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German Studies Major | German Studies Minor

General Distribution Requirement

All courses in the German Studies department count toward the general distribution requirement in humanities, except for elementary and intermediate language courses.

General Education Requirements

Courses that meet the general education requirements in writing, quantitative thinking, internationalism and U.S identities and differencesÌýwill be posted on the Registrar's web page in advance of registration for each semester.

Additional information regarding the general distribution requirement and the general education requirements can be found in the graduation requirementsÌýsection of this catalog.

Policy on German Language Grades

In order to be accepted into the next higher German language course in the sequence, a student must have received a grade of C- or higher in the previous course. For additional information regarding the language requirement, see the college requirements.

Honors Program

The German Studies department participates in the honors program. Eligibility requirements, application procedures and specific project expectations for the department are available from either the department office or the Academic Programs and Advising Office.

Topics Courses

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Recent courses: Existentialism; Modernism/Postmodernism; Exile Literature; Literary Case Studies from Goethe to Kafka, Movies of the Third Reich, Film Theory: From Goebbels to Hollywood, and Critical Theory. Many of these courses fulfill the critical theory requirement. May be taught in English or in German. Offered every year. To be announced at registration. (4 credits)

Independent Study

The department offers independent study options in the form of tutorials, independent projects, internships, preceptorships and Honors independent projects. For more information contact the department and review the CurriculumÌýsection of the catalog.

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German Studies Major

Major Requirements

Students earn a major by choosing from among several tracks, listed below. Students should work closely with an advisor in German Studies to choose a track and list of courses that match their interests and goals. All tracks require 40-credits (typically 10-courses) above , to include:

1. Participation in the Macalester German Studies study abroad program or in another approved, semester-long study abroad program entailing at least 12-credits in German Studies courses taught in German above fourth-semester German;
2. Completion of a capstone project in .

All majors participate in the Senior Seminar (taught in German), where they also write their capstone projects. The capstone project is written in German, includes a significant research component, and is typically 20 pages long. It may contain elements other than those of a formal academic paper, such as a film, a performance, a translation, an exhibit, or some other creative project. The seminar concludes with a public event, open to the faculty of the department and all students, in which the participants offer brief presentations of their capstones. The senior seminar is open to all qualified students, including minors and other non-majors.

Students graduating in December are expected to take the senior seminar in their junior year. If a student is unable to attend the senior seminar during their junior year due to participation in a study abroad program, they may, with permission of the chair, complete their capstone in their final semester by enrolling in a 36x course and making arrangements with the instructor to complete a capstone project that relates to the topic of the course.

German Major Tracks

The German major tracks are designed for students to focus in an area of interest. Click on the interested track to get a list of required/suggested courses to fulfill the major requirement in that track:

Language and Culture

Art History

Critical Theory

Environmental Humanities

Film, Media, and Theater

History

Literature

Student Designed

Language and Culture

A major with an emphasis in language and culture offers in-depth training in the core areas of German Studies. Students completing this track typically attain the highest level of proficiency in German language. Up to two of the 10-courses required for the major may be taken in English. Students are required to complete:

1. or
   

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement.

2. Study Away
4. Additional courses above with substantial German content as needed to complete a total of 40-credits of coursework. These courses may be chosen either from among the department's own course offerings or in another relevant field, provided they form a coherent plan of study designed in consultation with the student's departmental advisor. Up to eight of the 40-credits required for the major may be acquired in courses conducted in English. Possible courses include any of the following, as well as other courses approved by the departmental advisor:

• ​
• Other courses by approval of students' departmental advisor

Art History

A major with an emphasis in art history offers students the opportunity to pursue their study of German while concentrating on the study of art history. Up to four of the 10 courses required for the major may be taken in English. Students are required to complete:

1. or
   

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement.

2. Study Abroad
4. A coherent set of four courses with an emphasis on art history, to be chosen in consultation with the student's departmental advisor. These will typically be taught in English, though courses taught in German (e.g. on study abroad) are also eligible. Not more than one of these may be taken at the 100-level. Possible courses include any of the following, as well as other courses approved by the departmental advisor:

• Where appropriate:

5. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40 credits above , to include at least 6 courses (24 credits) taught in German, such as:

Critical Theory

A major with an emphasis in critical theory offers students the opportunity to pursue their study of German while concentrating on critical theory. Up to four of the required 10 courses for the major may be taken in English. Students are required to complete:

1. or
   

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement.

2. Study Abroad
4. A coherent set of four courses in critical theory, to be chosen from among the department's own relevant course offerings or in another field in consultation with the student's departmental advisor. These courses may be taken in English or in German. Not more than one may be taken at the 100-level. Possible courses include any of the following, as well as other courses approved by the departmental advisor:

• (in English or German)
• Where appropriate:
• Courses in the Critical Theory concentration, no more than two of which may be "electives"

5. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40 credits above , to include at least 6 courses (24 credits) taught in German, such as:

Environmental Humanities

A major with an emphasis in environmental humanities offers students the opportunity to pursue their study of German while concentrating on critical theory. Up to four of the required 10 courses for the major may be taken in English. Students are required to complete:

1. or

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement.

2. Study Abroad
4. A coherent set of four courses with an emphasis on environmental humanities issues, to be chosen from among the department's own relevant course offerings or in another field in consultation with the student's departmental advisor. These courses may be taken in English or in German. Not more than one may be taken at the 100-level. Elibigle courses include:

• Where appropriate:

5. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40 credits above , to include at least 6 courses (24 credits) taught in German.

Film, Media, and Theater

A major with this emphasis offers students the opportunity to pursue their study of German while developing their knowledge of the theory and history of film, media, and/or theater. Up to four of the required 10 courses may be taken in English. Students are required to complete:

1. or
   

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement. ​

2. Study Abroad
4. A coherent set of four courses with an emphasis on film, media, and/or theater, to be chosen from among the department's own relevant course offerings or in another field in consultation with the student's departmental advisor. These courses may be taken in English or in German. Not more than one may be taken at the 100-level. Possible courses include any of the following, as well as other courses approved by the departmental advisor:

• (in English or German)
• Macalester Study Abroad - Theater Alive
• Appropriate film courses taught by other departments of language, literature, and culture

5. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40 credits above , to include at least 6 courses (24 credits) taught in German, such as:

History

A major with an emphasis in history offers students the opportunity to pursue their study of German while concentrating on the study of history. Up to four of the required ten courses for the major may be taken in English. Students are required to complete:

1. or
   

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement.

2. Study Abroad
4. A coherent set of four courses with an emphasis on history, to be chosen from among the department's own relevant course offerings or in another field in consultation with the student's departmental advisor. These courses may be taken in English or in German. Not more than one may be taken at the 100-level. Courses must include:

i. At least two, and up to four courses involving study of the German-speaking lands and/or Europe. Possible courses include any of the following, as well as other courses approved by the departmental advisor:

• (in English or German-if topic offers some historical account of Germany)
• (when including research of former German colonies)

ii. Up to two courses involving issues in global or transnational history or the study of historical methodology. Eligible courses include:

5. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40 credits above , to include at least 6 courses (24 credits) taught in German, such as:

Literature

A major with an emphasis in literature allows students to pursue their study of German with a focus on the theory and history of literature, both in the German-speaking countries and globally. A maximum of four of the ten courses required for the major may be taught in English. Courses must include:

1. or
   

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement.

2. Study Abroad
4. A coherent set of at least four courses with an emphasis on the history and/or theory of literature, to be chosen from among the department's own relevant course offerings or in another field in consultation with the student's departmental advisor. These courses may be taken in any language. Not more than one may be taken at the 100-level. Possible courses include any of the following, as well as other courses approved by the departmental advisor:

• Where applicable:
• Where applicable
• Courses in literature offered in the departments of Asian Studies, Classical Meiterranean and the Middle East, English, French and Francophone Studies, International Studies, Spanish and Portuguese, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

5. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40 credits above , to include at least 6 courses (24 credits) taught in German

Student Designed

A major with a student designed track allows students to pursue their study of German with a focus on a cognate field such as environmental studies, music, linguistics, international studies, religious studies, political science, or sociology. Students interested in this track should consult with their departmental advisor and the department chair. They must submit a proposal subject to approval by the department. At least six of the ten courses required for the major must be conducted in German. Courses must include:

1. or
   

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement.

2. Study Abroad
4. A coherent set of four courses with a clearly defined emphasis, to be chosen from among the department's own relevant course offerings or in another field in consultation with the student's departmental advisor. These courses may be taken in any language. Not more than one may be taken at the 100-level.
5. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40-credits above , to include at least 6-courses (24-credits) taught in German, such as

German Studies Minor

Minor Requirements

A minor in German Studies consists of five courses in the department beyond . They must include at least one course numbered or above, and no more than one course may be taught in English. Alternatively, successful completion of the Macalester German Study Abroad Program, and at least one more course in the department beyond , would also constitute a minor.