School of Languages, Literatures and Comparative Literary Studies: German


Dunton Tower 1315
Telephone: 520-2116

The School


Supervisor of Graduate Studies:
Jutta Goheen

The program of studies leading to the degree of Master of Arts in German has two streams: the study of German literature and the study of German linguistics.

The literature stream of the program focuses on the development of narrative (from the medieval epic to the modern short story) as a genre. Course offerings, though, are not confined exclusively to this area.

The linguistics stream of the program concentrates on structures of modern oral and written German in the context of linguistic change, and the history of German linguistics.

Students in each stream are encouraged to include some course work from the other stream as part of their program. In addition, any student may be granted permission, where appropriate, for enrolment in course offerings in Comparative Literary Studies for up to the equivalent of 1.0 credit. Any student with a special interest in the field of German not explored in the curriculum is invited to develop it within the framework of a thesis or research essay.

Admission Requirements

Departmental requirements conform to those outlined for master’s students in the General Regulations section of this Calendar. Further information concerning graduate work in German may be obtained from the supervisor of graduate studies.

Program Requirements

Non-native German speakers admitted from outside Carleton University will be required to take a diagnostic language test, administered by a committee in the School of Languages, Literatures and Comparative Literary Studies, before selecting courses.

Literature Stream
Master’s students specializing in German literature will normally be required to select and follow one of three alternative program patterns:

Within the chosen program pattern, students in the literature stream will normally be required to complete the following core of courses:

All master’s students choosing the literature stream are also required to undertake a comprehensive examination, based on a departmental reading list of selected texts by major authors. An additional 0.5 credit, part of the overall credit requirement, is assigned for the successful completion of the examination while the student is enrolled in German 22.592.

Linguistics Stream
Master’s students specializing in German linguistics will normally be required to select and follow one of two alternative program patterns:

Within the chosen program pattern, each student in the linguistics stream will normally be required to complete the following core of courses:

Guidelines for Completion of Master’s Degree

Students entering the master’s program should make a choice of program stream at the beginning of the first term to ensure that over the two years of the program all essential courses are completed.

German 22.585 should be completed in the first year.

Full-time students in the literature stream who opt for a thesis or research essay should take the comprehensive examination by the end of the fall term of the second year. Full-time students who opt for a course-work program should take the comprehensive examination by the end of the winter term of the second year. Part-time students should take the comprehensive examination by the end of the fifth year of study (if a thesis or research essay is chosen) or by the end of the sixth year (if a course-work program is chosen).

Full-time students in the linguistics stream should complete the thesis or research essay by the end of the winter term of the second year. Part-time students should have completed the thesis or research essay by the end of the winter term of the sixth year.

Students are governed by the time limits for program completion as set out in Section 13 of the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

Graduate Courses*

The following is a list of courses at the graduate level. Please note that not all courses are offered every year. Students should consult the University and the departmental timetables published early in July for a list of courses offered in 1997-98 and scheduling information.

  • German 22.515F1,W1
    Theory and Methodology of German Studies
    Proseminar in literaturwissenschaftlicher Methodologie, Theorie, Text, Interpretation.

  • German 22.516F1, W1
    Theory and Methodology of German Studies
    Proseminar in germanistischer Linguistik.  Methoden der Analyse und Beschreibung von Sprache und Kommunikation.

  • German 22.544T2 Theory and Methodology of German Studies Erzählstrukturen im 20. Jahrhundert Stile der “Vergangenheitsbewältigung” und “Selbstrepräsentation” im modernen historischen Roman: Thomas Mann, Doktor Faustus, Günter Grass, Hundejahre, Christa Wolf, Kindheitsmuster.  Diachronie und Gattungstypen der Intertexte. (Also offered as Comparative Literary Studies 17.581)

  • German 22.553F1,W1
    Prevalent Themes in German Literature
    Literatur und die Diskurse des Körpers
    Krankheit und Gesundheit in literarischen Texten; Disziplinierung und Befreiung des Körpers durch textuelle Darstellung; Schreiben und Lesen in der Therapeutik; Literatur als Symptom. Texte: von F. Schiller, E.T.A. Hoffmann, G. Büchner, R.M. Rilke, Th. Mann, V. Stefan, D. Wellershoff, A. Muschg.

  • German 22.580T2
    Linguistic Topics
    Geschichte der deutschen Sprachwissenschaft. Ursprungstheorien (Herder) anthropologische Sprachtheorie (Humboldt, historische Sprachbeschreibung (Junggrammatiker). Einfluß Saussures auf Grammatikmodelle des Deutschen (Weisgerber, Glinz, Brinkmann, Heringer), Satzsemantik und Valenztheorie (v. Polenz), Sprachkompetenz (Coseriu).

  • German 22.581T2
    Linguistic Topics
    Geschichte der deutschen Sprache und literarischen Diskurse.  Diachronische Betrachtung der deutschen Sprache und Literatur vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart.

  • German 22.584F1, W1
    Linguistic Topics
    Der deutsche Satz.  Modelle deutscher Syntax.  Die kommunikative Funktion deutscher Satzstruktur in der Schriftsprache des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts.  

    Also offered at the undergraduate level, with different requirements, as 22.403, for which additional credit is precluded.

  • German 22.585T2
    Linguistic Topics
    Angewandte Linguistik im Deutschunterricht als Fremdsprache. Lehr- und Lernstrategien im Bereich von Phonetik, Grammatik, Semantik und Textgrammatik; Produktion und Rezeption von Texten.

  • German 22.586F1, W1
    Linguistic Topics
    Die Entwicklung des Nationalismus-Diskurses im 19. Jahrhundert. Programmatische Schriften, Reden, Flugblätter, Gedichte und andere relevante Dokumente, die den Nationalstaat förderten, beziehungsweise (ab1871) das Reich unterstützten.

  • German 22.591F1, W1, S1
    Special Topic
    Tutorial

  • German 22.592F1, W1, S1
    Comprehensive Examination

  • German 22.598F2, W2, S2
    Research Essay

  • German 22.599F4, W4, S4
    M.A. Thesis

    Other Courses

    See the Undergraduate Calendar for courses at the 400-level which are open, with the approval of the School, to students in the qualifying-year program and (under the usual restrictions) to master’s students.

    Courses Not Offered in 1997-98

    Theory and Methodology

    22.510 Fallstudien zur Rezeption fremdsprachlicher Literatur


    22.541 Formen der Kurzprosa







    22.546 Formen der Lyrik

    22.547 Erzählprosa des 19. Jahrhunderts


    22.549 Semiotik des Dramas

    Prevalent Themes in German Literature


    22.552 Das Gespräch in frühneuzeitlicher und neuerer deutscher Literatur

    Period Studies

    22.560 Politischer Diskurs im 19. Jahrhundert

    22.563 Literarische Gattungen des Mittelalters



    22.567 Romantische Dichtung



    22.568 Moderne Lyrik

    22.569 Drama des 20. Jahrhunderts

    Individual Authors

    22.571 Goethe im frühen 19. Jahrhundert

    22.574 Goethe’s early dramas



    22.579 Günter Grass

    Linguistic Topics


    22.582 Mittelalterliches Deutsch