German Minor

A minor in German offers students the opportunity to pursue sustained work in German language, literature, philosophy, art, and media within the interdisciplinary framework of the German department. Open to students from all majors, the minor supports diverse academic goals, from refining language skills to exploring German cultural and intellectual traditions. It complements students’ work in their major field by expanding their linguistic and methodological horizons and helping them develop critical perspectives on their primary field of study.

The program’s flexible requirements encourage learners to tailor their coursework to their intellectual interests. Students pursuing a minor develop strong proficiency in written and spoken German while exploring how language shapes perception, knowledge, and cultural difference. Through the study of German literature, philosophy, history, and media theory, they gain insight into a major intellectual tradition and acquire analytical tools to examine focal issues of intellectual debate—including evolving media landscapes, intersections of art and politics, the legacies of fascism, migration, performance studies, environmental policy, and gender politics.

Advanced seminars in the department foster critical thinking, close reading, and the exploration of the historical and philosophical dimensions of modern culture. By strengthening multilingual communication, cultural and media literacy, and creative engagement with intellectual questions, the German minor prepares students to navigate an increasingly interconnected world while formally recognizing their achievements and expertise in the field.

Admission to the German minor requires advanced proficiency in German as demonstrated by the completion of GER 107 or one of the following equivalents:

• A score of 5 on the German AP exam, or

• A satisfactory result on the German Department’s language placement exam, administered before the beginning of each semester.

The German minor is open to undergraduate students majoring in any other department. While students are encouraged to declare in their sophomore year to take advantage of departmental guidance and to enjoy the widest possible range of course options, they may declare a minor any time before the end of their junior spring semester. After that point, admission requires approval from the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) and the student’s residential college dean, who will advise on completing the requirements within the available timeframe.

The German minor consists of GER 107 (the final course in the language sequence) and four additional GER courses at or above the 200-level. At least two of these four courses must be at the 300 level or above, and at least two must be conducted in German, including one at the 300 level or above. Students who reach the equivalent of GER 107 through a placement test must take an additional GER course in its place. Students may use one elected P/D/F course toward the minor. Students pursuing the minor are welcome to enroll in the Junior Seminar but are not required to do so. There is no independent work component. After consultation with and approval by DUS in all relevant programs, students may count up to two courses toward the minor that also fulfill requirements for their major. While courses with a GER cross-listing may count toward the minor, no cognates may be counted. With prior approval of the DUS, courses taken at German-language universities during Study Abroad semesters may also be counted.