German - Research

Maynooth University is one of the main centres of research in German Studies in Ireland. The research profiles of staff members are very varied, covering all periods of German literature and including many aspects of German culture and history. The German Department offers research opportunities relating to all German-speaking countries and, uniquely, relating to theoretical and applied linguistics as well as the theory and practice of Teaching German as a Foreign Language. Other particular areas of research include travel writing, intercultural encounters, aesthetics, minorities, German-Jewish studies and postcolonial studies. Research topics from other areas need to be discussed with the prospective supervisor prior to application.



Research Environment

The School of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures (SMLLC) runs friendly, informal research seminars and regularly invites guest lecturers to share their expertise with the Departments in the School. Members of the Department, including postgraduate students, participate in national and international conferences. The option of jointly-supervised research with another Department from the Faculty of Arts, Celtic Studies and Philosophy or the Faculty of Social Sciences is also available.



Thesis with individual supervision: The option of jointly-supervised research with another Department from the Faculty of Arts, Celtic Studies and Philosophy or the Faculty of Social Sciences is also available. Please consult staff research for information about the research expertise of individual members of staff and areas in which supervision can be offered. Taught Modules: The student, in consultation with his/her supervisor, will devise a plan with a specified number of modules taken each year of the programme. Details available here.



PhD Programmes



The student, in consultation with his/her supervisor, will devise a plan with a specified number of modules taken each year of the programme. Students normally take any given module only once over the course of the PhD programme. The same piece of work can only be submitted and accredited once. Students are normally required to take a minimum of 15 credits of generic skills / transferrable skills modules (Details available here) over the first three years of the programme. Allowances will be made for specific circumstances such as prolonged periods spent abroad or equivalent.*



In addition, students are normally required to take one (but normally not more than one) of the ID84X modules (ID841, ID842 or ID843) during the first three years of their PhD programme. Students are encouraged to attend all ID84X modules and to pass at least one of ID841, ID842 or ID843 during the first three years of their PhD programme. ID81X modules are offered at irregular intervals, but at least every third year so that every student has the chance to take an ID81X module over the course of their programme; specific topics will vary (determined by the areas of research of a given cohort). Every student is normally required to take one ID81X module during the four years of their PhD programme.



Students are encouraged to take suitable modules, including Transferable Skills Modules, offered by cognate departments/schools within Maynooth University. Students also have the opportunity to take suitable modules from the taught MA in German, if they have not already done so.**



All students normally have to pass at least one Advanced Specialist module (GN85X, GN86X or GN87X) offered outside Maynooth University.



* Prolonged research periods abroad might offer the opportunity to take Advanced Specialist Modules at the host university. PhD students based at a foreign university will be advised by their supervisor to take relevant modules or attend relevant seminars, etc. Such modules will be awarded the ECTS value stipulated by the host university. Prolonged research periods abroad may also be considered as an Internship (SPA88X). The mark(s) achieved at the host university will be translated into the Maynooth University scheme of Pass (P), Distinction (D) or Did Not Complete (DNC) for all modules.



** The normal prerequisite for admission to the Structured PhD Programme in German is an MA or MLitt in German or equivalent. Students with an MA or MLitt in German or equivalent are required to take structured PhD modules to the value of 30 ECTS credits. Students admitted without holding an MA, MLitt or equivalent are required to take structured PhD modules to the value of 60 ECTS credits. Students, in consultation with Supervisor and Subject Leader/Head/Prof, may take extra modules beyond this requirement.

Candidates normally must have a Masters degree with at least a 2.1 in German, or equivalent. In exceptional cases, candidates who do not fulfil this requirement may be accepted. Applicants must have a recognised primary degree which is considered equivalent to Irish university primary degree level.



Minimum English language requirements:



Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study. For information about English language tests accepted and required scores, please see here. The requirements specified are applicable for both EU and International applicants..



Maynooth University's TOEFL code is 8850

Applications are open for the 2025/6 academic year. Visit our online application portal to start your application.

We are here to support you throughout the admissions process.



For queries on your postgraduate course options please contact pgstudies@mu.ie

For queries or support on your application process please contact pgadmissions@mu.ie



If you are an international (Non-EU) applicant please contact internationaladmissions@mu.ie

4 years Full-time, 6 years Part-time

In general, there are two levels of fees payable. EU students from EU countries including Ireland pay a subsidised level of fees for both taught courses and research programmes. Tuition fees for students from outside the EU are not subsidised and are thus somewhat higher than for EU students.

Commences September (or other agreed time)

German is the largest language in Europe in terms of native speakers and one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with more than 100 million native speakers and millions more speaking German as a second language. Germany has also the largest economy in Europe, thus making German a language widely offered in universities around the world. PhD/MLitt in German enhances opportunities in teaching, the civil service, journalism as well as the diplomatic, academic and many other professions.

The staff of the Department of German are happy to supervise research in the following areas, amongst others:


(a) Intercultural communication, applied linguistics, methodology and didactics of teaching German as a Foreign Language, intercultural competence, cultural and institutional influences on foreign language acquisition, learning strategies, error analysis, learner autonomy, language awareness.


(b) German, Swiss and Austrian literatures from the High Middle Ages to the present; especially travel writing; literary reflections of encounters with foreign cultures; German-Jewish history and literary history; Holocaust literature, contemporary Swiss, Austrian and German literature, Women's Writing in German.


(c) Aesthetic theory and cultural memory.


(d) Further topics relating to German, Swiss and Austrian history, culture and literature by agreement with supervisor.


Full details of staff research interests can be found at https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/german/our-research