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. Objectives - 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. Program Student Learning Outcomes • Students will be able to understand the main idea and most supporting details of written or listening texts in the target language. • Students will be able to express themselves, in speaking and in writing, in the past, present, and future in the target language. • Students will be able to interpret cultural artifacts, texts, and films with accuracy, demonstrating knowledge of the target cultures that produced them. • Students’ work will reflect an awareness of their own cultural biases and articulate the inherent complexities, worldviews, and values of other cultures. • Students will be able to locate, apply, and cite effective secondary materials in their own work. 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.

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 is available. 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.