German PhD applications 2015!

[S.K.]

Hello

I'm considering to apply for PhD's in the states.

I completed a BA and MEd. In Europe. I am interested in applied linguistics and second language acquisition, not so much in literature.

Is anyone gonna apply this year?

Where are you going to apply?

I have only 3 schools right now: Penn State, Michigan (state), and Texas (Austin).

Does anyone has an idea how hard or easy it is to get into those schools????

I welcome any suggestions, application tips and if anyone knows of other programs like the ones mentioned please tell me.

Thanks

[AdornoGray]

Hi SK! 

 

I too am applying to PhD programs this fall, but I'll be focusing on Literature. I don't know much about the three schools you mentioned but I'll keep an eye out for information. I know University of Wisconsin Madison has some good linguistic programs and Minnesota did in the past. Maybe you could check those two out. 

[GermanGrad12]

I would agree that Wisconsin and Minnesota are also good options to consider. Others to think about are the programs at Indiana and Berkeley; they both have strong linguistics emphases in addition to their literature and culture offerings (though don't quote me on whether the programs' emphases are on applied linguistics).

Be advised that all of these programs are very competitive for PhD admission (if you intend to enter with a Master's, the odds can sometimes be slimmer with as few as 1-3 people offered funding overall, BA or MA in hand). There is a lot of pressure for many programs, both public and private, to reduce the cohort sizes to reflect how few academic jobs there are for German PhD graduates.

SLA and applied linguistics graduates, depending on who you talk to you, have advantages and disadvantages on the job market. What do you intend to do? Do you plan on looking for a TT job in the States? Return to Europe after you complete your studies?

Also keep in mind that though graduate programs will most likely accept your Master's degree, you will most likely have to take a certain amount of coursework, even to the extent of repeating some of it.

Have you contacted any of these departments yet? That is a very important step.

If you need any help, I have a few write-ups I can send to you regarding graduate admissions in the humanities.

[AdornoGray]

Hey GermanGrad12! I'd love to read the write-ups you have about graduate admissions in the humanities. Can you explain what you mean about entering with a master's making the odds slimmer?  

[GermanGrad12]

I apologize for only seeing this now. I thought I still received updates when additional replies were posted. I will send you my drafts of the pieces I have written if that works via your profile page.

 

My comment on facing stiffer competition when entering wtih a Master's is probably more applicable to those seeking acceptance with an M.A. in German; i should have been more clear. The reason being, is that by accepting students with a BA for the initial MA coursework it allows departments to not only vet their future PhD students in house, it also is a way to weed out individuals who don't make the cut before they get to the PhD level. With applicants holding an MA, they are competing for even fewer spots than those entering with a BA, as the BA students still need to complete two years of coursework before making it to the next round of grad school; it's purely a logistics issue, usually.

 

For example: let's say 12 students apply with a BA and 8 apply with an MA for approximately four or five newly vacant openings (with funding) for new graduate students in the department. Since statistically it is recognized that about half who begin with a BA will drop out by the time those students are meant to complete their MA exams and plan b paper/thesis, the dept will probably fill 3 or 4 of those spots with new students entering with a BA, as that way they will most likely have enough PhD students in due course. That leaves one, maybe two, spots open for entering MA students. Sometimes this is different, especially in smaller subfields of German like linguistics (where more students are completing their MA work in one place, and then going somewhere else for their PhD), but this is usally how it works. AdornoGray, do you already hold an MA in German?

 

(R.E. to S.K.: It's also worth nothing that although you are interested in second language aquisition and linguistics, I'm not sure whether your MEd. will be put at the same level with an M.A. in these departments. They might want you to complete an M.A. in their department anyway (and in that case, you might fare better with admissions). That is why individually e-mailing every department to which you are seriously considering applying is a very important step. It not only signals to them who the serious applicants are, it also clears up these concerns for you.)

 

I also want to reiterate a question I had: What are you planning on doing with your degree? Are you planning on getting a tenure track job? The job market for German is incredibly precarious if almost non-existent. Second language acquisition is probably a good direction to go, but literature and medieval German lit are flooded with graduates who are struggling to find work. I understand everyone has their own reasons to apply to graduate school, and in a time when there isn't much going on as far as opportunity in the United States. Just be aware of the realities every step of the way.

Edited September 22, 2014 by GermanGrad12

[GermanGrad12]

Have you also looked at ANS (Adjunct Nate Silber's blog) regarding PhD and TT job placement rates for German? It's quite telling.

 

http://zugunglueck.blogspot.com/

[S.K.]

Hello

Sorry for seeing this now, I have a lot to do for application season, it's driving me insane.

Anyway GermanGrad12 thank you for your advice, I would love for you to send me your write-ups regarding graduate admissions in the humanities.

Are you already a PhD student in German? mind me asking where?

 

As far as my plans go, I would love to go back to Europe but I don't want to limit myself to a certain continent/country, I always say "I go where the job is". If I find a job in Japan, I just go there

 

I contacted Michigan, PennState, Indiana (they said that I fit in their program ), Colorado at Boulder and some others. I just ask them general questions about their program and admission to show them that I'm interested.

[GermanGrad12]

Thank you for the clarification, umaman. Do you have any recommendations for the OP as far as additional programs for SLA then?

 

From my experiences, the Germanic Linguistics business was and is "a boomin'" in the programs that still have the representative faculty, but these programs are few in number (and for SLA even more so). Berkeley is a pioneering program for Germanic linguistics, but they are more notable for maintaining that emphasis when other programs decided to shortsightedly abandon it. In that vein, the problem that the OP will probably run into is that many Germanic linguistics faculty members across the country are close to retirement and/or don't have an SLA emphasis. Worse yet (as I'm sure you know), German programs across the country have faced multiple setbacks over the past five to six years, so even if some programs have various reputations it's still difficult (especially for international students like our OP) to gauge what appropriate programs are left.

[AdornoGray]

Starting this thread back up in case others have joined since SK first posted. Any other applicants for the German PhD out there?

[Stephen Branch]

AdornoGray,

 

I am also applying.  Our list looks somewhat similar.  I applied to Duke-UNC, WashU, UMass-Amherst, and University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign).  I have not yet heard back from any of them.  Which is, of course, to be expected.  The only one I am beginning to be a little anxious about is Duke-UNC.  Of course, it is still early.  You?

[AdornoGray]

I'm feeling antsy. But you're right - it is still early. 

 

I got an email from Duke-UNC, saying good things about my application but nothing official yet, so we'll see. What's your top pick?

[AdornoGray]

Actually I got another automated email this morning from Carolina-Duke. Right after I posted that. 

[Stephen Branch]

Likewise.  I was also accepted.  Congratulations.  Do you have any thought about when funding will be announced?  I'm not sure what my top choice is.  Probably WashU.

[Stephen Branch]

Also, were you added to the Duke system?  I am unsure how to read that.  Or is that the "other automated email" to which you were referring?  

[AdornoGray]

The Duke system is probably slow. And cumbersome to use. Like you, I don't see any updates on there. I think I will wait and see if the faculty reach out directly. 

 

The automated email was from UNC. As for funding: I've heard different things from students. The Duke website says 5 years full, the shared website doesn't mention much. It will probably come within the next few weeks. 

 

Congrats! 

[AdornoGray]

Hey fredfredfred, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that it was you who got into U of I. Congratulations! Great school (and if I remember correctly you're from Champaign) a good college town. 

 

Have you had any word from your other two yet?

[Stephen Branch]

AdornoGray,

 

This is "fredfredfred."  I signed in using an old account, never realizing my profile name was so ridiculous.  I must have registered the account in a hurry a while ago without thinking I would ever post.  In any case, I changed the name to something a little less annoying.

Regarding schools: yes, I heard from Illinois.  They accepted me.  I have not heard anything official from Washington University or UMass-Amherst.  I just checked the results page.  Someone posted acceptances from IU, Berkley and Harvard.  Considering you only have IU on your list, I am assuming that is not you.  Have you heard from anyone? 

Edited February 1, 2015 by Stephen Branch

[S.K.]

Good to see more people here! 

I still have not heard back from any of the programs (except Texas-Austin) but it is still early.

[AdornoGray]

SK: Yes, it is early. According to the results page, it looks like some of the notifications go in waves. If you weren't in the first wave, you might be in the second. We still have quite a bit to go!