The Case of the German Ph. D. Program
Elizabeth Mittman
Abstract of Presentation
In the fall 2012, AATG Center of Excellence designation recognize the uniquely balanced profile of MSU’ s German program and interactions across areas traditionally held apart— curriculum, faculty research, and community engagement. More specifically, graduate studies in German at MSU includes the study of literature, culture, language and pedagogy within the context of the production and dissemination of knowledge via media and technology, and emphasizes an innovative integration of curricular and cocurricular activities in the comprehensive training of students in research, teaching, service, and outreach for academic and non-academic employment in the twenty-first century.
The German faculty has streamlined and professionalized the Ph. D. program significantly through structural changes throughout the department( e. g. the comprehensive exams-portfolio model). This innovative model of student preparation provides student support for overseas pre-program summer funding, job-shadowing internships in conjunction with a short-term study abroad program in Germany, and on-campus research assistantships. The funding for these innovations comes from institutional funding as well as Max Kade fellowships. xxi