Germanic and Slavic Studies

The Master of Arts in Intercultural German Studies (IcGS) offers students the rare opportunity of immersion in two academic-cultural environments. The curriculum develops the linguistic, research and intercultural skills necessary for today’s knowledge-based society, and as such is specifically designed to enable skills transferability and career mobility. Students enrolled in this integrated two-year program spend one year at the University of Waterloo and one year at the Universität Mannheim in Germany. The program is fully accredited in both Germany and Canada, and the degree is recognized in both countries.

Admission Requirements

• An Honours Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in German Studies, or an Honours Bachelor’s degree in another field with substantial German studies exposure
• Minimum average of 78% overall, and 80% in all German courses in final two years
• On-line application
• Official transcripts from all other post-secondary institutions
• 500 word Statement of Interest outlining intellectual interests and reasons for applying; international study and work experiences, as well as academic honours, or presentations or publications should be included in the statement
• Resume
• Two letters of reference from academic sources
• Applicants whose native language is neither English nor German and who have not taken their first degree in a program taught in either language will have their language skills assessed by the admitting university

While every student will be registered at both the University of Waterloo and the Universität Mannheim during the two-year program, students should apply to the university that they will consider your home-university, via that university’s application system. This means that Canadian students should apply to UWaterloo while German students should apply to UMannheim. Please contact the program coordinator at icgs@uwaterloo.ca if you have any questions.

University of Waterloo applications are due by March 31 and are completed online at: grad.uwaterloo.ca/students/applyingonline.asp.

IcGS Course of Study: Cohort Waterloo (admitting university: Waterloo)

Residency:

Degree Requirements

Degree requirements include graduate seminars/courses to be completed at each university, milestones and the completion of an MA thesis. For precise information where and when these seminars, courses and milestones should be completed, please consult the IcGS handbook (updated annually).
Degree requirements are as follows:

• German 700: Methods of Research (or equivalent)
• One graduate seminar in Applied Linguistics
• One graduate seminar in Literature/Media Studies
• One graduate seminar in Intercultural Communication
• At least four more graduate seminars in either Literature/Media Studies or Applied Linguistics (all graduate courses have a 0.50 credit weight per unit)
• One graduate lecture course in Literature/Media Studies (Mannheim)
• One graduate lecture course in Applied Linguistics (Mannheim)
• Milestones: 
  • Graduate Studies Internship
  • MA thesis - (80 pages)
• Students must also complete the following: 
  • Intercultural Reflection
  • Knowledge Transfer Project
  • MA Colloquium
  • Thesis Prospectus 
  • Thesis Defense
• Candidates must obtain a minimum overall average of 75% in the seminars/courses presented in fulfillment of the degree requirements

Applicants whose undergraduate degrees are not considered closely enough related to the German Studies field may be admitted to Waterloo’s regular MA in German with the possibility of switching into the Joint MA after completing one or more courses determined by the Graduate Officer.