Prospective Students

 

Apply Online

 

Admission Requirements
MA and PhD Program

 

Academics:

• Study with one of the BEST research faculty in the country. We are ranked THIRD in the nation for our scholarship (The Chronicle of Higher Education).
• Work toward an interdepartmental concentration in Central and Eastern European Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, Jewish Studies, or Second Language Teaching.
• Participate in our exchange program with the Humboldt University in Berlin.

Funding:

• Take advantage of FULL SUPPORT for almost all students accepted into our program – including three $15,000 graduate fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships (all include tuition wavers).
• Apply for departmental prizes for scholarships and teaching.

 

Professional Mentoring:

• Participate in teaching INTERNSHIPS in General Education and major courses.
• Receive individual academic mentoring from your advisor.
• Attend workshops that focus on professional development.

 

Our Students:

• Become part of an international student body. Our students come from eleven different countries.
• Join a SUCCESSFUL cohort of students: last year our students received AWARDS from the DAAD, the Max Kade Foundation, the Holocaust Museum, and the Chicago Jewish Historical Society.

 

Our City:

• Take advantage of an intellectually stimulating, urban environment. Our students utilize the resources of many nearby cultural institutions: the Goethe Institute, Newberry Library, the Art Institute, Facets Multimedia, etc.
• Discover our CAMPUS located minutes away from the CENTER of one of America’s most vibrant cities

 

For more information about our program, please contact our Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Elizabeth Loentz (loentz@uic.edu).

 

 

Admission Requirements

Click here to download the Graduate Program Handbook

 

1. General

In addition to meeting the criteria for admission to the Graduate College, all applicants to the graduate program in Germanic Studies must present evidence of a substantial background in Germanic Studies and proficiency in written and spoken German.

 

2. Requirements

 

Minimum requirements for degree-seeking applicants (full status):

1. A baccalaureate or its equivalent, conferred by an approved and accredited college or university.
2. Baccalaureate Field: No restrictions, although a substantial background in German literature or culture is expected, as is proficiency in written and spoken German.
3. A cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 (out of 4.0) for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study. At least 3.0/4.0 in all German courses.

 

All degree applications must include the following:

1. Graduate College Application
2. Three (3) letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the student’s academic work (sent to department directly). A form for letters of recommendation can be downloaded from the Graduate College.
3. Personal statement of approximately 250 words addressing the applicant’s academic purpose and goals (sent to department directly).
4. Academic writing sample on a topic in German or related field (sent to department directly)
5. Official transcripts, which must be sent directly from the issuing school to the UIC Office of Admissions and Records.

 

Additional information for international applicants:

The website of the Office of Admissions and Records gives detailed information and explanations on specific requirements for all countries of origin including:

1. Postsecondary credentials, accompanied by certified English translation
2. TOEFEL test scores (550 paper based, 213 computer based, 80 internet based) should be sent to UIC directly. UIC’s Institutional Code is 1851.
3. Declaration and Certification of Finances form

 

Additional information for non-degree applicants:

Only domestic applicants are allowed to apply as non-degree seeking students.

Only an online application to the Graduate College and transcripts from the applicant’s baccalaureate institution (sent to department directly) are required.
GRE test scores are only required for students who intend to apply for University Fellowships. They should be sent directly from the testing service to UIC. The institutional code is 1851.

 

3. Deadlines:

 

Applicants are encouraged to submit their application material as early as possible to ensure fullest consideration for scholarships and teaching assistantships.

 

Click here for Final Deadlines (Domestic and International Applicants)      

   

University Fellowship applicants need to apply by January 10 for fall admission.

 

4. Status:

According the Graduate College rules, students can be admitted as Full Status or Limited Status. Students may also apply as non-degree students.

a) Changing from Non-degree to Degree Status

Non-degree graduate students interested in changing to degree status must submit a Graduate College Application. All application credentials must be on file before the change to degree status will be considered. The form and all credentials must be submitted by the degree application deadline.

No more than 12 semester hours of credit earned as a non-degree student can be transferred into the degree program. Students must file a petition for the transfer of non-degree credit; only graduate-level courses in which a grade of A or B was earned will be considered.

Admission to non-degree status does not obligate the Graduate College or any graduate program to later admit a student to a degree program.

 

b) Admission of UIC Undergraduates Within 8 Credit Hours of Earning the Baccalaureate

In exceptional cases UIC undergraduates who are within 8 semester hours of completing the baccalaureate at the time of matriculation may be admitted to a graduate program. These students will be admitted on limited status for no more than two terms in residence, pending completion of the baccalaureate. Courses used to fulfill undergraduate degree requirements cannot be applied to a graduate degree. Applicants who are admitted to limited status pending completion of their bachelor's degree must be awarded the undergraduate degree within two terms in residence. If this condition is not satisfied, graduate admission is cancelled and the student is transferred back to the undergraduate college.

 

c) Admission into PhD program: Credit for prior Master’s Degree

Doctoral candidates who have previously earned a master’s degree or its equivalent approved by one of the regional accreditation associations or by the agencies recognized by the Council on Post Secondary Education may be granted 32 semester hours of credit toward the doctoral degree if approved by the program and the Graduate College at the time of admission. The 32 hours are subtracted from the total hours required from the baccalaureate. The 32 hours are not counted toward the maximum allowed transfer credit limit or computed in the cumulative GPA or Degree GPA. A petition is not required.

 

d) Admission into PhD program: Change from Master’s to Doctoral Program with the Department

After a successful Master’s exam the departmental executive committee, based upon the MA committee’s recommendation on the academic and teaching record evaluates whether to recommend continuation in the PhD program. The student then may apply for a program change.
Students enrolled as master's candidates who intend to continue as doctoral students should apply for the master's-degree evaluation as soon as they have met all requirements for the degree, and must do so within the deadline for master's degree completion. If they have accumulated course credits beyond the required minimum for the master's, they may request that the Graduate College apply the excess credit to the doctorate. The student should fill out the Request for Change of Graduate Program Form and submit it to the department. If the program accepts the student as a doctoral candidate, the form should be forwarded to the Graduate College during the term in which the master's degree will be awarded for the change to be processed for the next term. The Request for Change of Graduate Program Form must be received by the Graduate College no later than two weeks before the start of the term in which the student intends to begin doctoral studies.
At the time of the graduation evaluation for the master's degree, the program should submit a Petition for Transfer Credit (what is link?) for any courses not needed for the master's and which are to be used for the doctoral degree, if this was not previously done. These courses must meet program and Graduate College requirements for use toward the doctorate degree. All other courses taken while registered in the program will remain counted towards the master's program.

 

5. Deferral of admission

Admitted graduate students must register for courses during the term for which they are accepted (see below) or their admission will be invalidated. At the discretion of the graduate program, matriculation for degree students may be deferred up to, but not beyond, the same term in the succeeding year. Applications may be deferred only once, for a maximum of one year. Admitted degree applicants interested in deferring their matriculation should notify the Director of Graduate Studies of their desire to defer the term of entry.