Four students study together in a library.
  • icon house

    Faculty

    • Faculty of Arts
    • Faculty of Graduate Studies

  • icon award

    Degree

    • Master of Arts in German
    • Master of Arts in Slavic Studies

  • icon graduate

    Expected duration

    • 2 years

  • icon pathway

    Program options

    • International exchange
    • Pre-master's

Program details

The Department of German and Slavic Studies offers programs of study leading to a Master of Arts degree in German Language and Literature, and Slavic Languages and Literatures, as well as a pre-master's option.

Master of Arts in German or Slavic Studies

Expected duration: 2 years

The MA program consists of a combination of coursework and a thesis component.

Tuition and fees: Program fees are assessed in the first two terms of study, followed by a continuing fee in the third and any subsequent terms. (refer to Graduate tuition and fees)

In addition to the minimum course requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section, students must complete a minimum number of 15 credit hours of coursework, including:

  • GRMN 7200/SLAV 7200 (3 credit hours)
  • GRMN 7210/SLAV 7210 (3 credit hours)
  • Three credit hours at the 7000 level in the student’s major discipline
  • Six ancillary credit hours of 7000, 4000 and/or 3000 level courses in the student’s major discipline, or in another program or department

Sample course offerings

  • GRMN 7200: Literary and Cultural Theory (3 credit hours)
  • GRMN 7242: Colloquium in German Studies 2 (3 credit hours)
  • GRMN 7340: Seminar in German Film and Media Studies (3 credit hours)
  • GRMN 7350: Seminar in German and European Literature and Culture (3 credit hours)
  • GRMN 7360: Independent Studies in German (3 credit hours)
  • SLAV 7200: Literary and Cultural Theory (3 credit hours)
  • SLAV 7210: Introduction to Second Language Acquisition and Methods of Language Teaching (3 credit hours)
  • SLAV 7400: Selected Topics in Slavic Literatures (3 credit hours)
  • SLAV 7410: Seminar in Contemporary Slavic Literatures (3 credit hours)
  • SLAV 7420: Studies in Modernism (3 credit hours)

For full course descriptions, please visit the Academic Calendar for German Studies, M.A. or the Academic Calendar for Slavic Studies, M.A.

Sample thesis options

  • Romanticism
  • Modernism
  • World War II
  • The Third Reich
  • The Holocaust in today’s Austria and Germany
  • Theoretical questions of the relationship between history and literature, cultural memory, the imagination of the Indigenous
  • Theoretical questions of the relationship between power and language
  • Imperial rule and post-revolutionary culture
  • World War II and the Soviet experience
  • Relations of Ukraine, Russia and the world

Pre-master's option

Expected duration: 1 year

The pre-master’s program consists of 24 credit hours of coursework which includes a minimum of 12 credit hours in the major discipline (German or Slavic).

Tuition and fees: Varies (refer to the pre-master's section in Graduate tuition and fees)

Students without a four-year degree or without an undergraduate major in the discipline to be studied must complete a pre-master’s year as approved by the chair of the appropriate graduate studies committee or their delegate before they can enter the master’s program. This year is intended to bring the student’s standing to approximately the level of a four-year degree with a major in the appropriate discipline.

Graduate advisors

Visit our graduate advisor section for more information on finding a graduate advisor and the diversity of our research interests.

Admission requirements

The following are minimum requirements to be considered for entry into the program. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

Admission decisions are based on the qualifications of the applicant as well as the ability of the Department of German and Slavic Studies and the University of Manitoba to serve the applicant’s intended program of study and area of specialization.

In addition to the admission requirements described here, all applicants must meet the minimum admission and English language proficiency requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

To be considered for admission to the German and Slavic Studies (MA) program, you must have a minimum of:

  • A four-year Honours Bachelor of Arts degree (or equivalent) with a major in German or Slavic studies
  • A minimum GPA of 3.0 in the last two full years (60 credit hours) of university study

Pre-master’s admission requirements

To be considered for the pre-master’s program you must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.

How to apply

The German or Slavic studies programs accepts applications for the Fall and Winter term. Applications must be completed online and include several parts:

  • $100 application fee (non-refundable)
  • Unofficial copies of transcripts
  • Current CV
  • Statement of intent
  • Publication/writing sample
  • Two letters of recommendation, preferably from professors with who you have previously worked (must be requested from within the application)
  • Proof of English language proficiency, if required

Please read the Faculty of Graduate Studies online application instructions before beginning your application.

Application deadlines

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis. Please contact the department for admission committee review timelines.

Applications open up to 18 months prior to start term.

Canadian and US applicants

Term Annual application deadline
Fall (September) May 1
Winter (January) September 1

International applicants

Term Annual application deadline
Fall (September) February 1
Winter (January) June 1

Pre-master's applicants

Term Annual application deadline
Fall (September) March 1 (International applicants)
Fall (September) June 1 (Canadian and US applicants)
Winter (January) July 1 (International applicants)
Winter (January) October 1 (Canadian and US applicants)

Applicants must submit their online application with supporting documentation and application fee by the deadline date indicated.

Start or continue your application

Learn more

Contact us

Admission and application inquiries

Faculty of Graduate Studies
Room 500 UMSU University Centre
65 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

graduate.admissions@umanitoba.ca
Phone: 204-474-9377

Monday to Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Program inquiries

Department of German and Slavic Studies, Faculty of Arts
328 Fletcher Argue Building
15 Chancellor's Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

german_slavic@umanitoba.ca
Phone: 204-474-9370

Visit the Department of German and Slavic Studies

Meet German and Slavic Studies faculty and staff