The Department of German at UC Berkeley offers a leading PhD program rooted in a tradition of German studies extending to the university’s founding in 1869. An outstanding faculty-student ratio supports close collaboration with internationally renowned scholars in the department and across campus.
Faculty and Research
Our faculty brings interdisciplinary, comparative, and global perspectives to German language, literature, thought, and culture, including their relationships to non-European traditions. Research and teaching span the medieval and early modern periods, the classical-romantic era, Weimar Germany, and postwar and contemporary culture. Areas of expertise include:
- Aesthetics, imagination, and the history of the senses
- Comparative literature and transnational studies
- Critical theory and Frankfurt School philosophy
- Digital humanities and critical code studies
- Dutch and Portuguese colonial and postcolonial studies
- Film and digital media, including media theory and archaeology
- Global intellectual history and comparative studies of East Asia and Europe
- Jewish studies and Yiddish language, literature, and culture
- Political, legal, and environmental humanities, including law and literature
- Media technologies, including algorithmic systems and generative AI
- Gender, migration, multilingualism, and translation
Designated Emphases
Students can develop additional specializations through Designated Emphases in:
- Critical Theory
- Dutch Studies
- Film & Media
- Folklore
- Jewish Studies
- Medieval Studies
- Renaissance and Early Modern Studies
- New Media
- Science and Technology Studies
- Study of Religion
- Women, Gender and Sexuality
International Connections and Collaborative Projects
Students benefit from extensive study and research opportunities at German-speaking universities. Numerous collaborations, alongside UC Berkeley’s broader international partnerships, foster professional networks across the Atlantic and Pacific.
Students can also contribute to departmental projects: the interdisciplinary open access journal Transit; the portal WeimarCinema.org; and the Sunrise Lecture on Media and Technology, which brings rising and established scholars to campus to discuss their latest work.
Generous Financial Support
Each admitted PhD student receives a six-year full funding package combining fellowships and teaching appointments. Additional support includes research fellowships, travel grants, and specialized awards. At UC Berkeley, all PhD candidates within normative time qualify for a year-long Dissertation Completion Fellowships.
In addition, students are encouraged to pursue external funding from organizations such as the DAAD, Fulbright, the Leo Baeck Institute, Mellon/ACLS, and Max Kade Foundation. Together, these resources support sustained focus on research and teaching.
Teaching and Professional Development
Students receive extensive pedagogical training while teaching beginning, intermediate, and advanced courses in an innovative language program. Advanced students also have opportunities to design and teach Reading and Composition courses or assist with other breadth requirements. Reflection on teaching practice and developments in the field prepares students to teach literature, culture, and media and supports continued professional growth.
The program cultivates advanced skills in literary, media, and theoretical analysis, research, and writing for academic and non-academic careers. Graduates have an excellent record of external grants and placement: over the past decade, they have secured competitive postdoctoral fellowships and tenure-track positions at prestigious institutions in the United States and abroad, as well as administrative careers in academic management and industry.
Information and Application
Applications must include:
- A statement of purpose describing a research project
- A personal statement discussing the applicant’s intellectual trajectory
- Academic records, including degrees and transcripts
- Three letters of recommendation—please request these early
- A writing sample of no more than 30 pages, in English or German
- Evidence of English-language proficiency for International Applicants
No GRE is required. Consult the Graduate Division’s admissions requirements for details, including English-language testing requirements and exemptions. Application questions may be directed to the graduate adviser.
Faculty will host two Zoom information sessions about the department and application process:
- Wednesday, October 21, at 6 p.m. Pacific Time (China Standard Time: Thursday, October 22, at 9 a.m.)
- Thursday, October 22, at 9 a.m. Pacific Time (Central European Summer Time: Thursday, October 22, 6 p.m.)
Applications are due December 15, 2026. Apply through the application portal. Longlisted candidates will be interviewed via Zoom in January; successful applicants will be notified in early February.