The Major
Advisers: Jocelyne Kolb, Joseph McVeigh, Judith Keyler-Mayer, Joel Westerdale
Students who plan to major in German Studies or who wish to spend the junior year in Hamburg should take German in the first two years. Students enrolled in 250 (220), 300 (222) or higher-level courses should consider taking the Zertifikat Deutsch examination administered by the Goethe Institute and offered each spring on campus. The Zertifikat Deutsch is highly regarded by private and public sector employers in all German-speaking countries as proof of well-developed communicative skills in basic German. Students are also recommended to take courses in other departments that treat a German topic.
Students who enter with previous preparation in German will be assigned to appropriate courses on the basis of a placement examination. Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement test may not apply that credit toward the degree if they complete for credit 110y, 144 (115), 200 or 250 (220).
Requirements
Ten courses or 40 credits beyond the basis of GER 200
- GER 161: The Cultures of German-Speaking Europe
- GER 250: Advanced Intermediate German
- GER 300: Topics in German Culture and Society (topics vary)
- GER 350: Language and power
- GER 360: Advanced Topics in German Studies (topics vary)
One of the following:
- GER 291
- GER 320
- GER 340/339
- Two GER 298 (2-credit) courses (topics vary)
Electives
Four courses*:
- FYS 156: Beyond the Hitler Channel
- GER 211: America and the Germans
- GER 241: Jews in German Culture
- GER 330: Literary Forms
- GER 230: Topics in German Cinema
- GER 231: Weimar Film
- GER 233: Nazi Cinema
- GER 339/340: Topics in Media Studies
- GER 291: Topics in the Culture of Science and Technology
- GER 298: NEXUS courses (2 credits)
- CLT 214: Literary Anti-Semitism
- CLT 296: Enlightenment
*Any cross-listed course may also count toward the major with the approval of the Department of German Studies.
Period Requirements
Students must take at least one course representing each of the following periods: pre-1832, 1832-1933, 1933-present.
