The graduate program offers students the opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. degree in the study of the literatures and cultures of German speaking countries from the 18th to the 21st century. Graduate seminars examine: critical histories of German literature and art, the Holocaust, film studies and visual culture, Asian-German networks, German empire and colonialism, aesthetics and philosophy. Students also have the opportunity to participate in Penn State’s dual-title doctoral degree in Visual Studies. For a list of faculty teaching and researching in Visual Studies, see here. Penn State’s German department offers an intense scholarly environment that nurtures interdisciplinary research. Students in the Ph.D. program are grounded in German intellectual history and encouraged to write in global contexts. The German department works closely with Comparative Literature, Philosophy, History, Jewish Studies, Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Art History.
For more information about degree requirements, check the Graduate Student Handbook.