PhD German Studies at University of Massachusetts Amherst

Programme overview

German Studies at UMass Amherst is a small programme covering the culture, society, film, literature, history and politics of the Germanic world from the middle ages to the present, with options to focus on German language or to prepare for science careers in Germany. UMass is home to the DEFA Film Library, a research centre on East German film.

Faculty: College of Humanities & Fine Arts | Department: Languages, Literatures, and Cultures / German and Scandinavian Studies | Study mode: full-time | Location: Amherst, MA, United States

What you will study

German language, literature, film, history and politics, with strengths in Black German studies, GDR studies, German-Jewish and Holocaust studies, medieval studies, film studies and Turkish German studies; instruction also in Yiddish and Middle High German.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Graduate School (all UMass Amherst graduate programmes): bachelor's degree from an accredited US institution or an equivalent international degree; minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale (some programmes expect more); most programmes require at least two letters of recommendation; personal statement and resume; 600-word short essay on community; $90 application fee. Applicants whose native language is not English: TOEFL iBT 80 (tests taken before January 2026; combined score of 4 on the new scale for tests from January 2026), IELTS Academic 6.5, Duolingo English Test 115 or PTE Academic 53.

Requirements published at faculty level.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

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