This means that online dissertations are listed as a component of the German National Library’s collection alongside traditional printed dissertations, other online university publications and academic literature. Our catalogue offers a wide variety of search options that are constantly being developed and optimised further. You will find an explanation of all the available search options here:

Guide to searching dissertations and theses in the German National Library’s catalogue (only available in German)

In order to enhance the international visibility of the collection, the metadata for all German online dissertations is continually delivered to DART , the European portal for online dissertations. NDLTD : Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations is committed to the promotion of electronic publishing in the academic sector beyond Europe. The International Symposium on Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) takes place every year.

Statistical information

Online university publications have been collected, catalogued and archived at the German National Library since 1998. The illustration shows how the percentage of online publications has developed over the years since this work began. Here it must be considered that although dissertations are subject to a mandatory publication obligation and an obligation to be placed on deposit with the German National Library, only an approximate impression of doctoral and publication activities in Germany can be given.

As the statistics refer to the year in which the publication was released rather than the year in which it was deposited, it is quite possible that figures may rise in succeeding years. This applies in particular to the most recent full year.

The DissOnline projects

• 1998–2000 Dissertations Online
• 2003–2004 Establishment of a coordinating body for online university publications
• 2005–2007 DissOnline Tutor
• 2005–2008 Establishment of a portal for online university publications

The intensive cooperation between all partners and sponsors also made it possible to start collecting dissertations and theses on a voluntary basis in 1998, eight years before the amendment to the Law Regarding the German National Library and the provision stipulating the mandatory deposit of online publications.

Last changes: 08.03.2021 Short-URL: https://www.dnb.de/dissonline

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Alle Dissertation Habilitation

Alle Fakultät I - Geistes- und Bildungswissenschaften Fakultät II - Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften Fakultät III - Prozesswissenschaften Fakultät IV - Elektrotechnik und Informatik Fakultät V - Verkehrs- und Maschinensysteme Fakultät VI - Planen Bauen Umwelt Fakultät VII - Wirtschaft und Management 1 - Kommunikations- und Geschichtswissenschaften 2 - Erziehungs- und Unterrichtswissenschaften 3 - Mathematik 4 - Physik 5 - Chemie 6 - Verfahrenstechn., Umwelttechn., Werkstoffwiss. 7 - Umwelt und Gesellschaft 8 - Architektur 9 - Bauingenieurwesen und Angewandte Geowiss. 10 - Verkehrswesen und Angewandte Mechanik 11 - Maschinenbau und Produktionstechnik 12 - Elektrotechnik 13 - Informatik 14 - Wirtschaft und Management 15 - Lebensmittelwissenschaft und Biotechnologie Fakultät I - Geisteswissenschaften Fakultät III Fakultät VI Fakultät VI - Bauingenieurwesen und Angewandte Geo Fakultät VII - Architektur Umwelt Gesellschaft Fakultät VIII - Wirtschaft und Management

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Special announcement

German studies research grant.

This specialized DAAD program offers German Studies Research Grants to highly-qualified undergraduate and graduate students who are nominated by the professor supervising their research project. The grant may be used for short-term research (one to two months) in Germany. The program is designed to encourage research and promote the study of cultural, political, historical, economic and social aspects of modern and contemporary German affairs from an inter- and multidisciplinary perspective.

Eligibility

Who can apply?

Undergraduates with at least junior (third-year) standing pursuing a German Studies track or minor may be nominated for the grant by the professor supervising their research project.

Master’s level graduate students in the humanities and social sciences earning a certificate or working on a project in German Studies may be nominated for the grant by the professor supervising their research project.

PhD students in the humanities and social science disciplines in the process of preparing their dissertation proposals on modern German topics may be nominated for the grant by their principal advisor. Students whose dissertation proposals have already been formally accepted one year or more before the application deadline are not eligible for nomination. The intent of the program is to provide an opportunity for short-term exploratory research to determine the viability or to delimit the scope of their proposed dissertations. The program is not intended to supplement or substitute for regular dissertation field work abroad which should lag the short-term research stay by at least one semester.

All applicants are expected to have completed two years of college-level German language studies and a minimum of three courses in German Studies (literature, history, politics or other fields) at the time of nomination.

* Advanced doctoral students are advised to consider DAAD’s Long-Term Research Grants or Short-Term Research Grants instead.

* Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the US and Canada who are enrolled full-time at the US or Canadian college or university that nominates them, or, in the case of international students, must be enrolled in a degree program at a US or Canadian college or university and living in the US or Canada for a minimum of six months by the time of the application deadline.

Terms of Award

Research support ranging in value from $2,000 to $3,000 is available to individual scholarship recipients and is intended to offset living and travel costs during the active research phase. Support cannot be provided for stays in Germany in the context of study abroad programs.

For more information about the German Studies Research Grant, click here .

Application Deadlines: May 1 and November 1

• Application deadlines for 2024 are in May and November.
• Any awards made will be subject to the ratification of the German federal budget for the same fiscal year.
• Applications postmarked the day of the deadline or earlier will be accepted; those with later postmarks cannot be processed. Incomplete applications are invalid.
• Please note: Application materials will not be returned, and no reasons for a decision will be given.

DAAD will announce its decision approximately eight weeks after each deadline.

Application Guidelines

If possible all parts of the application form should be electronically generated, typewritten, or otherwise neatly printed. Confidential letters of recommendation and official transcripts should be forwarded in sealed envelopes. Please do not staple any of the application materials.

A complete application consists of the following parts:

• Completed DAAD application form
• Curriculum vitae (résumé)
• Detailed description of the research project or the pre-dissertation proposal, including a research plan, timeline, and itinerary with specific start and end dates
• Budget statement
• List of German language and German Studies courses taken
• Two letters of recommendation, including one from the professor supervising the German Studies research project or curriculum. Please ask your reviewers to send a scan of the signed letter to grandel daad.de .
• DAAD language evaluation form (“Sprachzeugnis”). The language evaluation form is a mandatory part of the application form, and must be completed and signed by a faculty member of the German Department at the applicant’s institution.
• Master’s level graduate students and PhD students: Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work completed
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Writing a dissertation proposal.

What is a dissertation proposal?

Dissertation proposals are like the table of contents for your research project , and will help you explain what it is you intend to examine, and roughly, how you intend to go about collecting and analysing your data. You won’t be required to have everything planned out exactly, as your topic may change slightly in the course of your research, but for the most part, writing your proposal should help you better identify the direction for your dissertation.

When you’ve chosen a topic for your dissertation , you’ll need to make sure that it is both appropriate to your field of study and narrow enough to be completed by the end of your course. Your dissertation proposal will help you define and determine both of these things and will also allow your department and instructors to make sure that you are being advised by the best person to help you complete your research.

A dissertation proposal should include:

• An introduction to your dissertation topic
• Aims and objectives of your dissertation
• A literature review of the current research undertaken in your field
• Proposed methodology to be used
• Implications of your research
• Limitations of your research
• Bibliography 

Although this content all needs to be included in your dissertation proposal, the content isn’t set in stone so it can be changed later if necessary, depending on your topic of study, university or degree. Think of your dissertation proposal as more of a guide to writing your dissertation rather than something to be strictly adhered to – this will be discussed later. 

Why is a dissertation proposal important?

A dissertation proposal is very important because it helps shape the actual dissertation, which is arguably the most important piece of writing a postgraduate student will undertake. By having a well-structured dissertation proposal, you will have a strong foundation for your dissertation and a good template to follow. The dissertation itself is key to postgraduate success as it will contribute to your overall grade . Writing your dissertation will also help you to develop research and communication skills, which could become invaluable in your employment success and future career. By making sure you’re fully briefed on the current research available in your chosen dissertation topic, as well as keeping details of your bibliography up to date, you will be in a great position to write an excellent dissertation.

Next, we’ll be outlining things you can do to help you produce the best postgraduate dissertation proposal possible.

How to begin your dissertation proposal

1. Narrow the topic down  

It’s important that when you sit down to draft your proposal, you’ve carefully thought out your topic and are able to narrow it down enough to present a clear and succinct understanding of what you aim to do and hope to accomplish in your dissertation.

How do I decide on a dissertation topic?

A simple way to begin choosing a topic for your dissertation is to go back through your assignments and lectures. Was there a topic that stood out to you? Was there an idea that wasn’t fully explored? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then you have a great starting point! If not, then consider one of your more personal interests. Use Google Scholar to explore studies and journals on your topic to find any areas that could go into more detail or explore a more niche topic within your personal interest. 

Keep track of all publications

It’s important to keep track of all the publications that you use while you research. You can use this in your literature review.

You need to keep track of:

• The title of the study/research paper/book/journal
• Who wrote/took part in the study/research paper
• Chapter title
• Page number(s)

The more research you do, the more you should be able to narrow down your topic and find an interesting area to focus on. You’ll also be able to write about everything you find in your literature review which will make your proposal stronger.

While doing your research, consider the following:

• When was your source published? Is the information outdated? Has new information come to light since?
• Can you determine if any of the methodologies could have been carried out more efficiently? Are there any errors or gaps?
• Are there any ethical concerns that should be considered in future studies on the same topic?
• Could anything external (for example new events happening) have influenced the research?

Read more about picking a topic for your dissertation . 

How long should the dissertation proposal be?

There is usually no set length for a dissertation proposal, but you should aim for 1,000 words or more. Your dissertation proposal will give an outline of the topic of your dissertation, some of the questions you hope to answer with your research, what sort of studies and type of data you aim to employ in your research, and the sort of analysis you will carry out.

Different courses may have different requirements for things like length and the specific information to include, as well as what structure is preferred, so be sure to check what special requirements your course has.  

2. What should I include in a dissertation proposal?

Your dissertation proposal should have several key aspects regardless of the structure. The introduction, the methodology, aims and objectives, the literature review, and the constraints of your research all need to be included to ensure that you provide your supervisor with a comprehensive proposal. But what are they? Here's a checklist to get you started.

• Introduction

The introduction will state your central research question and give background on the subject, as well as relating it contextually to any broader issues surrounding it. 

The dissertation proposal introduction should outline exactly what you intend to investigate in your final research project.

Make sure you outline the structure of the dissertation proposal in your introduction, i.e. part one covers methodology, part two covers a literature review, part three covers research limitations, and so forth.

Your introduction should also include the working title for your dissertation – although don't worry if you want to change this at a later stage as your supervisors will not expect this to be set in stone.

Dissertation methodology

The dissertation methodology will break down what sources you aim to use for your research and what sort of data you will collect from it, either quantitative or qualitative. You may also want to include how you will analyse the data you gather and what, if any, bias there may be in your chosen methods.

Depending on the level of detail that your specific course requires, you may also want to explain why your chosen approaches to gathering data are more appropriate to your research than others.

Consider and explain how you will conduct empirical research. For example, will you use interviews? Surveys? Observation? Lab experiments?

In your dissertation methodology, outline the variables that you will measure in your research and how you will select your data or participant sample to ensure valid results.

Finally, are there any specific tools that you will use for your methodology? If so, make sure you provide this information in the methodology section of your dissertation proposal.

• Aims and objectives

Your aim should not be too broad but should equally not be too specific.

An example of a dissertation aim could be: ‘To examine the key content features and social contexts that construct successful viral marketing content distribution on X’.

In comparison, an example of a dissertation aim that is perhaps too broad would be: ‘To investigate how things go viral on X’.

The aim of your dissertation proposal should relate directly to your research question.

• Literature review

The literature review will list the books and materials that you will be using to do your research. This is where you can list materials that gave you more background on your topic, or contain research carried out previously that you referred to in your own studies. 

The literature review is also a good place to demonstrate how your research connects to previous academic studies and how your methods may differ from or build upon those used by other researchers. While it’s important to give enough information about the materials to show that you have read and understood them, don’t forget to include your analysis of their value to your work.

Where there are shortfalls in other pieces of academic work, identify these and address how you will overcome these shortcomings in your own research.

Constraints and limitations of your research

Lastly, you will also need to include the constraints of your research. Many topics will have broad links to numerous larger and more complex issues, so by clearly stating the constraints of your research, you are displaying your understanding and acknowledgment of these larger issues, and the role they play by focusing your research on just one section or part of the subject.

In this section it is important to Include examples of possible limitations, for example, issues with sample size, participant drop out, lack of existing research on the topic, time constraints, and other factors that may affect your study.

• Ethical considerations

Confidentiality and ethical concerns are an important part of any research.

Ethics are key, as your dissertation will need to undergo ethical approval if you are working with participants. This means that it’s important to allow for and explain ethical considerations in your dissertation proposal.

Keep confidentiality in mind and keep your participants informed, so they are aware of how the data provided is being used and are assured that all personal information is being kept confidential.

Consider how involved your patients will be with your research, this will help you think about what ethical considerations to take and discuss them fully in your dissertation proposal. For example, face-to-face participant interview methods could require more ethical measures and confidentiality considerations than methods that do not require participants, such as corpus data (a collection of existing written texts) analysis. 

3. Dissertation proposal example

Once you know what sections you need or do not need to include, it may help focus your writing to break the proposal up into separate headings, and tackle each piece individually. You may also want to consider including a title. Writing a title for your proposal will help you make sure that your topic is narrow enough, as well as help keep your writing focused and on topic.

One example of a dissertation proposal structure is using the following headings, either broken up into sections or chapters depending on the required word count:

• Methodology
• Research constraints

In any dissertation proposal example, you’ll want to make it clear why you’re doing the research and what positives could come from your contribution. 

Dissertation proposal example table

This table outlines the various stages of your dissertation proposal.

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How to Write a Dissertation or Thesis Proposal

Published on September 21, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

When starting your thesis or dissertation process, one of the first requirements is a research proposal or a prospectus. It describes what or who you want to examine, delving into why, when, where, and how you will do so, stemming from your research question and a relevant topic .

The proposal or prospectus stage is crucial for the development of your research. It helps you choose a type of research to pursue, as well as whether to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

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Table of contents

What should your proposal contain, dissertation question examples, what should your proposal look like, dissertation prospectus examples, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about proposals.

Prior to jumping into the research for your thesis or dissertation, you first need to develop your research proposal and have it approved by your supervisor. It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives .

Depending on your department’s requirements, there may be a defense component involved, where you present your research plan in prospectus format to your committee for their approval.

Your proposal should answer the following questions:

• Why is your research necessary?
• What is already known about your topic?
• Where and when will your research be conducted?
• Who should be studied?
• How can the research best be done?

Ultimately, your proposal should persuade your supervisor or committee that your proposed project is worth pursuing.

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Strong research kicks off with a solid research question , and dissertations are no exception to this.

Dissertation research questions should be:

• Focused on a single problem or issue
• Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
• Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
• Specific enough to answer thoroughly
• Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
• Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly
• What are the main factors enticing people under 30 in suburban areas to engage in the gig economy?
• Which techniques prove most effective for 1st-grade teachers at local elementary schools in engaging students with special needs?
• Which communication streams are the most effective for getting those aged 18-30 to the polls on Election Day?

An easy rule of thumb is that your proposal will usually resemble a (much) shorter version of your thesis or dissertation. While of course it won’t include the results section , discussion section , or conclusion , it serves as a “mini” version or roadmap for what you eventually seek to write.

Be sure to include:

• A succinct introduction to your topic and problem statement
• A brief literature review situating your topic within existing research
• A basic outline of the research methods you think will best answer your research question
• The perceived implications for future research
• A reference list in the citation style of your choice

The length of your proposal varies quite a bit depending on your discipline and type of work you’re conducting. While a thesis proposal is often only 3-7 pages long, a prospectus for your dissertation is usually much longer, with more detailed analysis. Dissertation proposals can be up to 25-30 pages in length.

Writing a proposal or prospectus can be a challenge, but we’ve compiled some examples for you to get your started.

• Example #1: “Geographic Representations of the Planet Mars, 1867-1907” by Maria Lane
• Example #2: “Individuals and the State in Late Bronze Age Greece: Messenian Perspectives on Mycenaean Society” by Dimitri Nakassis
• Example #3: “Manhood Up in the Air: A Study of Male Flight Attendants, Queerness, and Corporate Capitalism during the Cold War Era” by Phil Tiemeyer

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The research methods you use depend on the type of data you need to answer your research question .

• If you want to measure something or test a hypothesis , use quantitative methods . If you want to explore ideas, thoughts and meanings, use qualitative methods .
• If you want to analyze a large amount of readily-available data, use secondary data. If you want data specific to your purposes with control over how it is generated, collect primary data.
• If you want to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables , use experimental methods. If you want to understand the characteristics of a research subject, use descriptive methods.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:

• Your anticipated title
• Your abstract
• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

A well-planned research design helps ensure that your methods match your research aims, that you collect high-quality data, and that you use the right kind of analysis to answer your questions, utilizing credible sources . This allows you to draw valid , trustworthy conclusions.

The priorities of a research design can vary depending on the field, but you usually have to specify:

• Your research questions and/or hypotheses
• Your overall approach (e.g., qualitative or quantitative )
• The type of design you’re using (e.g., a survey , experiment , or case study )
• Your sampling methods or criteria for selecting subjects
• Your data collection methods (e.g., questionnaires , observations)
• Your data collection procedures (e.g., operationalization , timing and data management)
• Your data analysis methods (e.g., statistical tests  or thematic analysis )

A dissertation prospectus or proposal describes what or who you plan to research for your dissertation. It delves into why, when, where, and how you will do your research, as well as helps you choose a type of research to pursue. You should also determine whether you plan to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives , ready to be approved by your supervisor or committee.

Note that some departments require a defense component, where you present your prospectus to your committee orally.

Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .

However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:

• Researchability
• Feasibility and specificity
• Relevance and originality

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How to Write a Dissertation Proposal | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on 14 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 11 November 2022.

A dissertation proposal describes the research you want to do: what it’s about, how you’ll conduct it, and why it’s worthwhile. You will probably have to write a proposal before starting your dissertation as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.

A dissertation proposal should generally include:

• An introduction to your topic and aims
• A literature review  of the current state of knowledge
• An outline of your proposed methodology
• A discussion of the possible implications of the research
• A bibliography  of relevant sources

Dissertation proposals vary a lot in terms of length and structure, so make sure to follow any guidelines given to you by your institution, and check with your supervisor when you’re unsure.

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Step 1: coming up with an idea, step 2: presenting your idea in the introduction, step 3: exploring related research in the literature review, step 4: describing your methodology, step 5: outlining the potential implications of your research, step 6: creating a reference list or bibliography.

Before writing your proposal, it’s important to come up with a strong idea for your dissertation.

Find an area of your field that interests you and do some preliminary reading in that area. What are the key concerns of other researchers? What do they suggest as areas for further research, and what strikes you personally as an interesting gap in the field?

Once you have an idea, consider how to narrow it down and the best way to frame it. Don’t be too ambitious or too vague – a dissertation topic needs to be specific enough to be feasible. Move from a broad field of interest to a specific niche:

• Russian literature 19th century Russian literature The novels of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky
• Social media Mental health effects of social media Influence of social media on young adults suffering from anxiety

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Like most academic texts, a dissertation proposal begins with an introduction . This is where you introduce the topic of your research, provide some background, and most importantly, present your aim , objectives and research question(s) .

Try to dive straight into your chosen topic: What’s at stake in your research? Why is it interesting? Don’t spend too long on generalisations or grand statements:

• Social media is the most important technological trend of the 21st century. It has changed the world and influences our lives every day.
• Psychologists generally agree that the ubiquity of social media in the lives of young adults today has a profound impact on their mental health. However, the exact nature of this impact needs further investigation.

Once your area of research is clear, you can present more background and context. What does the reader need to know to understand your proposed questions? What’s the current state of research on this topic, and what will your dissertation contribute to the field?

If you’re including a literature review, you don’t need to go into too much detail at this point, but give the reader a general sense of the debates that you’re intervening in.

This leads you into the most important part of the introduction: your aim, objectives and research question(s) . These should be clearly identifiable and stand out from the text – for example, you could present them using bullet points or bold font.

Make sure that your research questions are specific and workable – something you can reasonably answer within the scope of your dissertation. Avoid being too broad or having too many different questions. Remember that your goal in a dissertation proposal is to convince the reader that your research is valuable and feasible:

• Does social media harm mental health?
• What is the impact of daily social media use on 18– to 25–year–olds suffering from general anxiety disorder?

Now that your topic is clear, it’s time to explore existing research covering similar ideas. This is important because it shows you what is missing from other research in the field and ensures that you’re not asking a question someone else has already answered.

You’ve probably already done some preliminary reading, but now that your topic is more clearly defined, you need to thoroughly analyse and evaluate the most relevant sources in your literature review .

Here you should summarise the findings of other researchers and comment on gaps and problems in their studies. There may be a lot of research to cover, so make effective use of paraphrasing to write concisely:

• Smith and Prakash state that ‘our results indicate a 25% decrease in the incidence of mechanical failure after the new formula was applied’.
• Smith and Prakash’s formula reduced mechanical failures by 25%.

The point is to identify findings and theories that will influence your own research, but also to highlight gaps and limitations in previous research which your dissertation can address:

• Subsequent research has failed to replicate this result, however, suggesting a flaw in Smith and Prakash’s methods. It is likely that the failure resulted from…

Next, you’ll describe your proposed methodology : the specific things you hope to do, the structure of your research and the methods that you will use to gather and analyse data.

You should get quite specific in this section – you need to convince your supervisor that you’ve thought through your approach to the research and can realistically carry it out. This section will look quite different, and vary in length, depending on your field of study.

You may be engaged in more empirical research, focusing on data collection and discovering new information, or more theoretical research, attempting to develop a new conceptual model or add nuance to an existing one.

Dissertation research often involves both, but the content of your methodology section will vary according to how important each approach is to your dissertation.

Empirical research

Empirical research involves collecting new data and analysing it in order to answer your research questions. It can be quantitative (focused on numbers), qualitative (focused on words and meanings), or a combination of both.

With empirical research, it’s important to describe in detail how you plan to collect your data:

• Will you use surveys ? A lab experiment ? Interviews?
• What variables will you measure?
• How will you select a representative sample ?
• If other people will participate in your research, what measures will you take to ensure they are treated ethically?
• What tools (conceptual and physical) will you use, and why?

It’s appropriate to cite other research here. When you need to justify your choice of a particular research method or tool, for example, you can cite a text describing the advantages and appropriate usage of that method.

Don’t overdo this, though; you don’t need to reiterate the whole theoretical literature, just what’s relevant to the choices you have made.

Moreover, your research will necessarily involve analysing the data after you have collected it. Though you don’t know yet what the data will look like, it’s important to know what you’re looking for and indicate what methods (e.g. statistical tests , thematic analysis ) you will use.

Theoretical research

You can also do theoretical research that doesn’t involve original data collection. In this case, your methodology section will focus more on the theory you plan to work with in your dissertation: relevant conceptual models and the approach you intend to take.

For example, a literary analysis dissertation rarely involves collecting new data, but it’s still necessary to explain the theoretical approach that will be taken to the text(s) under discussion, as well as which parts of the text(s) you will focus on:

• This dissertation will utilise Foucault’s theory of panopticism to explore the theme of surveillance in Orwell’s 1984 and Kafka’s The Trial…

Here, you may refer to the same theorists you have already discussed in the literature review. In this case, the emphasis is placed on how you plan to use their contributions in your own research.

You’ll usually conclude your dissertation proposal with a section discussing what you expect your research to achieve.

You obviously can’t be too sure: you don’t know yet what your results and conclusions will be. Instead, you should describe the projected implications and contribution to knowledge of your dissertation.

First, consider the potential implications of your research. Will you:

• Develop or test a theory?
• Provide new information to governments or businesses?
• Challenge a commonly held belief?
• Suggest an improvement to a specific process?

Describe the intended result of your research and the theoretical or practical impact it will have:

Finally, it’s sensible to conclude by briefly restating the contribution to knowledge you hope to make: the specific question(s) you hope to answer and the gap the answer(s) will fill in existing knowledge:

Like any academic text, it’s important that your dissertation proposal effectively references all the sources you have used. You need to include a properly formatted reference list or bibliography at the end of your proposal.

Different institutions recommend different styles of referencing – commonly used styles include Harvard , Vancouver , APA , or MHRA . If your department does not have specific requirements, choose a style and apply it consistently.

A reference list includes only the sources that you cited in your proposal. A bibliography is slightly different: it can include every source you consulted in preparing the proposal, even if you didn’t mention it in the text. In the case of a dissertation proposal, a bibliography may also list relevant sources that you haven’t yet read, but that you intend to use during the research itself.

Check with your supervisor what type of bibliography or reference list you should include.

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Students are urged to begin thinking about a dissertation topic early in their degree program. Concentrated work on a dissertation proposal normally begins after successful completion of the Second-Year Review, which often includes a “mini” proposal, an extended literature review, or a theoretical essay, plus advancement to doctoral candidacy. In defining a dissertation topic, the student collaborates with their faculty advisor or dissertation advisor (if one is selected) in the choice of a topic for the dissertation.

The dissertation proposal is a comprehensive statement on the extent and nature of the student’s dissertation research interests. Students submit a draft of the proposal to their dissertation advisor between the end of the seventh and middle of the ninth quarters. The student must provide a written copy of the proposal to the faculty committee no later than two weeks prior to the date of the proposal hearing. Committee members could require an earlier deadline (e.g., four weeks before the hearing).

The major components of the proposal are as follows, with some variations across Areas and disciplines:

• A detailed statement of the problem that is to be studied and the context within which it is to be seen. This should include a justification of the importance of the problem on both theoretical and educational grounds.
• A thorough review of the literature pertinent to the research problem. This review should provide proof that the relevant literature in the field has been thoroughly researched. Good research is cumulative; it builds on the thoughts, findings, and mistakes of others.
• its general explanatory interest
• the overall theoretical framework within which this interest is to be pursued
• the model or hypotheses to be tested or the research questions to be answered
• a discussion of the conceptual and operational properties of the variables
• an overview of strategies for collecting appropriate evidence (sampling, instrumentation, data collection, data reduction, data analysis)
• a discussion of how the evidence is to be interpreted (This aspect of the proposal will be somewhat different in fields such as history and philosophy of education.)
• If applicable, students should complete a request for approval of research with human subjects, using the Human Subjects Review Form ( http://humansubjects.stanford.edu/ ). Except for pilot work, the University requires the approval of the Administrative Panel on Human Subjects in Behavioral Science Research before any data can be collected from human subjects.

Registration (i.e., enrollment) is required for any quarter during which a degree requirement is completed, including the dissertation proposal. Refer to the Registration or Enrollment for Milestone Completion section for more details.

As students progress through the program, their interests may change. There is no commitment on the part of the student’s advisor to automatically serve as the dissertation chair. Based on the student’s interests and the dissertation topic, many students approach other GSE professors to serve as the dissertation advisor, if appropriate.

A dissertation proposal committee is comprised of three academic council faculty members, one of whom will serve as the major dissertation advisor. Whether or not the student’s general program advisor serves on the dissertation proposal committee and later the reading committee will depend on the relevance of that faculty member’s expertise to the topic of the dissertation, and their availability. There is no requirement that a program advisor serve, although very often they do. Members of the dissertation proposal committee may be drawn from other area committees within the GSE, from other departments in the University, or from emeriti faculty. At least one person serving on the proposal committee must be from the student’s area committee (CTE, DAPS, SHIPS). All three members must be on the Academic Council; if the student desires the expertise of a non-Academic Council member, it may be possible to petition. After the hearing, a memorandum listing the changes to be made will be written and submitted with the signed proposal cover sheet and a copy of the proposal itself to the Doctoral Programs Officer.

Review and approval of the dissertation proposal occurs normally during the third year. The proposal hearing seeks to review the quality and feasibility of the proposal. The Second-Year Review and the Proposal Hearing are separate milestones and may not occur as part of the same hearing or meeting.

The student and the dissertation advisor are responsible for scheduling a formal meeting or hearing to review the proposal; the student and proposal committee convene for this evaluative period. Normally, all must be present at the meeting either in person or via conference phone call.

At the end of this meeting, the dissertation proposal committee members should sign the Cover Sheet for Dissertation Proposal and indicate their approval or rejection of the proposal. This signed form should be submitted to the Doctoral Programs Officer. If the student is required to make revisions, an addendum is required with the written approval of each member of the committee stating that the proposal has been revised to their satisfaction.

After submitting the Proposal Hearing material to the Doctoral Programs Officer, the student should make arrangements with three faculty members to serve on their Dissertation Reading Committee. The Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form should be completed and given to the Doctoral Programs Officer to enter in the University student records system. Note: The proposal hearing committee and the reading committee do not have to be the same three faculty members. Normally, the proposal hearing precedes the designation of a Dissertation Reading Committee, and faculty on either committee may differ (except for the primary dissertation advisor). However, some students may advance to Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status before completing their dissertation proposal hearing if they have established a dissertation reading committee. In these cases, it is acceptable for the student to form a reading committee prior to the dissertation proposal hearing. The reading committee then serves as the proposal committee.

The proposal and reading committee forms and related instructions are on the GSE website, under current students>forms.

Printing Credit for Use in GSE Labs

Upon completion of their doctoral dissertation proposal, GSE students are eligible for a $300 printing credit redeemable in any of the GSE computer labs where students are normally charged for print jobs. Only one $300 credit per student will be issued, but it is usable throughout the remainder of her or his doctoral program until the balance is exhausted. The print credit can be used only at the printers in Cubberley basement and CERAS, and cannot be used toward copying.

After submitting the signed dissertation proposal cover sheet to the Doctoral Programs Officer indicating approval (see above), students can submit a HELP SU ticket online at helpsu.stanford.edu to request the credit. When submitting the help ticket, the following should be selected from the drop-down menus for HELP SU:

Request Category :  Computer, Handhelds (PDAs), Printers, Servers Request Type :  Printer Operating System : (whatever system is used by the student, e.g., Windows XP.)

The help ticket will be routed to the GSE's IT Group for processing; they will in turn notify the student via email when the credit is available.

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Handbook Contents

• Timetable for the Doctoral Degree
• Degree Requirements
• Registration or Enrollment for Milestone Completion
• The Graduate Study Program
• Student Virtual and Teleconference Participation in Hearings
• First Year (3rd Quarter) Review
• Second Year (6th Quarter) Review
• Committee Composition for First- and Second-Year Reviews
• Advancement to Candidacy
• Academic Program Revision
• Dissertation Content
• Dissertation Reading Committee
• University Oral Examination
• Submitting the Dissertation
• Registration and Student Statuses
• Graduate Financial Support
• GSE Courses
• Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education (CTE)
• Developmental and Psychological Sciences (DAPS)
• Learning Sciences and Technology Design (LSTD)
• Race, Inequality, and Language in Education (RILE)
• Social Sciences, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Policy Studies in Education (SHIPS)
• Contact Information
• Stanford University Honor Code
• Stanford University Fundamental Standard
• Doctoral Programs Degree Progress Checklist
• GSE Open Access Policies

PhD students, please contact

MA POLS and MA/PP students, please contact

EDS, ICE/IEPA, Individually Designed, LDT, MA/JD, MA/MBA students, please contact

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