Requirements

The German Program offers undergraduates a number of options. Students who wish for a deep immersion in language can select from a major, supplementary major, or minor in German.

Students who wish to combine language immersion with training in economics can enroll in the international economics major (German concentration), which our department offers in conjunction with the Department of Economics.

Some students are not primarily interested in language training, but wish to acquire regional expertise in conjunction with another course of studies (for instance in the Keough School of Global Affairs, the History Department, or the International Security Studies Program). These students can still pursue a supplementary major in German with a concentration in German Studies (which requires only intermediate language proficiency), or a minor (which requires no language training at all).

Major in German

Successful completion of 10 courses (30 credit hours) beyond GE 20201 Intermediate German I:

• Required courses:
  • GE 20202 Intermediate German II
• Plus any two of the following:
  • GE 30303 German before Germany
  • GE 30304 German Literary & Cultural Tradition(s)
  • GE 30305 Contemporary Germany
• Additional 7 elective courses (21 credits)
  • 4 must be numbered 20113 and above
  • 2 must be in German at the 40000-level
  • 4 may be in English

Supplementary Major in German

• Required courses:
  • GE 20202 Intermediate German II
  • Plus any two of the following:
    • GE 30303 German before Germany
    • GE 30304 German Literary & Cultural Tradition(s)
    • GE 30305 Contemporary Germany
• Additional 5 elective courses (15 credits)
  • 3 must be numbered 20113 and above
  • 1 must be in German at the 40000-level
  • 2 may be in English

Minor in German

• Required courses:
  • GE 20202 Intermediate German II
  • Plus any two of the following:
    • GE 30303 German before Germany
    • GE 30304 German Literary & Cultural Tradition(s)
    • GE 30305 Contemporary Germany
• Additional 2 elective courses (6 credits)
  • 2 must be numbered 20113 and above
  • 1 must be in German at the 40000-level
  • 1 may be in English

International Economics Major

The undergraduate major in international economics is a collaborative effort between the Department of Economics and the various departments of languages and literatures. 

Successful completion of 6 courses (18 credit hours) beyond GE 20201:

• GE 20202  Intermediate German II

• Additional 5 elective courses:
  • 3 must be in German

Economics Requirements: (Please consult the Dept. of Economics webpage for full and accurate details.)

• Calculus A and B
• Exploring International Economics
• Principles of Microeconomics
• Principles of Macroeconomics
• Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
• Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
• Statistics
• Econometrics
• 2 electives focused on international economic topics. The available electives will vary by semester. Past courses which have satisfied this requirement include:
  • International Trade
  • International Money
  • Development Economics

Other Requirements:

• GE 33000 Exploring International Economics (1 credit) must be taken in your sophomore year to prepare for the Senior Research Project; if you study abroad sophomore year, you must take this course junior year
• ECON 48100 Senior Research Project

Degrees in German Studies

Supplementary German Major with a Concentration in German Studies

Successful completion of 8 courses (24 credit hours) in German Studies numbered 20201 or above.

• Courses may be in any combination of German and English-language classes. An all-English curriculum is possible
• University Seminars and College Seminars with a German Studies focus may also count towards this requirement, with approval of the DUS in German
• At least 3 courses must be listed or cross-listed in the Department or taken in a Department-approved study abroad program
• Students must take at least one 3-credit course in German History and at least one 3-credit course in German Culture (Architecture, Art, Film, Literature, Music, Philosophy, or Theology). The DUS in German will determine whether a given course satifies one of these requirements. 
• All German Studies courses taken outside of the Department must be approved by the DUS in German

Minor in German Studies

Successful completion of 5 courses (15 credit hours) in German Studies numbered 20202 or above.

• Courses may be in any combination of German and English-language classes. An all-English curriculum is possible
• University Seminars with a German Studies focus may also count towards this requirement, with approval of the DUS in German
• At least 3 courses must be listed or cross-listed in the Department or taken in a Department-approved study abroad program
• All German Studies courses taken outside of the Department must be approved by the DUS in German

Department Policy on Summer Language Courses:

If a student completes a summer language program beyond the B1 level or its equivalent at a different institution, up to three credits towards any Department degree may be awarded, provided the following conditions are met:

The student must submit the results of an official exam (such as Goethe-Zertifikat, Goethe-Test PRO, TestDaF).

The exam must show that proficiency has improved by at least one level in at least two of the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing)

Final approval is at the discretion of the DUS.