German Majors

2024 - 2025 Catalog

German major leading to BA degree

A major in German leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree requires at least 34 credits as follows:

1. GERM 262 (or equivalent)

2. GERM 311, 312

3. GERM 347 or 349

4. One course each from three of the following four areas (9 credits total):

a. Medieval: GERM 318
b. 19th century: GERM 313, 315
c. 20th and 21st centuries: GERM 314, 316
d. Performing German: GERM 332

5. At least three credits from GERM 304, 305, or a substitute approved by the department head

6. The remaining credits may be taken in English or German, from departmental course offerings, approved cognate courses (see list), or approved study abroad courses in German, with no more than six credits in any one discipline.

7. Students must pass an oral and written proficiency examination conducted by the department before or during their last long term prior to graduation.

  1. Required course
    • GERM 262 - Intermediate German II
      FDRFL World Language Foundation
      Credits4
      PrerequisiteGERM 261

      Students will continue to build the linguistic tools for intermediate-level proficiency in German and building a solid foundation in the four traditional language skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. This course emphasizes the development of intercultural competency through a virtual tour of Germany and Austria and exploration of the regional differences, lifestyles, customs, and values, that are unique to those countries.

    • or equivalent.

  2. Required courses

    3.  

  3. Take one course from:
    • GERM 347 - Intellectual and Literary Landscape of the Early German Enlightenment
      FDRHL Literature Distribution
      Credits3
      PrerequisiteGERM 312

      This course offers students an in-depth introduction to the early Enlightenment and the corresponding Age of Goethe (1730-1775), a period of enormous cultural renaissance that represented the very essence of modern German literature and culture. Over the course of the semester, students will study a diverse group of texts by Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832) and his peers to sketch out the complex cultural landscape of the German speaking lands in the second half of the 18th century.

    • GERM 349 - Intellectual and Literary Landscape of the Late German Enlightenment
      FDRHL Literature Distribution
      Credits3
      PrerequisiteGERM 312

      This course offers students an in-depth introduction to the late Enlightenment and the corresponding Age of Goethe (1785-1817), a period of enormous cultural renaissance that for many generations represented the very essence of modern German literature and culture.  Over the course of the semester, students will study a diverse group of texts by Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832) and his peers to sketch out the complex cultural landscape of the German speaking lands in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

  4. One course each from three of the following four areas (9 credits total):
    • Medieval
      • GERM 318 - German Medieval and Renaissance Literature
        FDRHL Literature Distribution
        Credits3
        PrerequisiteGERM 262

        An examination of selected works and a study of literary history through the 16th century. Medieval literary readings include the Hildebrandslied, Nibelungenlied, Parzival, and Tristan, as well as the Minnesang. Consideration is also given to the history of the German literary language during the period covered. Conducted in German.

    • 19th century
      • GERM 313 - German Literature, 1800-1850
        FDRHL Literature Distribution
        Credits3-4
        PrerequisiteGERM 311

        This course is an introduction to German literature through close reading, analysis, and discussion of key German texts written from the early- to mid-19th century. Students become familiar with the characteristics and themes of key literary movements in this period as well as their historical and political influences. Readings and discussions include literary criticism and interpretation. Conducted in German.

      • GERM 315 - German Literature, 1850-1900
        FDRHL Literature Distribution
        Credits3
        PrerequisiteGERM 262

        Realism, Poetic Realism, and Naturalism. Conducted in German.

    • 20th and 21st centuries
      • GERM 314 - German Literature, 1900-1945
        FDRHL Literature Distribution
        Credits3
        PrerequisiteGERM 262

        Readings in German fiction, essays, drama and poetry from the end of Naturalism through World War II. Mann, Kafka, Hesse, Rilke, Wedekind and Brecht are among the authors treated. Conducted in German.

      • GERM 316 - German Literature, 1945 to Present
        FDRHL Literature Distribution
        Credits3
        PrerequisiteGERM 262 or GERM 263

        Readings in German fiction, essays, drama and poetry from the end of World War II to the present. Böll, Grass, Seghers, Dürrrenmatt, Frisch, Wolf and Strauss among the authors treated. Conducted in German.

    • Performing German
      • GERM 332 - Performing German
        FDRHA Fine Arts Distribution
        Credits3
        PrerequisiteGERM 261 or GERM 261 placement

        Writing, memorization, rehearsing and public performance of plays in German.

  5. Take three credits

    6. At least three credits from GERM 303, 304, or a substitute approved by the department head

    • GERM 304 - Layered Berlin
      Credits4
      PrerequisiteGERM 262 or equivalent. Not open to students who have completed GERM 264

      Spring Term Abroad course.  This intensive language course offers students an extended period of direct exposure to the language, culture, and people of Germany. Students immerse themselves in the culturally rich environs of Berlin, improving their language skills through extensive and innovative language instruction and literary study. Students also gain greater understanding of German history and contemporary culture through lectures by native authorities and tours of museums and churches, and through their contact with their host families as well as native German university students.

    • GERM 305 - Traces of Empire: Exploring the Cultural Centers of Austria and Hungary
      Credits4
      PrerequisiteGERM 262

      A four-week advanced language and culture class based in Austria, with a particular focus on the multi-national, polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire and its impact on modern Austria's multi-ethnic, multi-cultural identity. Morning classes focus on language and history; afternoon discussion classes emphasize Austrian culture, supported by readings from the texts, film screenings, and visits to important sites and events.

  6. Remaining credits

    7. The remaining credits may be taken in English or German, from departmental course offerings, approved cognate courses (see list), or approved study abroad courses in German, with no more than six credits in any one discipline.

  7. Proficiency exam

    8. Students must pass an oral and written proficiency examination conducted by the department before or during their last long term prior to graduation. An optional one-credit course, GERM 401:Composition Practice, is offered each winter term to help students prepare for the written examination.