Basic Requirements
DIRECTOR
Associate Professor J. Eidt
Thirty advanced credits (10 courses) in all.
The major in German allows students to choose from one of three possible tracks or areas of primary focus related to German and German studies. The three focus areas are: 1) German Literature, 2) German Linguistics (Historical, Applied and Synchronic) and 3) German Intellectual History (Geistesgeschichte). The German concentration (four courses beyond the core) consists of a skills course and then at least one course in each of these diverse areas. The German Major has a group of "core" courses, which is identical to the concentration plus one course (5 courses beyond the university’s core language requirement). Upon completion of the "German core" students then have the option of pursuing one of the three areas as a primary focus.
- German Literature: Offers the Literary Tradition sequence as well as other literature-based courses in the German language.
- German Linguistics: Offers course work in the three main areas of foreign language linguistics. These courses offer a meta-discussion of language in the theoretical framework of the field as it currently is practiced in the US.
- German Cultural History: Offers a focus on broader areas of German culture and the history of ideas within German culture. This area of study seeks to define a German cultural context for ideas and events in History, Philosophy, Religion, Music, Art and the social sciences. This track, interdisciplinary in nature, incorporates courses offered in other departments, giving students maximum flexibility in defining an area of concentration.
German Concentration. 4 courses beyond Second-Year German II. See Language Concentrations. Advanced German Grammar (MGE3310) is recommended as a part of the German Concentration.
Core Requirements for all German Majors
(5 courses beyond Second-Year – 2 skills, 2 literature, 1 linguistics)
Advanced German Grammar (MGE 3310)
German Conversation and Composition (MGE 3311)
2 courses from among Lit-Trad 1, 2, or 3 (MGE 3341–3343)
Intro to Foreign Language Pedagogy (MGE 3331), History of the German Language (MGE 3333), or German CLT (MCTG) course.
German Studies Tracks to be declared in the junior year.
Track 1 – German Literature
Remaining German Lit-Trad (1, 2, or 3) (MGE 3341–3343)
- Two courses from the following: German Novella (MGE 4320) (Readings and course work in German), Wagner (MGE 4346) (Readings and course work in German) and German Drama (MGE 4323) (Internship incorporated into Second-Year II)
- Two courses from the following: German Translation (MGE 3334), Advanced Civilization (MGE 4335), or other German CLT (MCTG) course (Readings and course work in German).
Track 2 – German Linguistics
Fifteen credits chosen from among the following courses:
- Intro to Linguistics (EDU 5354)
- History of German Language (MGE 3333), or Applied Linguistics (Pedagogy) (MGE 3331), or German Outreach (MGE 3V32) (teaching practicum in area schools can be taken for 1-3 credit hours).
- Historical Linguistics (MGE 3330)
- German Translation (MGE 3334) (same as MCTG 5312 German for Reading Knowledge II), Old English, Old French, or Occitan
- Philosophy of Language (PHI 4335) or Psychology of Language (PSY 3334)
- Senior Honors Thesis (MGE 4349)
Track 3 – Intellectual History
- History Course (History of Germany I, II [HIS 3325 and 3326], or The Reformation [HIS 3311])
- One course from the following: Philosophy (The Phenomenological Tradition [PHL 5359], Recent Philosophy [PHL 3328], Politics [Modernity and Post-Modernity [POL 3335]), or Psychology (Phenomenological Research I [PSY 3339])
- German Lit-Trad 1, 2, or 3 (MGE 3341–3343), Drama (MGE 4323), or Advanced Civilization (MGE 4335)
- CLT Elective (Tolkien, Novella, Intro to German Literature) (Readings and course work in German), or Wagner (MGE 4346) (Readings and course work in German)
Comprehensive Examination
In the Spring semester, seniors take oral and written comprehensive exams. A reading list for comprehensives is supplied for preparation. In the written comps, the student addresses three topics from a list of essay topics. The oral exam covers both the written essays and the other topics.
Courses in German