Campuses:
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Morris Campus
German Studies B.A.Division of Humanities - Adm
Division of Humanities
This is an interdisciplinary program housed in the Division of the Humanities. The program is administered by the German studies coordinator and the chair of the Division of the Humanities.
The German studies curriculum includes the language, literature, film, linguistics, history, and culture of German-speaking countries and Germanic languages. The courses are designed to enhance students' understanding of their own language and culture through introduction to another. Our courses expand students' ability to think by giving them a new tool with which to do so. The courses are carefully sequenced to incrementally increase student aptitude in the one skill upon which everything else they could possibly do or study relies: language. Expansion of thought in any field of study requires the acquisition of new language. Learning the German language provides students with direct access to the world's fourth largest economy as well as the sister economies of the other German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Additionally students gain intimate knowledge of a linguistic tradition and culture that has produced innovation in almost every field of study pursued on campus, thereby benefiting students regardless of their main area of concentration.
Program Student Learning Outcomes - Learning an entirely new linguistic idiom increases one's ability to think, and neurological studies have shown that it actually grows brain cells. Our primary goal is to enable students to become culturally competent. We have constructed the curriculum to increase students' confidence and social skills by capitalizing on their innate and extant ability to use language and by demonstrating to them that they can acquire another language, while also providing an understanding of language itself that will enable them to acquire further languages. The intellectual and practical skills enable students to gain a deeper understanding of the roles of individuals in society, as well as building upon their capacity for integrative learning. Our program aims to provide students with opportunities that will enable them to directly apply newly acquired linguistic abilities, cultural knowledge, and social skills in their chosen area of study through study abroad, internships, and professional exchanges.
Study Abroad
In light of today's increasingly interdependent world, the German faculty strongly encourages study abroad in combination with a German Studies major or minor, as a most effective means by which to:
• improve language abilities
• broaden academic horizons
• globalize one's world view
• expand career opportunities
Study in Austria and Germany - The University has direct exchange with Potsdam University and is affiliated with exchange programs in Berlin and Freiburg for both one- and two-semester stays. There are also possibilities for study at many other German, Austrian, and Swiss universities. Language prerequisites vary for each program. Through the Academic Center for Enrichment, students may explore further opportunities.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
Admission Requirements
For information about University of Minnesota admission requirements, visit the
Office of Admissions
website.
General Requirements
All students are required to complete general University and college requirements. For more
information, see the general education requirements.
Program Requirements
Students are required to complete 2 semester(s) of
German.
with a grade of C-, or better, or S, or demonstrate proficiency in the language(s) as defined by the department
or college.
Elective plans must be designed to ensure that there is sufficient depth of coverage in the chosen German studies electives. For many students, a double-major (or minor) in a closely related disciplinary major is desirable. For some majors, electives can be selected in such a way that many of the courses in a coherent German studies elective plan also count toward the second major. An advising sheet for recommended course combinations and areas of focus will be available to students and faculty involved.
In addition to the requirements for the major, students are encouraged to complete at least one year of instruction in another foreign language.
No grades below C- are allowed. Courses may not be taken S-N unless offered S-N only.
A minimum GPA of 2.00 is required in the major to graduate. The GPA includes all, and only, University of Minnesota coursework. Grades of "F" are included in GPA calculation until they are replaced.
Required Courses
GER 2001 - Intermediate German I
[IP]
(4.0 cr)
GER 2002 - Intermediate German II
[IP]
(4.0 cr)
GER 3001 - Advanced German Grammar Capstone
[IP]
(4.0 cr)
Selection of Elective Courses
Other elective courses, not listed below, may be appropriate to add depth and provide more theoretical context for the German studies coursework (requires written approval of the course instructor and the program coordinator).
All or most elective credits should be from upper division (3xxx or 4xxx) courses.
Elective Courses
Courses listed under the "German and Partial German Electives" heading that are outside of the German discipline (e.g., HIST 3209) require written approval of the course instructor and the program coordinator prior to registration.
Take 20 or more credit(s) from the following:
German and Partial German Electives
Exclusive of those used for required courses.
Take 12 or more credit(s) from the following:
·
ARTH 3274 - Modern Art in Germany
[FA]
(4.0 cr)
·
ENGL 3444 - Holocaust Literature and Film
[IP]
(4.0 cr)
·
GER 3043 - Thinking Economy and Desire: Introduction to Critical Theory
[HUM]
(4.0 cr)
·
GER 3101 - Introduction to German Literature and Culture I
[HUM]
(4.0 cr)
·
GER 3102 - Introduction to German Literature and Culture II
[HUM]
(4.0 cr)
·
GER 4001 - German Civilization I: From the Stone Age to 1871
[HIST]
(4.0 cr)
·
GER 4002 - German Civilization II: From 1871 to the Present
[HIST]
(4.0 cr)
·
GER 4101 - History of the German Language
[HIST]
(4.0 cr)
·
HIST 3204 - Nazi Germany
[HIST]
(4.0 cr)
·
HUM 3043 - Thinking Economy and Desire: Introduction to Critical Theory
[HUM]
(4.0 cr)
·
German-related Content Electives
Take at most 4 credit(s) from the following:
·
ENGL 4004 - Research Seminar: Old English Literature and Language
(4.0 cr)
·
HIST 2132 - History of Fairy Tales and Folklore in Europe
[HIST]
(4.0 cr)
·
HIST 2151 - Modern Europe
[HIST]
(4.0 cr)
·
HIST 3101 - Renaissance and Reformation
[HIST]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4002 - Existentialism
[HIST]
(4.0 cr)
·
Supplemental Electives
Take at most 4 credit(s) from the following:
·
ARTH 3132 - Castles and Cathedrals
[FA]
(4.0 cr)
·
ARTH 3201 - Nineteenth-Century Art
[FA]
(4.0 cr)
·
ARTH 3211 - Modern Art from Impressionism to Surrealism
[FA]
(4.0 cr)
·
ENGL 3021 - Grammar and Language
[HUM]
(4.0 cr)
·
ENGL 3411 - Critical Approaches to Literature
(4.0 cr)
·
HIST 2704 - Gender, Women, and Sexuality in Medieval Europe
[SS]
(4.0 cr)
·
HIST 2708 - Gender, Women, and Sexuality in Modern Europe
[IP]
(4.0 cr)
·
HIST 3161 - The Enlightenment
[HIST]
(4.0 cr)
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Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Prerequisites: | 2001 or # |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 8.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 8.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Fall Even Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Spring Odd Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Prerequisites: | 1001 or equiv |
Typically offered: | Spring Odd Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Fall Even Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | 02502 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 8.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 8.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Fall Even Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Spring Odd Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Prerequisites: | 1001 or equiv |
Typically offered: | Spring Odd Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | 02502 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Prerequisites: | two from 31xx-35xx, # |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Spring Even Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Spring Even Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Fall Odd Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Spring Even Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Spring Even Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |