German (GERM)
German Undergraduate Courses
GERM 1010 LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN US MEDIA (3 credits)
The course analyzes the intersection between languages and reality, i.e., how the coexistence of languages informs our daily experience, self-perception, and perception of others. We will explore the many assumptions and beliefs about the value of different languages and variants within them, and that of their speakers. We will look at examples of how linguistic groups in the US represent themselves and show the complexity and richness of their culture through visual and audio representations of language, through a variety of media-social media, film, music, and written narratives-while investigating when and how linguistic communities have formed and disappeared in the United States and their cultures of origin, thus placing U.S. linguistic diversity in a global context. (Cross-listed with WLL 1000, FREN 1010, JAPN 1020, SPAN 1010).
Distribution: MavEd Cultural Knowledge and U.S. Diversity General Education course and Humanities and Fine Arts General Education course
GERM 1110 ELEMENTARY GERMAN I (5 credits)
Elementary German I emphasizes the mastery of all four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) and introduces cultural issues from the German-speaking world.
Distribution: MavEd Humanities and Global Diversity General Education course and Humanities and Fine Arts General Education course and MavEd Cultural Knowledge
GERM 1120 ELEMENTARY GERMAN II (5 credits)
German 1120 is the second course in the 16-hour Arts and Sciences Foreign Language requirement. It is communicative in approach and emphasizes the mastery of all language skills including speaking, listening, reading, and writing. It also includes a cultural component.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 1110 with a grade of C- or better, or placement by department diagnostic exam. Department permission is needed for transfer credit.
GERM 1210 GERMAN FOR BEGINNERS I (3 credits)
German 1210 helps you prepare for the moments when Google Translate fails and your German-speaking friend is talking way too fast! In this course, you will learn to handle real-life situations - such as ordering schnitzel, talking about your hobbies, or learning how Oktoberfest originated and how it is celebrated today. Because life does not come with subtitles, we will focus on building all language skills, including speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills so you can confidently dive into speaking German. Get ready to mispronounce words, laugh at yourself, and walk away knowing a whole lot more than just "Gesundheit."
Distribution: Global Diversity General Education course and Humanities and Fine Arts General Education course and MavEd Cultural Knowledge and MavEd Humanities
GERM 1220 GERMAN FOR BEGINNERS II (3 credits)
German 1220 builds on foundational communication skills introduced in German 1210, emphasizing the continued development of speaking, listening, reading, and writing through a communicative, real-world approach. Students will engage with everyday situations and cultural contexts where German is spoken, learning how to interact effectively when Google Translate falls short and conversations move quickly. With a focus on authentic communication, students will practice expressing opinions, narrating events, making requests, and navigating both formal and informal interactions. Life doesn't come with subtitles - so in this course, students will strengthen their confidence and fluency through meaningful use of language in diverse settings across the German-speaking world.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 1210 or placement
GERM 2110 INTERMEDIATE GERMAN I (3 credits)
German 2110 is the third course in the 16-hour Arts and Sciences Foreign Language requirement. It is communicative in approach and emphasizes the mastery of all language skills including speaking, listening, reading, and writing. It also includes a cultural component.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 1120 with a grade of C- or better, or placement by department diagnostic exam. Department permission is needed for transfer credit.
GERM 2120 INTERMEDIATE GERMAN II (3 credits)
German 2120 is the fourth course in the 16-hour Arts and Sciences Foreign Language requirement. It is communicative in approach and emphasizes the mastery of all language skills including speaking, listening, reading, and writing. It includes a culture component.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 2110 with a grade of C- or better, or placement by department diagnostic exam. Department permission is needed for transfer credit.
GERM 2210 GERMAN FOR INTERMEDIATE LEARNERS I (3 credits)
This third-semester course is designed for students who have completed German 1220 or possess equivalent proficiency. Building on prior knowledge, the course deepens students' ability to communicate with greater accuracy, flexibility, and cultural awareness. Through real-world tasks and immersive experiences, students will refine their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills while exploring contemporary issues, everyday interactions, and diverse perspectives from across the German-speaking world. Emphasis is placed on authentic language use, intercultural competence, and confident participation in dynamic social exchanges.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 1220 or placement
GERM 2220 GERMAN FOR INTERMEDIATE LEARNERS II (3 credits)
This fourth-semester course continues to build students' communicative abilities in German through meaningful engagement with real-world situations and diverse cultural contexts. Learners will narrate past events, express opinions, propose solutions, and handle social interactions with increased accuracy and flexibility. As students explore authentic materials and cultural topics from across the German-speaking world, they will expand their vocabulary, refine their grammatical control, and develop a stronger sense of intercultural competence. German 2220 prepares students to interact more independently and effectively in German, both in and beyond the classroom.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 2210 or placement
GERM 2240 GERMAN IN ACTION: BEYOND THE TEXTBOOK (3 credits)
This course is designed to strengthen students' spoken fluency, listening comprehension, and cultural competence through immersive, real-world communication in German. With a focus on oral input and output, students engage with authentic materials such as podcasts, music, and virtual exchanges to develop confidence and flexibility in language use. German in Action serves as a bridge to upper-level German courses, helping students refine their interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication skills in preparation for advanced study in literature, linguistics, and culture.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 1120 or GERM 1220 or placement or advisor permission
GERM 3030 GERMAN CONVERSATION (3 credits)
This course focuses on improving students' oral production of German including improvements to pronunciation, fluidity, and vocabulary.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 2120 or placement by Department of Foreign Languages diagnostic examination, or permission from instructor.
GERM 3040 GERMAN GRAMMAR (3 credits)
The course will review previously studied grammar topics in the German language, as well as cover more advanced grammar points that are essential for expressing complex ideas. It will focus on writing strategies for writing in a foreign language, for developing a descriptive essay and a narrative.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 2120, placement by Department of Foreign Languages diagnostic examination, or departmental permission.
GERM 3060 READINGS IN GERMAN (3 credits)
This course aims to increase students' fluency in reading German and to develop comprehension skills that will help them in advanced language studies. The course will also enrich students' vocabulary through the use of primary sources.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 2120; Not open to non-degree graduate students.
GERM 3190 LISTENING COMPREHENSION (3 credits)
Students will strengthen their listening comprehension skills in a wide variety of genres.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 2120 or placement into the 3000-level in German or permission from the instructor
GERM 3250 CONTEMPORARY CULTURE IN GERMAN SPEAKING COUNTRIES (3 credits)
In this course students will learn about the political, social, economic, and aesthetic life in German-speaking countries.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 2120 with a grade of C- or better, placement by department diagnostic exam, or instructor permission. Department permission is needed for transfer credit.
GERM 3370 GERMAN HISTORY FROM THE BEGINNINGS UNTIL THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD (3 credits)
This course covers history, art, architecture, customs, and philosophy of central Europe and the German-speaking world from prehistory until the early 18th century.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 2120 or permission.
GERM 3380 GERMAN HISTORY FROM THE ENLIGHTENMENT TO THE PRESENT (3 credits)
This course will cover the history, art, architecture, customs, and philosophy of central Europe and the German-speaking world from the Enlightenment until the present.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 2120 or permission.
GERM 3580 GERMAN FOR PROFESSIONAL LIFE (3 credits)
This course focuses upon the development of German language skills and concomitant cultural awareness that can be utilized to conduct oneself appropriately in professional situations in German-speaking countries.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 2120 or the equivalent.
GERM 3650 INTRODUCTION TO GERMAN FILM (3 credits)
This course introduces students to seminal works in the history of German film.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 2120 or by permission.
GERM 4040 ADVANCED COMPOSITION AND STYLISTICS (3 credits)
In this capstone course, required for the completion of the major, learners will explore and practice advanced grammatical structures, write compositions in a variety of genres, and familiarize themselves with advanced stylistics.
Prerequisite(s): Last two semesters of the major or permission of the department. Not open to non-degree graduate students.
Distribution: Writing in the Discipline Single Course
GERM 4150 INTRODUCTION TO GERMAN LITERATURE (3 credits)
Introduction to the history of literature of Germany, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland. Students will read selections from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 3060 or instructor permission.
GERM 4160 BLACK GERMANY: PEOPLE AND CULTURE (3 credits)
The course addresses fiction, film, photography, music and journalism to dive into Black people's contribution to German culture. From the formation of a Black community in imperial Germany, to the African American GI's role in postwar democratization process, the artistic output of so-called "occupation babies" born in the wake of WWII, to contemporary artists who continue to expand and refine German culture. The African Diaspora in Germany is a rich field to expand our notion of global connectedness and cultural identity, while taking a deep dive into contemporary German culture and social developments. (Cross-listed with GERM 8166).
GERM 4210 TRANSLATING GERMAN (3 credits)
Students learn basic translation theory and techniques from the German to the English language.
GERM 4900 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3 credits)
This is a course in which an individual student or a small group of students complete specially planned readings in a well-defined field of study, carried out under the supervision of a member of the foreign language faculty. Designed primarily for the student who has need of work not currently available in the departmental offerings and who has demonstrated capability of working independently. May be repeated for credit once.
Prerequisite(s): GERM 2120 or placement by Department of Foreign Languages diagnostic examination, or permission from instructor.
GERM 4950 PRO-SEMINAR: LITERATURE AND/OR FILM (3 credits)
This course is dedicated to the study of a narrow field of the literature and/or cinema of the German-speaking world. (Cross-listed with GERM 8956).
GERM 4960 PRO-SEMINAR: SOCIETY AND CULTURE (3 credits)
This course will address a narrow field of study of the civilization, history, film, contemporary culture, art, politics, and/or cultural studies of the German-speaking world. (Cross-listed with GERM 8966).
GERM 4970 PRO-SEMINAR: LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE FOR THE PROFESSIONS (3 credits)
This course will address a narrow field of study of linguistics, translation/interpretation or the professional language of the German-speaking world. (Cross-listed with GERM 8976).