PhD in Germanic Studies in Ithaca United States | Cornell University

The German area studies concentration integrates courses in history, international relations, and comparative economics with German literature, culture, and language studies. The German intellectual history track leverages expertise from faculty in philosophy, history, government, anthropology, psychology, and music. Students can specialize in thematic or historical periods spanning from the Middle Ages to modern times, with an emphasis on tracing intellectual developments through German texts. Alternatively, students may pursue a focus in German cinema studies. The Germanic linguistics concentration equips students with fundamental research skills in linguistics and philology while offering in-depth study options in modern German structure, historical German linguistics, comparative Germanic linguistics, or ancient Germanic languages.

The Germanic literature concentration offers exceptional flexibility, emphasizing competency over credit requirements. Students develop broad knowledge of German literary traditions while mastering research methodologies. Specialization options include medieval, Renaissance, Reformation, Baroque, Enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, Schiller, Goethe, Romanticism, Biedermeier, Restoration through Vormärz, realism, naturalism, or twentieth-century literature.