German Major

Courses for the German major are designed to provide advanced fluency in the language as well as knowledge of modern German/central European history and culture as well as the basic canon of modern (post-1800) German literature. In addition, courses in a concentration, chosen with the adviser, allow students to focus on a particular interest or subject.

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

Department Courses (12 units)

  • 8 core courses, from list posted on the department website
    • 4 German-language courses in language and culture
      • 2 at the 200 level
      • 2 at the 300 level
    • 4 German-language courses in literature, culture, history, and politics
      • 2 at the 200 level
      • 2 at the 300 level
  • 4 courses in an individual concentration; must be approved by the adviser
    • At most 2 taught in English
    • At most 3 in a complementary language, such as Yiddish, Turkish, or Czech
    • May be offered by other departments or programs (Please check with the Director of Undergraduate Studies first)
  • Majors returning from a study abroad program must enroll in at least one (1) 300-level German-language course in the department.

Related Courses (2 units)

  • Chosen from history, philosophy, religion, or other relevant areas
  • Must be approved by the adviser and complement the concentration

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 115-0Intensive Beginning German through Musical Journeys in Vienna
GERMAN 201-0Focus Reading
GERMAN 203-0Focus Speaking
GERMAN 205-0Focus Writing
GERMAN 207-0Current Events in German Media
GERMAN 209-0German in the Business World
GERMAN 211-0German Culture through Film
GERMAN 213-0History, Politics, and Culture in 21st Century German
GERMAN 221-1Introduction to Literature: 1800-1900
GERMAN 221-2Introduction to German Literature: 1900-1945
GERMAN 221-3Introduction to Literature: 1945-today
GERMAN 223-0Austrian Literature
GERMAN 245-0Special Topics in German Literature and Culture
GERMAN 303-0Speaking as Discovery
GERMAN 305-0Writing as Discovery
GERMAN 307-0German Media
GERMAN 309-1The German Market and the Globalized Economy
GERMAN 309-2Germany, Inc.: Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility
GERMAN 321-1Reason, Revolution, and Despair: 1800-1900
GERMAN 321-2Myth and Modernity: 1900-1945
GERMAN 321-3Recoveries and Transitions: 1945-Present
GERMAN 327-0German Expressionism
GERMAN 329-0Brecht: Theater, Film, and Media
GERMAN 331-0Shattered Worlds: Representation after the Shoa
GERMAN 333-0Literature of a Divided Nation
GERMAN 335-0Minority Voices in Germany
GERMAN 337-0Science and Culture in Germany
GERMAN 345-0Topics in German Literature and Culture

Courses with Readings and Discussion in English

No prerequisites in German.

Course Title
GERMAN 222-0German History from 1789-1989
GERMAN 224-0Contemporary Germany
GERMAN 226-0New Voices in German Literature
GERMAN 228-0German Film
GERMAN 230-0Berlin and the Culture of Democracy
GERMAN 232-0The Theme of Faust Through the Ages
GERMAN 234-1Jews and Germans: An Intercultural History I
GERMAN 234-2Jews and Germans: An Intercultural History II
GERMAN 236-0Kafka and Nietzsche
GERMAN 238-0Turn-of-the-Century Vienna
GERMAN 242-0Imagining Modern Jewish Culture in Yiddish and German
GERMAN 244-0Analyzing Freud
GERMAN 246-0Special Topics in German Literature and Culture
GERMAN 248-0Learning Diversity: Germany and Global Migration
GERMAN 266-0Introduction to Yiddish Culture: Images of the Shtetl
GERMAN 272-0Luther and the West
GERMAN 322-0German Contributions to World Literature
GERMAN 324-0Modern German Drama
GERMAN 326-0German Cultural Studies
GERMAN 334-0Writers and their Critics
GERMAN 344-1German History: Weimar and Nazi Germany
GERMAN 344-2German History: Germany Since 1945
GERMAN 346-0Topics in German Literature and Culture
GERMAN 349-0The History of the Holocaust
GERMAN 366-0Yiddish Culture and the Holocaust
GERMAN 398-0Undergraduate Seminar
GERMAN 399-0Independent Study