Our curriculum explores interdisciplinary questions of aesthetic, historical, and social importance in a global context. These comparisons frame the analysis of the German language, Germany, and German-speaking countries and peoples, and their histories and cultures. They also allow students to study the repercussions of this engagement by reflecting on their own personal and public identities.
Tips for Undergraduates interested in Research
by Dr. Brooke Kreitinger
So you want to create some knowledge….
- take it seriously
- figure out where your interests lie
- make it relevant to your life
- planning to go to graduate school?
- Know what research entails beforehand!
Conducting Research in German Studies
What is German Studies?
Language (and foreign language instruction) + Literature and film + Culture = INTERDISCIPLINARY!
Germanists use a variety of approaches and theories:
- linguistics, second language acquisition theory
- literary theory, film theory
- women’s and gender studies, feminist theory
- psychology, sociology, history, geography, economics, politics, philosophy, religion
- natural sciences even!
How do Germanists engage undergrads in research?
- Research projects for courses/independent projects
- Research Assistants
- German Embassy supported projects and contests
- On-site research: study abroad programs
- Grants to conduct research abroad
- DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)
- Fulbright
- Bundestag Internships (International Parliamentary Scholarships)
- Summer Programs (DAAD, Goethe-Institut, etc.)
How do I get started?
- come up with an idea
- talk to your professors – what do they work on? Can you work with them?
- ask how you might be able to work further on a topic or how you might be able to investigate a work of literature/film in more depth
- visit with a research librarian
- figure out which databases and journals are central to German Studies
- read scholarly articles – become familiar with academic discourse
- attend academic presentations and conferences
- collaborate!
- e.g. social bookmarking, shared bibliographies
What do I do with my research?
- UNCG Research Expo
- (Annual) Undergraduate Conferences
- Presentations or poster sessions
- Maybe some “grown-up” conferences?
- Southeastern Women Studies Association (SEWSA)
- Women in German (WIG)
- Undergraduate journals
- Organize your own conference!
Marketing your Research and Skills
- Revise your work = writing sample for applications to grad. school
- Articulate what your unique contribution is. What is original about your idea?
- Translate the variety of tasks you do in researching into the language of a resume, i.e. “soft skills”
- critical thinking skills
- I can engage with a topic from multiple perspectives and test my own thinking and argumentation against the ideas and arguments of others.
- I can synthesize and analyze diverse ideas in a coherent argument = I can connect dots well in writing to uncover information about the bigger picture.
- writing and organizational competencies
- resourcefulness
- critical thinking skills
Websites
Grants for research abroad
Undergraduate Conferences for German Studies
Undergraduate Journal for German Studies
Important Databases and Journals for German Studies
- MLA International Bibliography, Academic Search Complete
- German Quarterly
- New German Critique
- Feminist German Studies
- Monatshefte
- German Life and Letters
- German Studies Review
- Unterrichtspraxis
