The Department offers a Ph.D. program with a specialization in Germanic linguistics. Students without an M.A. in German/Germanic linguistics or its equivalent earn an M.A. en route to the Ph.D. in Germanic linguistics. The program in Germanic linguistics offers a broad range of courses in contemporary German, in historical Germanic languages, and in the methods of German and Germanic linguistics, including recent directions in theoretical approaches such as cognitive models, corpus linguistics, natural language processing, and semiotics. The Bay Area German Project (BAG) offers the methods of linguistic fieldwork and socio-cultural analysis of German as it is spoken by native and first-generation German speakers in the Bay Area. Interdisciplinary courses in other Germanic languages, for example, Dutch, English, Scandinavian languages, as well as in non-Germanic languages, e.g., Slavic, Romance languages, and/or non-Indo-European languages are encouraged. Participation in the biennial Berkeley Germanic Linguistics Roundtable and the annual Semiotic Circle of California affords students a forum to present their linguistic and/or semiotic research.

M.A. Course Work
Twenty-four semester units of 100-level and 200-level courses are required for the M.A. Twelve units may be at the 100-level. Germanic Linguistics 100-level courses include:

German 103 (Introduction to German Linguistics)
Dutch 107 (Structure of Modern Dutch)
German 172 (Dialectology)
German 173 (The Phonetics and Phonology of Modern German)
German 174 (The Morphology and Syntax of Modern German)
German 178 (Semiotics)

The 200-level courses include:

German 270 (History of the German Language)
German 271 (Comparative Germanic)
German 273 (Gothic)
German 276 (Old High German)
German 278 (History of the Dutch Language)
German 280 (North Sea Germanic)
German 282 (Old Saxon)
German 285 (Approaches and Issues in the Study of Modern German)
German 290 (Seminar in German Linguistics)
German 291 (Methods and Issues in German Morphology)
German 292 (German Syntax)
German 293 (German Semantics)
German 294 (Contrastive Grammars)

The 290 Seminar in German Linguistics offers varying topics such as the Pre-history/history of Germanic Linguistics from Greek times to the present, as well as contemporary issues such as Grammaticalization, Contact-induced language change, the Effects of performance factors on the shape of grammars, Phonology and paraphonology, among other topics. A knowledge of Middle High German as well as proficiency in oral and written New High German are required. Metalinguistics, i.e., contemporary methods in Germanic Linguistics, is integral to every German Linguistics course in the curriculum.

The Germanic Linguistics Ph.D. Specialization requires German 207 (Reading of the German Literary Text), German 270 (History of the German Language), and one additional crossover course, that is, one course from the German Literature and Culture Specialization or from Applied Linguistics. Graduate student instructors are also required to take German 350 (Language Pedagogy I) and German 351 (Language Pedagogy II). Beyond these five courses an additional six courses are required in: the learning of Germanic languages (Middle and Modern Dutch, Gothic, Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Old English, Early Modern English, Old, Middle, and Early New High German, German dialects); Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, Pragmatics; Methods of German and Germanic Linguistics; Comparative Germanic (see list of 100- and 200-level course numbers/titles above). An M.A. in Germanic linguistics, or its equivalent, is a prerequisite for continuing on to the Ph.D. program. Students are expected to consult with the Germanic Linguistics adviser in order to set up their best plan of study for the Ph.D. For their dissertation research, students may choose to concentrate on contemporary or historical German/Germanic language. As part of their training, students are encouraged to participate in public lecture forums, both on and off campus, and to learn to write publishable research papers.

M.A. Examination
Normally the M.A. examination is taken by the end of the second year of study; students are encouraged to consult closely with their adviser on their progress and to give thought well in advance to arranging and preparing for this examination. The M.A. examination is a three-hour written examination with an additional three hours for revision; it concentrates on the linguistic structure of the Modern German language, its genetic provenance, the history of the German language, and current linguistic methods in the study of Germanic Linguistics.

Ph.D. Language Requirement
Students must acquire a useful reading knowledge of two languages other than German or English (Option I) or demonstrate an exceptionally thorough knowledge of one language other than German or English (Option II), at the latest by the end of the semester before they take the Ph.D. qualifying examination. Choice of language(s) should take into consideration the research interests of the student.

Ph.D. Qualifying Examination
The qualifying examination for students specializing in Germanic linguistics takes place at the end of the fourth semester of Ph.D. work, i.e., two years post M.A. It consists of two three-hour written examinations, each of which may be extended by three additional hours for revision, and an oral examination of three hours. The written examination deals primarily with advanced problems in the linguistic study of the German language, its contemporary and historical dialects and periods, comparative Germanic, and challenging and innovative methods in German and Germanic theoretical linguistics. Preparatory to the examination, each student will compile a reading list in consultation with his/her adviser. An outside complementary field selected by the student is examined as part of the oral examination. The three-hour oral examination is given by a four-member committee on which the crossover Specialization of German Literature and Culture and/or a Designated Emphasis may be represented.