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
- GERMAN 102-3 Intermediate German or equivalent proficiency.
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 German-language courses in language and culture
- 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 115-0 | Intensive 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 Literature: 1800-1900 |
GERMAN 221-2 | Introduction to German Literature: 1900-1945 |
GERMAN 221-3 | Introduction to Literature: 1945-today |
GERMAN 223-0 | Austrian Literature |
GERMAN 245-0 | Special Topics in German Literature and Culture |
GERMAN 303-0 | Speaking as Discovery |
GERMAN 305-0 | Writing as Discovery |
GERMAN 307-0 | German Media |
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 | German Expressionism |
GERMAN 329-0 | Brecht: Theater, Film, and Media |
GERMAN 331-0 | Shattered Worlds: Representation after the Shoa |
GERMAN 333-0 | Literature of a Divided Nation |
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 222-0 | German History from 1789-1989 |
GERMAN 224-0 | Contemporary Germany |
GERMAN 226-0 | New Voices in German Literature |
GERMAN 228-0 | 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 | 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 | Learning Diversity: Germany and Global Migration |
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 326-0 | German Cultural Studies |
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 |