Awards and Scholarships

Delta Phi Alpha: German Honor Society

Undergraduate students with an overall GPA of 2.7 who have demonstrated exceptional work in at least five upper division German courses (minimum GPA of 3.3) are invited to apply for membership in the German National Honor Society, Delta Phi Alpha. The society offers a few scholarships to Germany on a nationwide basis. The application deadline is quite early in the academic year, usually the beginning of October.

Departmental Citations

Departmental citations are presented to those students who have demonstrated excellence in their German studies, as determined by the faculty.

John and Henni Fetzer Award for Advanced Undergraduate Study of German Literature and Culture

This annual award can be used to cover the cost of tuition, fees, travel, and living expenses.  The deadline is in December for awards the following academic year.

Preference for the Award will be given to students:

  • who have completed at least two years of university coursework (or the equivalent) in the German language
  • who are enrolled for at least one academic quarter for credit at a university in Germany (first preference), Austria, or Switzerland, through UC Davis Study Abroad or the UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP)
  • who are pursuing studies in the area of German literature and culture, broadly defined as including, but not necessarily limited to, comparative literature, linguistics, philosophy, arts, culture, history, and music

Scholarship Applications

Applications for scholarships are available at the UCD Scholarship office, Voorhies Hall, Rm. 228. There are several scholarship opportunities for German majors and minors.

  • The Bruno W. and Audrey M. Bracka Scholarship is for College of Letters & Science undergraduates who have declared a major or minor in German. Students may have upper- or lower- division status with a preference given for upper division. Scholarships may be awarded to the same student from year to year.
  • The Emilyn Louise Vaage Memorial Scholarship is for undergraduates majoring in German who have financial need. In establishing the award, the donor stated, “We are not as interested in the student of top grade-point average as we are in the award to a good student whose financial status would be augmented and whose recognition as a good student would be recognized and rewarded as well.” The Committee does require a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25.

Students who are interested in furthering their education may want to consider the following opportunities:

  • Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) Fellowships. These fellowships support study in Germany. Although these do not cover travel expenses, they do provide the students with an adequate monthly stipend.
  • Fulbright Scholarships for Study in Germany. Fulbright covers travel expenses to Germany as well as tuition, books, and daily living costs.
  • Congress-Bundestag Exchange Program. Primarily intended for young American adults aged 18 to 24 in business, technical, vocational and agricultural fields, this 12-month, cultural work-study program is funded by a USA grant and offers participants an excellent combination of theory and practical training by providing two months of intensive language training, four months of university or technical school instruction and a five-month paid internship in the participant's career field. A maximum of 60 applicants are selected each year. Application deadline is December 15.