Course level:
100 | 200 | 300 | 400
GER-101 Elementary German
Essentials of grammar, composition, pronunciation. Course includes oral and written work, graded elementary reading, and use of audiovisual cultural materials and correlative drill in the language laboratory. Prepares for German 201, 202.


GER-102 Elementary German
Essentials of grammar, composition, pronunciation. Course includes oral and written work, graded elementary reading, and use of audiovisual cultural materials and correlative drill in the language laboratory. Prepares for German 201, 202.


GER-120 German Literature in Translation
Critical analysis and appreciation of form and content of selected German literary texts from the eighteenth century to the present, together with an examination of the cultural, socio-historical, and political circumstances that produced these works. Conducted in English.



GER-201 Intermediate German
Continuation of the work of German 101, 102. Progressively more difficult readings introduce the student to German literature and civilization. Course includes use of audiovisual cultural materials and correlative drill in the language laboratory.


GER-202 Intermediate German
Continuation of the work of German 101, 102. Progressively more difficult readings introduce the student to German literature and civilization. Course includes use of audiovisual cultural materials and correlative drill in the language laboratory.


GER-240 Introduction to German Studies: Methods and Theories
Examines the concept of German Studies as a branch of Cultural Studies. A critical theory seminar that trains students in the analysis of texts from different disciplines and helps to develop a critical vocabulary for scholarly reflection. Aims to develop an awareness and understanding of the manifold linguistic and cultural contexts that have contributed to the body of theory at our disposal in studying culture, and German culture in particular. Conducted in English. Open to all students, but required for all German majors. As a foundational course, it should be taken as early as possible along the major track.


GER-270 Transnational Writing and Film: Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in the New European Context
Introduction to transnational writing and film in the European context. Applies theoretical writings on transnationalism to the artistic works of transnational writers and filmmakers living primarily in German-speaking lands. Contemplates the cultural aspects of globalization and mass migrations in the European context and examines the roles gender, race, and ethnicity play in transnational identifications. Conducted in English.


GER-280 European Cinema
Introduction to the cinemas of Europe of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Study of well-known movements such as Weimar Expressionism, Italian Neorealism, French Nouvelle Vague, etc. The course challenges the widely accepted binary opposition between European Art Cinema and Hollywood by also considering popular genre cinema. Similarities and differences between national cinemas are studied in their respective historical, cultural, and commercial contexts. Conducted in English. Cross-listed with Film Studies.



GER-301 Advanced Stylistics, Composition, and Conversation.
Continuation of the work of German 201, 201. Designed for advanced work in language and intended for students who have successfully completed German 202 or its equivalent. 301, 302 offers the opportunity to increase sophistication of written and spoken German in a variety of contexts. Students work at writing professional letters, creative pieces, editorials, film reviews, etc. Media and popular culture provide insight into contemporary German life. Collaborative learning is encouraged; students read and edit each other's work.


GER-302 Advanced Stylistics, Composition, and Conversation.
Continuation of the work of German 201, 201. Designed for advanced work in language and intended for students who have successfully completed German 202 or its equivalent. 301, 302 offers the opportunity to increase sophistication of written and spoken German in a variety of contexts. Students work at writing professional letters, creative pieces, editorials, film reviews, etc. Media and popular culture provide insight into contemporary German life. Collaborative learning is encouraged; students read and edit each other's work.


GER-305 Germany Today
Study of the cultural, social, economic, and political developments in postwar German from 1949 to the present. Extensive use of critical/analytical readings, memoirs, literature, film, newspapers/magazines, and German television via satellite. Conducted in German, with additional language practice integrated into the course. Recommended as a bridge course between advanced German language and other 300-level courses.


GER-306 Introduction to German Cinema
This course introduces students to the history of German film from its origins in the late nineteenth century to the present. Study of basic film terminology and theory in order to create the vocabulary and conceptual frameworks necessary to discuss the films under consideration. This course explores the film cultures of the Weimar period, the Third Reich, the postwar era in East and West, and post-unification Germany in their respective social, political, and cultural contexts. Conducted in German, with additional language practice integrated into the course. Recommended as a bridge course between advanced German language and other 300-level courses.


GER-312 Cultural History from Hegel to Hitler
Examines issues in German cultural history from the Enlightenment through World War II. An endeavor in interdisciplinary cultural studies, this course examines social, political, philosophical, and artistic traditions for the two centuries under consideration. It engages a variety of documents: manifestos, literary and journalistic texts, paintings, films, scholarly articles, etc. It explores broader social and cultural trends, conflicts, and debates, many of which continue to shape Germany today. Conducted in German.


GER-325 German Lit Since 1945
Study of the literature of German-speaking countries from the end of World War II to the present. Course introduces students to authors and genres representing important literary currents and historical developments of the postwar era. Conducted in German. Individualized Study Guided reading or research under the supervision of a faculty member. Prerequisite: Permission of department.


GER-331 The Politics of Memory in German Media
A study of contemporary literary, filmic, and journalistic texts as well as monuments and architecture that represent the German history of the twentieth century. What is remembered? What is forgotten? Analysis aims to understand the processes that form cultural memory and national identity, and the tensions inherent in private memory and public commemoration. Conducted in German.


GER-333 German Intellectual History between Utopia and Catastrophe
This course is designed to familiarize students with intellectual traditions and formations such as German idealism, Marxism, anarchism, psychoanalysis, the Frankfurt School, environmentalism, etc. The main focus lies on how these traditions have informed and shaped larger cultural developments not only within Germany but across the globe. Conducted in German.


GER-335 Redefining German: Gender, Nation, Migration
Critical inquiry into changing notions of Germany, Germanness, and the German language. What does it mean to be German in the twenty-first century? Through close examination of literature, film, and other cultural texts, this course considers current topics such as citizenship, national pride, guest workers, religion, ethnicity, gender, and minority visibility. It addresses the pressing question of multiculturalism versus integration. Conducted in German.


GER-340 Topics Modern German Culture
Study of selected aspects of German cultural history, including authors, themes, genres, movements, etc., ranging from the eighteenth century to the present. One course in this category offered every year.


GER-340 Modernity and the Metropolis
Investigation of cities such as Berlin, Vienna, and Prague as sites of early twentieth-century cultural development and contestation that have shaped contemporary notions of urban space in today’s globalizing world. Taking the modern city as a point of departure, this seminar examines various media forms popularized within German-speaking metropolitan centers. Topics covered include avant-garde literary and artistic movements; coffeehouse culture; theater and cinema; the role of mass transportation; and shifting paradigms of gender, work, and economic class. Conducted in German.


GER-351 The German-Jewish Experience
Exploration of the history, literature, and culture of Jews in German-speaking lands. With a focus on topics including emancipation, acculturation, religion, race, women and gender, identity, anti-Semitism, and Zionism, this course also considers the impact of East European Jews and Yiddish on German culture. Texts examined range from memoirs and fiction to film, music, and art. Conducted in English; additional German component available for German majors and minors.



GER-400 Senior Seminar
Capstone course for German majors. Intensive study of selected aspects of German culture and civilization. Students begin working with instructor at the end of their Junior year to choose individual senior thesis topics. The course culminates in a written thesis and oral presentation of the thesis to a public assembly. Conducted in German.


GER-450 Individualized Study-Tutorial
Individualized tutorial counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F


GER-451 Individualized Study-Tutorial
Individualized tutorial counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U


GER-452 Individualized Study-Tutorial
Individualized tutorial not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F


GER-453 Individualized Study-Tutorial
Individualized tutorial not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U


GER-460 Individualized Study-Research
Individualized research counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F


GER-461 Individualized Study-Research
Individualized research counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U


GER-462 Individualized Study-Research
Individualized research not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F


GER-463 Individualized Study-Research
Individualized research not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor graded S/U


GER-470 Individualized Study-Internship
Internship counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F


GER-471 Individualized Study-Intern
Internship counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U


GER-472 Individualized Study-Internship
Internship not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F


GER-473 Individualized Study-Internship
Internship not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U


GER-474 Summer Internship
Summer Internship graded A-F, counting in the minimum requirements for a major or minor only with written permission filed in the Registrar's Office.


GER-475 Summer Internship
Summer Internship graded S/U, counting in the minimum requirements for a major or minor only with written permission filed in the Registrar's Office