German Studies Minor
The German Studies Minor appeals to students who are interested in gaining cultural proficiency in German beyond a language ability in order to enhance their majors in such areas as Theology, History and Global and International Studies, and their global career opportunities in international and domestic business, marketing, law, translation, government service, news services, or the publishing industry.
Please see the German Studies webpage for more information.
Curriculum
The German Studies Minor consists of 19 credit hours (six three-credit courses + a one-credit capstone) broken down as follows:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Requisites | ||
| Elementary German I 1 | ||
| Elementary German II 1 | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| GERM 103 | Intermediate German I 1 | 3 |
| GERM 104 | Intermediate German II 1 | 3 |
| GRMS 300 | German Studies Minor Capstone | 1 |
| Electives | ||
| Students choose four courses from the following. In order to qualify as an elective, a course must have at least one-third of its content devoted to German cultural history. | 12 | |
| Composition & Conversation I (offered every fall semester) 2 | ||
| Composition & Conversation II (offered every spring semester) 2 | ||
| German-American History: Focus on Chicago | ||
| German Reading Knowledge | ||
| German Cinema | ||
| Topics in Premodern History (offered every other or third year) | ||
| Topics in European History (Post-1700) (Poland and Germany (offered every other or third year) | ||
| Topics in European History (Post-1700) (offered every other or third year) | ||
| Medieval World 1100-1500 | ||
| Medieval Culture (offered every other year) | ||
| The Reformation | ||
| 19th Century European Culture and Ideas (offered every other year) | ||
| Europe in the Age of Catastrophe, 1900-1945 (offered every other or third year) | ||
| The Second World War (offered every other or third year) | ||
| Contemporary Europe 1945 to Present (offered every other or third year) | ||
| History of European Communism | ||
| 19th Century Philosophy (offered every other year) | ||
| Classical Modern Philosophy (offered annually) | ||
| Philosophy of Marxism (offered irregularly) | ||
| Contemporary Political Thought (offered every other semester) | ||
| Sociological Thought (offered every semester) | ||
| Christianity Through Time (offered annually) | ||
| Total Hours | 19 | |
- 1
This course may be waived by placement examination or by the Program Director.
- 2
This is a preferred elective and must be taken unless waived by placement examination or by the Program Director.
Not less than 8 credit hours in the individual student’s transcript must be unique to the German Studies Minor; that is, the courses in question are considered as actually fulfilling requirements of one minor, not of more than one minor or major.
Students may wish to satisfy some of the requirements through study abroad in a German-speaking country.
The final component of the program is a one-credit hour capstone project and paper, done in consultation with a German faculty member. It may also involve an internship at the DANK Haus in Chicago.
Suggested Sequence of Courses
Language courses must be taken in sequence and may be waived by placement examination or by the Program Director. The courses satisfying electives can be taken in any order. More than one elective course can be taken during the same term and language and elective courses can be taken during the same semester. Terms for course offerings may vary.
The below sequence of courses is meant to be used as a suggested path for completing coursework. An individual student’s completion of requirements depends on course offerings in a given term as well as the start term for a major or graduate study. Students should consult their advisor for assistance with course selection.
Option 1
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester I | Hours | |
| GERM 103 | Intermediate German I 1 | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester II | ||
| GERM 104 | Intermediate German II | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Semester III | ||
| GERM 250 | Composition & Conversation I | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester IV | ||
| GERM 251 | Composition & Conversation II | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Semester V | ||
| Elective #1 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester VI | ||
| Elective #2 | ||
| Hours | 0 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Semester VII | ||
| GRMS 300 | German Studies Minor Capstone | 1 |
| Hours | 1 | |
| Total Hours | 16 | |
- 1
GERM 101 and GERM 102 are pre-requisites for the program and may be required before starting the above sequence. One or both may be waived by placement examination or by the Program Director.
Option 2
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester I | Hours | |
| GERM 104 | Intermediate German II 1 | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester II | ||
| GERM 250 | Composition & Conversation I | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Semester III | ||
| GERM 251 | Composition & Conversation II | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester IV | ||
| Elective #1 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Semester V | ||
| Elective #2 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester VI | ||
| Elective #3 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Semester VII | ||
| GRMS 300 | German Studies Minor Capstone | 1 |
| Hours | 1 | |
| Total Hours | 19 | |
- 1
GERM 103 is waived by placement examination or by the Program Director.
Option 3
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester I | Hours | |
| GERM 250 | Composition & Conversation I | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester II | ||
| GERM 251 | Composition & Conversation II | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Semester III | ||
| Elective #1 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester IV | ||
| Elective #2 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Semester V | ||
| Elective #3 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester VI | ||
| Elective #4 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Semester VII | ||
| GRMS 300 | German Studies Minor Capstone | 1 |
| Hours | 1 | |
| Total Hours | 19 | |
Option 4
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester I | Hours | |
| GERM 251 | Composition & Conversation II 1 | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester II | ||
| Elective #1 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Semester III | ||
| Elective #2 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester IV | ||
| Elective #3 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Semester V | ||
| Elective #4 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester VI | ||
| Elective #5 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Semester VII | ||
| GRMS 300 | German Studies Minor Capstone | 1 |
| Hours | 1 | |
| Total Hours | 19 | |
- 1
GERM 250 is waived by placement examination or by the Program Director.
Option 5
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester I | Hours | |
| Elective #1 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester II | ||
| Elective #2 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Semester III | ||
| Elective #3 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester IV | ||
| Elective #4 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Semester V | ||
| Elective #5 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Semester VI | ||
| Elective #6 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Semester VII | ||
| GRMS 300 | German Studies Minor Capstone | 1 |
| Hours | 1 | |
| Total Hours | 19 | |
Learning Outcomes
Students completing the German Studies Minor will:
- Achieve a mid-intermediate level of German language proficiency in speaking, reading, writing and listening according to the Proficiency Guidelines of the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages;
- Have specific knowledge of the cultural history of the German-speaking world based on the elective courses taken;
- Expand their horizons by virtue of having studied a foreign language and culture, and will be able bring those perspectives to bear on a more critical view of their own culture.