Learning Goals for the Undergraduate German Studies Program
Our program prepares our graduates to:
- Examine diverse German-speaking societies, cultural outputs, and media, including their history and contemporary issues, from an informed standpoint;
- Comprehend, analyze, and even create a wide range of texts based on knowledge of genre, purpose, audience, and stylistic features;
- Critically discuss their own and others’ cultures and identities without resorting to simplifications and stereotypes, based on an awareness of the complex and dynamic nature of culture;
- Communicate in reading, writing, listening, and speaking German at the CEFR B2 level or higher. This means that they can communicate easily about a variety of everyday as well as more specialized topics and express opinions clearly and in detail;
- Be lifelong learners of German and engaged members of the global German-speaking community.
Program overview:
In our four-semester language sequence (GER 1010, 1020, 2010, and 2020), our students gain a foundation in German grammar and vocabulary as well as basic knowledge of German-speaking cultures. Our classes focus on active communication in German and encourage students to apply their language skills to meaningful projects. After completing the language sequence, students move into the 3000 level where they continue to develop their language proficiency while delving deeper into Germanophone literature, history, and culture. Students must take two of the three courses offered at the 3000 level (GER 3010, 3020, and 3030), in any order, before advancing to the 4000 level. In addition, students may take GER 3400, a course taught in English about topics in German literature and intellectual history. In the upper-level seminars at the 4000 level, students further develop their knowledge and skills through the exploration of specific topic areas.
Visit the Major & Minor Requirements page for more details.