With its German partner universities in Leipzig and Cologne, the dual PhD/Dr. phil. degree program in Transcultural German Studies fosters intercultural competence and professional excellence across the Atlantic. The program offers interdisciplinary doctoral training in two rigorous academic environments, while providing intensive mentoring opportunities and comprehensive financial support.
Incoming US-based students complete one year of doctoral coursework at the University of Arizona and a second year in Germany, either at the University of Leipzig or the University of Cologne, while financially supported through teaching and research fellowships. Students who begin their doctoral studies in Leipzig or Cologne pursue their second year of doctoral course work at the University of Arizona, where they teach alongside their US-based colleagues in the German Studies Department. Students complete their third year of coursework at their home institution.
The Graduate Handbook, esp. section III, will guide you through the details of the program.
Applicants need to fulfill the following prerequisites:
- A Master’s Degree (or Magister) in German, German Studies, German as a Foreign Language, or equivalent field
- A high level of competence in English and German (minimum Common European Framework rating of C1)
Information about the German Studies minor: PhD candidates in other disciplines may select a minor in German Studies. The German Studies minor for PhD candidates outside the Department of German Studies consists of 12 units. Up to 6 units may be transferred from a German Studies MA or its equivalent. The Director of Graduate Studies is happy to answer any questions about the PhD minor in German Studies.
Testimonials
LYDIA HEISS | PhD
I chose to apply to the PhD Program in Transcultural German Studies because it is the only program in the United States that offers students the unique opportunity to receive a dual degree from an American and a German university, namely the University of Arizona (PhD) and the Universität Leipzig (Dr. phil.). This dual degree sets the PhD program offered by the Department of German Studies apart from other programs. In order to fulfill requirements for both degrees, students complete coursework and pursue their research on both campuses of these collaborating institutions. The program allows students to familiarize themselves with two university systems and to work with professors and advisers from both countries. Furthermore, the flexibility in the choice of a minor for the PhD program in Transcultural German Studies encourages students to pursue new paths and welcomes individual interests. As the first in my program to do so, the Department supported my choice of Management as a minor. For all these reasons, the Transcultural German Studies PhD program has proven to be the best professional choice for me.