M.A in German: Options
- four summers at the graduate level in the German School (completing a total of 12 Middlebury "units," or courses)
- one summer in the German School and an academic year at the School in Germany (Berlin or Mainz)
Program Details
Students must successfully complete a preliminary summer in Vermont before being officially accepted to degree candidacy. A highly-qualified undergraduate student may accumulate a maximum of six graduate units toward a Middlebury M.A. degree before receipt of the B.A. degree or equivalent, but these units may not count toward both degrees.
The M.A. degree in German requires twelve courses to be taken over a series of summers on the Vermont campus or a combination of a summer in Vermont and an academic year in Mainz or Berlin.
Summer Study in Vermont
Since 1915, the Middlebury College German School has achieved a level of prestige and reputation that is unrivaled in the United States. Its success is based on three major factors. First, we have carefully guarded the basic formula - an environment dedicated solely to German language, literature, and culture studies. At the heart of these studies is the Language Pledge, unique to Middlebury. An extra-curricular program which provides a wealth of culturally authentic contexts makes the pledge especially meaningful. Secondly, we have changed with the times. We have enriched our course offerings by deepening our emphasis on German Studies. Our teaching methodologies stress individualized attention and make full use of new technologies and assessment methods. Finally and most importantly, we have always been able to attract first-rate faculty members whose expertise, experience, and dedication guarantee the quality of our endeavor.
Academic Year in Germany
The School in Germany was founded in 1959. It is fully recognized by the academic senate of the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität in Mainz, with which it is involved in an active exchange of faculty and students. Graduates also have the option to study at the Freie Universität in Berlin. The School in Germany is based in Mainz and the director of the school is the administrator for both Berlin and Mainz.
Participants in both Mainz and Berlin take all their courses with German students at our partner universities. Middlebury College augments the academic program with tutorials offered by German graduate students from the local university. The graduate program is available only for the full year.