German Graduate Advising Guidelines

Introduction

Welcome to the PhD program in Germanic Languages and Literatures at Yale University! This document will provide basic orientation – a short introduction to the academic and advising structures of the PhD in German. Of course, it is impossible to cover every question and circumstance that may arise. For additional information you should set up a one-on-one consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, the Department Chair, the Registrar, or any of the departmental faculty.

This document will cover (1) the advising structures and resources available to you; (2) the advising relationships you will form at each stage of the program; (3) the responsibilities of graduate students and their advisers; (4) the responsibilities of the DGS and the department at-large; (5) information about what to do if you have concerns either about academic or personal matters, or about your advising relationship; (6) other resources available to students and advisers.

Please be aware that the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has its own Guide to Advising Processes for Faculty and Students. This is an excellent resource, which the present document complements and supplements. See also: Requirements for the PhD Program in German.

Our department is fully committed to maintaining an inclusive environment free from all forms of discrimination or harassment. Should you encounter discrimination or have Title IX concerns, need accommodations due to a disability, or otherwise wish to discuss a situation you are encountering as a student, here are the relevant links to contact Yale’s general resources for these concerns:

If you are not certain where to begin, feel free to consult your DGS first, who can help you navigate the various offices here to support you.

The German Department recognizes that both students and faculty have responsibilities in academic and non-academic life and that advising should always keep this holistic view in mind.

Advising Structure: Admission to Graduation and Beyond

  1. Adviser Selection
    During years 1-3 (pre-candidacy), the advisor of record is the DGS. German is a small department and advising is a responsibility shared by the full faculty. Students are encouraged to seek advising and mentoring from any of their professors – and from each other. The dissertation adviser (or advisers) is/are typically chosen in the middle of year three in the context of the choice of dissertation topic, crafting and defending the prospectus. Co-advising is the norm and strongly encouraged by the department. Co-advising can be official and formal, or students can informally choose a second adviser (or advisers). Advisers and/or co-advisers are typically chosen based on subject-matter expertise, for their varying linguistic backgrounds and their distinct disciplinary and intellectual networks. Students whose projects rely on methodologies or address subjects in other disciplines outside of German are strongly encouraged to seek feedback and support from the relevant faculty. Typically, the main adviser is a faculty member of the German Department, but affiliated faculty from other departments may also be chosen (with the agreement of the faculty member and subject to departmental approval). The departmental registrar should always be informed of students’ advisers and of changes in their advising team.
     
  2. Changing Advisers
    Students may change advisers in consultation with the DGS, the department faculty, and the current advising team. To make advising changes official, the registrar must be notified.
     
  3. Prospectus Defense
    All members of the German Department faculty are expected to read and give feedback on the prospectus. This ensures that the full faculty is up to date on students’ progress. Students also benefit from receiving advice from readers who are more and less proximate to the proposed research. In the case of students in joint programs, the German faculty would typically be joined by members of the other program (e.g., Film and Media Studies, Early Modern Studies). Likewise, if the project addresses expertise of faculty outside of German (e.g., Comp Lit, History of Art, Music), faculty from those fields may be invited to the prospectus defense.
     
  4. Dissertation Committee
    The dissertation committee is typically selected in the fourth year in the context of the first chapter defense (which must take place before February 1). The readers for the first chapter defense are typically the adviser(s) and one or two additional faculty members (in German or other departments). With the approval of the adviser(s) and the DGS, students may invite readers from other institutions to participate in the chapter defense. Generally, this occurs based on subject matter expertise but can also be advantageous from the standpoint of professional development. The dissertation committee is typically comprised of 2-3 readers in addition to the main adviser(s); the committee is typically identical with the readers of the first chapter, but it is not uncommon for students to make changes or include different readers for the completed dissertation. Faculty at other institutions may be included on the dissertation committee. All members of the committee, especially those from other departments or institutions, should be invited well in advance and given clear and repeated notification of their responsibilities and of relevant deadlines.
     
  5. The Dissertation Defense
    Yale dissertations are approved based on the written evaluations of the committee. In German a dissertation defense is also required. This allows the candidate to discuss the completed work with colleagues and to receive post-dissertation advice and mentoring. Ideally the defense should take place at the end of March or early April. The DGS, the student, and the adviser(s) should communicate with the registrar as early as possible regarding scheduling.
     
  6. The Role of the Registrar
    Though the departmental registrar is not an academic adviser, they play a crucial role. The registrar maintains the departmental and university-wide policies and procedures. The registrar is responsible for record-keeping and for overseeing students’ completion of requirements and academic milestones. The registrar is the expert and primary arbiter for everything relating to administrative processes and systems. The registrar and the DGS work together to oversee students’ progress and answer questions that arise.
     

  7. Professional Development and Job Market Advising
    The dissertation adviser and the DGS are primarily responsible for preparing students for the academic job market or other post-PhD professions and occupations. The department often also has a Placement Officer from whom students can seek advice and feedback. Each faculty member has somewhat different experiences and perspectives, and students should discuss their professional plans with all members of their advising team. Application materials should be prepared well in advance, so that there is time to receive feedback, to strategize, to fine-tune and tailor the materials for different kinds of jobs. On a regular basis and upon request, the department will organize professionalization workshops – either on the job market in general or on selected individual topics.

    In addition to the academic job market, Yale and the German Department fully support students who seek non-academic jobs. The number of highly desirable humanities jobs is very limited, and the potential market is increasingly a global one. Given this uncertainty, not to say volatility, the department understands that students’ personal, professional, and academic goals are always individual and may change over the course of time. In addition to academic jobs, our PhDs work in a wide range of other professions – for examples in the areas of education, finance, technology, publishing/translation, media, and law.

    Though students apply to and are admitted to the six-year PhD program, they receive MA and MPhil degrees en route to the PhD. The MPhil requires that a student completes all requirements for the PhD except teaching, prospectus, and dissertation; that is to say: proficiency in a language other than German or English, 16 courses, and the qualifying exam. The MA requires at least 7 for-credit graduate-level courses taken at Yale; transferred courses cannot be counted toward the MA. Most students who receive the PhD also receive the “en route” MA and MPhil – but it is not a problem if they do not. It also is not uncommon for students to leave the program after completion of the MA or MPhil. This is not a problem. The department is happy to support students in navigating these options and their own changing life goals.

  8. Funding Structure
    Typically, students receive six semesters of fellowship funding and six semesters of teaching fellowship funding. Students may teach in any semester, but the recommended pattern is to teach in years three and four, and then again in years five or six. Teaching assignments should be discussed with the DGS, DUS, and Language Program Director as early as possible – especially in the event of requests that do not correspond to the recommended pattern (see the document: “Teaching Assignment Timeline and Procedures”).

  9. Work-Life Balance
    We strongly believe in respecting reasonable working hours and the number of hours stipulated by the university’s regulations, vacation time (recesses and holidays), and other activities necessary for students’ mental and physical health. Students serving as Teaching Fellows are expected to fulfill their teaching obligations on all days on which classes are in session. Classes are in session on some Yale staff holidays, and students’ vacation days should not interfere with any teaching obligations.

  10. Communication Expectations
    The regularity and means of communication between advisers and advisees should be discussed at the beginning of the advising relationship. Advisers and advisees should meet or correspond regularly, not only to discuss work but also to maintain a dialogue about other academic, scholarly, intellectual, and professional matters. Students and advisors should be respectful of each other’s time, especially during leaves and vacations. Unlike most other university responsibilities, however, the advising relationship continues during the summer and while faculty are on leave.

  11. Remediation
    If advising responsibilities are not being met, students and advisers should consult with the DGS and/or the Department Chair.

  12. The Dissertation Progress Report (DPR)
    After candidacy, advisees must submit a written report on their dissertation work. Feedback and approval are then provided by the adviser(s) and the DGS. The DPR is a part of students’ official permanent record.

Timeline to Degree

See the website: Requirements for the PhD Program in German