Individual Structured Major in German Studies
Goals for the Individual Structured German Studies Major
Students who major in German will be able to:
- speak, understand, read, and write German with advanced proficiency
- formulate a clear argument verbally or in written form
- contextualize, assess, and critique different types of cultural production (literary, historical, journalistic, musical, cinematic, scholarly, etc.)
- identify and discuss key historical moments and representative German-language cultural production from 1800 to the present
Requirements for the Individual Structured German Studies Major
The department offers an individual structured major in German Studies. Students will develop an individualized plan in close consultation with their major advisor or the Department Chair. Generally, such a plan would require nine courses, including a mix of courses in German (above GER102) and related courses taught in English. This plan allows students to combine advanced fluency in the language and a general understanding of German-speaking culture with an emphasis on specific components of media, history, culture, and society that are of particular interest to them.
Honors in German Studies
Students in German Studies may attain honors in two ways:
Honors Thesis: Students write an honors thesis and pass an oral examination focused on the project. Students enroll in Senior Thesis Research (360) in the first semester and carry out independent work under the supervision of a faculty advisor. If sufficient progress is made, students continue with Senior Thesis (370) in the second semester.
Honors by Examination: Students prepare for an examination with written and oral sections, based on a reading list devised by the student under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Preparation of a special author or project can be reflected proportionally in the honors examination. While this plan carries no course credit, students may elect a unit of 350 as part of their preparation for the honors examination.
To qualify for honors, a student must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 in all work in the major field above the 100-level. The department may petition on behalf of exceptional students whose averages fall between 3.0 and 3.5.