Overview                                                                                                              

The School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (SLLC) offers the only Master of Arts degree in German from a state university in Missouri.

We attract a diverse range of M.A. candidates from across the United States and around the world; most incoming cohorts include both domestic and international students.

The M.A. program prepares students interested in German language, literature, and culture for a variety of future careers:

• teaching, both in the United States and abroad ­
• Ph.D. study in German Studies, Jewish Studies, and Applied Linguistics/Second-Language Acquisition 
• international business, journalism, and law 
• hospitality and tourism
• government and foreign service

Over the course of the two-year program, students usually take three graduate seminars each semester. Some of these courses cover professional issues; these include our seminar on language-teaching pedagogy and our introduction to graduate studies in foreign-language cultural studies. Most of the coursework, however, focuses on specific intellectual concerns located over the chronological spectrum of German Studies, from the medieval to the postmodern periods. Through courses examining literature, film, and various theoretical and philosophical texts, students gain familiarization with current questions driving intellectual inquiry in the field while also acquiring a firm base in the German cultural canon. 

Our graduate seminars are quite small (usually between 8-12 participants), which allows for sustained contact and collaboration between professors and students. These mentoring relationships frequently take the form of independent study and/or research opportunities.

With rare exceptions, all of our M.A. candidates teach in our undergraduate German language and culture program as TAs (teaching assistants), and the development of pedagogical skills is an important aspect of the M.A. curriculum. Students are supported in their teaching through coursework in pedagogy as well as sustained individual and group mentoring.

Academic Calendar

The regular academic year consists of two semesters: The fall semester runs from mid-August to mid-December. There is a one-week vacation in late November. Prior to the semester, there are mandatory meetings, training sessions, and orientations, as well as paperwork that must be filed, etc. Therefore, we strongly recommend that students plan to arrive in Columbia by August 1st. This is particularly important for international students, who must complete additional steps for matriculation after arrival on campus.

The spring semester runs mid-January to mid-May with a one-week vacation for spring break in late March or early April. Again, there are mandatory meetings prior to the beginning of this semester and TAs must submit final grades before leaving for summer break. Students should not purchase tickets for travel away from Columbia until their TA supervisor has communicated this meeting schedule.

Degree Requirements

The M.A. degree requires a minimum of 30 credits (ca. 10 seminars) of graduate-level courses with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Under certain circumstances, some of these courses may be taken in other departments, but no fewer than 24 credits (ca. 8 seminars) must be earned in courses offered by the German program, and at least 15 credits (ca. 5 seminars) must be taken in German seminars at the 8000 level. A thesis, with a maximum of six hours of credit, or a critical essay, with a maximum of three hours of credit, are optional. Normally, students complete the Masters program in two academic years (four semesters).

At the end of their second year in residence, candidates for the M.A. degree must either submit and defend a Masters thesis or pass comprehensive written and oral final examinations based on coursework and an individualized reading list.

Financial Support and Teaching Assistantships

Each year, the German program offers most of its incoming graduate students Teaching Assistantship awards (TA-ships), with the initial one-year appointment normally renewed for a second academic year. As a form of financial support, the TA-ship is subject to guidelines established by the university: each student holding a TA-ship must be actively pursuing a graduate degree, must be in good standing, and must maintain a 3.0 grade point average. 

Minimum salaries for TA appointments are listed at the Graduate School website. Our TA-ships are 0.5 FTE positions (meaning they are categorized at 50% of full-time employment). As such, our TA-ships include a tuition waiver (students do not pay tuition for courses taken toward the MA degree). In addition, the TA-ship provides a monthly stipend during the regular academic year (September to May), and an insurance premium subsidy. Most students find this package adequate for covering their costs while living in Columbia. Finally, both the German program and the Graduate School offer competitive grants and designated funding for conference travel, research acquisitions, and certain course materials in order to support graduate students’ professional development. 

Requirements for Admission to the Program

1. An undergraduate B.A. degree (or its equivalent) in German (or a related field) from an accredited college or university. You must have earned your degree by the time you would begin the M.A. program in August.

2. An average grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on the last 60 credit hours of the undergraduate course of study. The transcripts of international students are assessed differently on a country-by-country basis. In general, your coursework should have been graded “good” or “above average.”

3. Excellent language skills in both German and English.

4. International students must submit a TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Cambridge C1 Advanced, or Duolingo English test score for admission to the University. An additional language test (the MACCS) is required for international students applying for a Teaching Assistantship.

5. The GRE is not required for application.

6. The German faculty reserves the right to evaluate the work presented for admission and to determine how the student may make up for any background deficiencies.

Application and Admissions Process For Domestic Students

For domestic students, there are two parts to the application process:

1. The German M.A. Program application form (the “Program” application), which is due on January 15 for students intending to begin their studies in August of that year.
2. The MU Graduate School application form (the “University” application), which determines whether a student has met the requirements for admission to the university.

Notes on these two parts of the applications process:

1. The Program application is used to decide whether to accept an applicant into the German M.A. program and whether to award a Teaching Assistantship. Applications submitted earlier than January 15 will be considered for acceptance into the program on an ongoing basis, but funding offers (the awarding of Teaching Assistantships) will only be made and communicated after the January 15 deadline. Applications received after January 15 will be considered for acceptance into the program and may also be considered for Teaching Assistantships should positions remain available.

Applicants should therefore start by submitting this first part of the application directly to the Director of Graduate Studies in German as early as possible. The application form is available here and may be submitted by post or (preferably) by e-mail (see addresses provided on the application form). This application also requires three letters of recommendation, which should be sent directly to the Director of Graduate Studies in German (see instructions provided on the application form).

2. The University application is administered by the MU Graduate School and requires an application fee.[1] Click here for the link to this application form. Please note that the Graduate School requires you to upload unofficial copies of your university transcripts to complete your application, but, if you are admitted to the University, you must then have official transcripts sent directly from your university's registrar. 

Application and Admissions Process for International Students

For international students, there are two parts to the application process:

1. The German M.A. Program application form (the “Program” application), which is due on January 15 for students intending to begin their studies in August of that year. Due to additional requirements for international applicants, we encourage you to submit this first part of the application as early as possible.
2. The MU Graduate School application form (the “University” application), which determines whether a student has met the requirements for admission to the university, and which collects documents required for student visa applications.

Notes on these two parts of the applications process:

1. The Program application is used to decide whether to accept an applicant into the German M.A. program and whether to award a Teaching Assistantship. Applications submitted earlier than January 15 will be considered for acceptance into the program on an ongoing basis, but funding offers (the awarding of Teaching Assistantships) will only be made and communicated after the January 15 deadline. Applications received after January 15 will be considered for acceptance into the program and may also be considered for Teaching Assistantships should positions remain available.

Applicants should therefore start by submitting this first part of the application directly to the Director of Graduate Studies in German as early as possible. The application form is available here and may be submitted by post or (preferably) by e-mail (see addresses provided on the application form). This application also requires three letters of recommendation, which should be sent directly to the Director of Graduate Studies in German (see instructions provided on the application form).

Please note: the University requires that international students take and pass an English-language test administered by the University (free of charge) before being allowed to teach. This test, the MACCS, can be taken remotely once a student has been accepted into the German M.A. program. A passing MACCSs score on file (or an official TOEFL score of 28 or higher or an IELTS score of 8.5 or higher, both of which exempt the applicant from the MACCS test) will be taken into favorable account when Teaching Assistantships are awarded. It is therefore in the interest of the international applicant to apply early and take the MACCS test prior to January 15, where possible.

2. The University application is administered by the MU Graduate School, and requires an application fee.[2] Click here for the link to this application form.

The Graduate School application is more rigorous for international students because the MU Graduate School processes the documents required for visa applications. This rigorous preparation normally ensures that international students do not encounter problems when they apply for the visa. The Graduate School has attempted to streamline the process; before beginning this part of the application, ­you should start at this helpful website.

Do not hesitate to contact either the Director of Graduate Studies in German or the Graduate School if you encounter problems.

Please note:

Timeline: It is very important that international students submit their applications to the Graduate School as soon as possible after being accepted into the German M.A. program. The MU Graduate School processes thousands of applications each spring, and it does so in the order in which they receive completed applications. It can take several weeks for the final visa documents to be produced, and you must have these documents in hand in order to make an appointment at the embassy to apply for the visa. After this, it can take several weeks for your embassy to grant the visa. We are normally successful in moving our students through the visa process, but delayed cases can be very stressful.

Transcripts: While you are required to upload unofficial copies of your transcripts with your application to the MU Graduate School, the University must subsequently receive official copies if you are admitted. You must contact your university and have official transcripts sent directly from your university to the MU Graduate School. If your university refuses to mail the document and insists upon delivering it to you instead (i.e., Datenschutz), then you must receive these documents in a sealed envelope with stamps across the seal, place this envelope (unopened!) in a second envelope, and send this package directly to the Graduate School. Please provide these official transcripts to the MU Graduate School as soon as possible.

Incomplete B.A. degrees: Many international students are concerned about the fact that their transcripts do not yet show that they have completed the B.A. degree. Please do not be concerned, because this is the normal case: If you will complete all coursework required for your B.A. degree by the end of July, then you may begin your graduate studies in August on schedule, and your transcript will be accepted. You will be able to submit a copy of your diploma upon arrival to Columbia or shortly thereafter.

Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation are required for the departmental application. Although the Graduate School allows you to have your Recommenders upload their letters through the online application software, please have your letters sent directly to the department instead (see instructions on the departmental application form). Letters of recommendation are not required for the Graduate School application.

English-language testing: An English-language proficiency test score is an important part of your application. You must submit a TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Cambridge C1 Advanced, or Duolingo English test score with your application to the Graduate School. You must have taken this test within the past 24 months. If you have not yet taken an English language test, please register to take one as soon as possible. Your University admission cannot be processed without this test score.[3]

Affidavit of Support: This is a document that is required for the visa application and is designed to prove that you have the financial resources available to cover the cost of studying in the US. The estimated cost (which can be found here) is ca. $40,000 per year. If you are awarded a Teaching Assistantship, much of this cost is covered: teaching assistants don’t pay tuition (-ca. $20,000) and their salary (ca. $16,000) counts towards the amount necessary. Therefore, you will only need to show support of about $6,000. Typically, this affidavit is submitted by a student’s parents, who must also submit a bank statement showing that they have ca. $6,000 in a bank account.

Application Fee: The Graduate School requires an application fee. In some instances, the German program will be able to pre-pay the admission fee for international applicants, with the relevant amount ($100.00) then deducted from the graduate student's first paycheck. In order to determine whether an applicant is eligible for this option, the completed Program application should be sent directly to the department in advance of application to the Graduate School.

Please direct your questions to the Director of Graduate Studies in German:

Dr. Kristin Kopp: koppkr@missouri.edu

[1] In cases of economic hardship, the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures may be able to pay your application fee up front and deduct this amount from your first paycheck. Please contact the Director of Graduate Studies to request this service.

[2] In cases of economic hardship, the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures may be able to pay your application fee up front and deduct this amount from your first paycheck. Please contact the Director of Graduate Studies to request this service.

[3] In cases of economic hardship, coupons covering the cost of the Duolingo English test ($49) may be available.