German Major
The German major is designed for students to accomplish two broad goals: a) to develop their language proficiency and gain linguistic confidence; and b) to become familiar with issues and discourses pertinent to modern German literature, culture, cultural forms and practices, history, and politics. Coursework may focus on the major periods and forms of German literature with emphasis on literary and historical analysis; on architecture, art, film, dance, music, and other forms of media broadly conceived; on German/European politics and history; on environmentalism, German philosophy, or political and cultural theory.
Students majoring in German take 12 courses in the department or abroad (students may count up to 8 courses from a year abroad and 4 courses from a semester abroad towards the German major).
Students must also complete the Undergraduate Registration Requirement and the degree requirements of their home school.
NOTE: This Catalog describes Weinberg College BA requirements that pertain to students who matriculated at Northwestern after spring quarter 2023. Refer to the Archives if you are following BA requirements described in the 2018-2019 through 2022-2023 editions.
Prerequisite
- GERMAN 102-3 Intermediate German or equivalent proficiency.
Department Courses (12 units)
- 8 core courses from the list posted on the department website
- 4 German-language courses in language and media
- 2 at the 200 level
- 2 at the 300 level; or as discussed with the DUS
- 4 German-language courses in literature, culture, history, and politics
- 2 at the 200 level
- 2 at the 300 level; or as discussed with the DUS
- 4 German-language courses in language and media
- 4 elective courses taught in the German department chosen according to the interests of the students.
- Up to two courses taught in English may be counted towards the elective courses.
Notes:
- Courses listed as prerequisites for an advanced course may not be taken for credit after the advanced course has been completed.
- Majors returning from a study abroad program must enroll in at least 1 200-level or 300-level course in the department.
- Students with an interest in a complementary language may petition the DUS to count 1 or 2 quarters of language study towards the elective courses.
Honors in German
Majors with strong academic records and an interest in pursuing honors should contact the honors advisor in spring of junior year. They may qualify for departmental honors by completing 2 quarters of GERMAN 398-0 Undergraduate Seminar or GERMAN 399-0 Independent Study; 2 quarters of 400-level courses; or 1 quarter of GERMAN 398-0 or GERMAN 399-0 and 1 quarter of a 400-level course. These courses may count toward the major. Students must present a research paper at the end of their second quarter of honors study.
Students whose research paper and grades meet department criteria are recommended to the college for graduation with honors. For more information consult the director of undergraduate studies and see Honors in the Major.
Courses
Courses Taught in German
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| GERMAN 101-1 & GERMAN 101-2 & GERMAN 101-3 | Beginning German and Beginning German and Beginning German |
| GERMAN 102-1 & GERMAN 102-2 & GERMAN 102-3 | Intermediate German and Intermediate German and Intermediate German |
| GERMAN 115-0 | Beginning German through Musical Journeys in Vienna |
| GERMAN 201-0 | Focus Reading |
| GERMAN 203-0 | Focus Speaking |
| GERMAN 205-0 | Focus Writing |
| GERMAN 207-0 | Current Events in German Media |
| GERMAN 209-0 | German in the Business World |
| GERMAN 211-0 | German Culture through Film |
| GERMAN 213-0 | History, Politics, and Culture in 21st Century German |
| GERMAN 221-1 | Introduction to German Literature: 1800-1900 |
| GERMAN 221-2 | Introduction to German Literature: 1900-1945 |
| GERMAN 221-3 | Introduction to German Literature: 1945-today |
| GERMAN 245-0 | Special Topics in German Literature and Culture |
| GERMAN 303-0 | Advanced Expression in German speaking |
| GERMAN 305-0 | Advanced Creative Expression in German writing |
| GERMAN 307-0 | German Mass Media: from broadcast to stream |
| GERMAN 309-1 | The German Market and the Globalized Economy |
| GERMAN 309-2 | Germany, Inc.: Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility |
| GERMAN 321-1 | Reason, Revolution, and Despair: 1800-1900 |
| GERMAN 321-2 | Myth and Modernity: 1900-1945 |
| GERMAN 321-3 | Recoveries and Transitions: 1945-Present |
| GERMAN 327-0 | The German Avant-Garde and the Culture of Modernism |
| GERMAN 331-0 | Shattered Worlds: Representation after the Shoa |
| GERMAN 333-0 | Literature of the Cold War |
| GERMAN 335-0 | Minority Voices in Germany |
| GERMAN 337-0 | Science and Culture in Germany |
| GERMAN 345-0 | Topics in German Literature and Culture |
Courses with Readings and Discussion in English
No prerequisites in German.
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| GERMAN 224-0 | Contemporary Germany |
| GERMAN 228-0 | History of German Film |
| GERMAN 230-0 | Berlin and the Culture of Democracy |
| GERMAN 232-0 | The Theme of Faust Through the Ages |
| GERMAN 234-1 | Jews and Germans: An Intercultural History I |
| GERMAN 234-2 | Jews and Germans: An Intercultural History II |
| GERMAN 236-0 | Kafka and Nietzsche |
| GERMAN 238-0 | Decadence and Desire: Turn-of-the-Century Vienna |
| GERMAN 242-0 | Imagining Modern Jewish Culture in Yiddish and German |
| GERMAN 244-0 | Analyzing Freud |
| GERMAN 246-0 | Special Topics in German Literature and Culture |
| GERMAN 248-0 | Migration in the German Past and Present: Gastarbeiter, Refugees, Displaced Persons |
| GERMAN 266-0 | Introduction to Yiddish Culture: Images of the Shtetl |
| GERMAN 272-0 | Luther and the West |
| GERMAN 322-0 | German Contributions to World Literature |
| GERMAN 324-0 | Modern German Drama |
| GERMAN 328-0 | Prague: City of Cultures, City of Conflict |
| GERMAN 334-0 | Writers and their Critics |
| GERMAN 344-1 | German History: Weimar and Nazi Germany |
| GERMAN 344-2 | German History: Germany Since 1945 |
| GERMAN 346-0 | Topics in German Literature and Culture |
| GERMAN 349-0 | The History of the Holocaust |
| GERMAN 366-0 | Yiddish Culture and the Holocaust |
| GERMAN 398-0 | Undergraduate Seminar |
| GERMAN 399-0 | Independent Study |