German Studies

Requirements for Major

Prerequisites for declaration of the German Studies major are completion of or exemption from GERM 2020.

Requirements: students must complete 30 credits (usually 10 courses) beyond GERM 2020; 5 courses must have German as the language of instruction, three of which must be: GERM 3000 (Grammar in use), GERM 3010 (Texts and Interpretations), and either GERM 3110 or 3120 (Surveys of German Literature) or an approved substitution. Students may be exempted from GERM 3000 based on their scores on the German Placement Exam. Additionally, German Studies majors will devise in consultation with their German Department advisor and, where necessary, an advisor from outside the German Department an individualized program that includes two relevant courses in a specific area of concentration (e.g. history, philosophy, politics, or art history) and three additional courses from departmental offerings (GETR or GERM) or from approved courses offered by the Departments of History, Media Studies, Drama, Art History, Philosophy, Politics, Sociology Music, Religious Studies, Anthropology, and the School of Architecture. It is strongly recommended that all students take GETR 3330 (Introduction to German Studies) and at least one course in modern German history. Up to 12 credits may be transferred from other institutions (prior approval required).

Distinguished Majors Program in German Studies

Distinguished Majors Program in German Studies: This program is available to German Studies majors presenting an overall GPA of 3.400 and a letter of recommendation from a member of the German Studies faculty. The DMP consists of a minimum of one relevant 4000-level course, a relevant graduate course (5000-level) in the student’s disciplinary concentration or, where applicable, the German Department, GERM 4990 (Honors Thesis) or GERM 4995 (Honors Research and Thesis), in addition to the requirements for the German Studies major. Students may elect a full-year program (GERM 4995) or semester program (GERM 4990) in their fourth year. In either case, an honors thesis of approximately 25 pages (one semester program) or 40 pages (full-year program) is to be submitted by April 25.

Requirements for Minor

Six courses or 18 semester hours in German at the 3000-level or above, including GERM 3000 and 3010. One GETR/YITR course and one independent study may be counted toward the minor. Up to 9 credits may be transferred from other institutions in the USA or abroad (prior approval required).

High School Teaching in German

For students interested in pursuing a high school teaching career, there are two options in conjunction with the Curry School of Education: a five-year program, in which the student may earn two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Teaching, and a 15-month program, the post-baccalaureate Master of Teaching. For more information, contact the Curry School of Education, or Manuala Achilles (ma6cq@virginia.edu), German Department.

GERM 1110 and 1120

These two courses are for beginners. All students with any previous background in German who have not taken the SAT II Subject Test or the Advanced Placement test must take the German placement test if planning to take German at any time in their college career. This test is administered during summer and fall orientation only. The sequence of courses is GERM 1010, 1020, 2010, 2020. Once a student has placed in the required course sequence, she or he must complete each successive course with a passing grade. A student may not skip, for example, from GERM 1020 to GERM 2020. Students may not take more than one course in the sequence at a time. Those who place higher than course 2020 in a language and have successfully taken an advanced placement examination in that language are relieved of the foreign language requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

Additional Information

For more information, contact the Director of Undergraduate Programs, Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures, P.O. Box 400125, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4125; (434) 924-3530; www.virginia.edu/german.