Major & Minors
Students in the Department of German can pursue either a Major in German or one of the three minors: A Minor in German, a Minor in Business German, or a Minor in German Studies. In both, the major and the three minors, students will accomplish two broad goals: 1) Develop their language proficiency and gain linguistic confidence; and 2) Become familiar with issues and discourses pertinent to modern German literature, culture, cultural forms, and practices, history, and politics. Coursework may focus on the major periods and forms of German literature with emphasis on literary and historical analysis; on architecture, art, film, dance, music, and other forms of media broadly conceived; on German/European politics and history; on environmentalism, German philosophy, or political and cultural theory.
learning goals for the major and the three minors
In both, the major and the three minors, students will accomplish three broad goals:
GOAL ONE
Become familiar with issues and discourses pertinent to modern German literature, culture, history, and politics.
All courses in the German department are carefully scaffolded along a set of overarching learning goals that help students understand, compare, and interpret literary, cultural, and historical sources through textual analysis, careful reading, and spoken or written interactions. Specifically, our majors and minors learn to …
- … distinguish and compare sources based on cultural perspectives, biases, facts, and opinions and interpret them accordingly.
- … draw upon background knowledge in German politics, economics, and history, to make connections between the text and the real world.
- … investigate and observe, hypothesize, explain, critique, and reflect on different cultural practices and diverse perspectives.
- … make valid comparisons and connections between the target culture and their own so that they can identify, interpret, and understand similarities and differences.
GOAL TWO
Learn to recognize and embrace cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion
Germany's cultural wealth represents the language and culture of distinctly diverse regions and of people reflecting a long history of immigration. Through presentation and discussion of a variety of issues and views in our classes, the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the protection, preservation, and promotion of cultural diversity and successful coexistence through intercultural dialogue will become especially meaningful to our majors and minors.
GOAL THREE
Develop language proficiency and gain linguistic confidence
In our classes, linguistic and cultural tasks are carefully scaffolded to ensure that students’ language proficiency progresses appropriately.
Major
Majors in German generally reach Advanced Mid on the ACTFL Proficiency Scale (C1 on the CEFR Scale). A student at that proficiency level can understand and create complex paragraph-length organized texts. More precisely, such a student can be expected to …
- … understand the main message and supporting details on a wide variety of familiar and general interest topics across various time frames from complex, organized texts that are spoken or written.
- … maintain spontaneous spoken or written conversations and discussions stating facts, opinions, and advice across various time frames on familiar as well as unfamiliar, concrete topics, using a series of connected sentences and probing questions.
- … deliver detailed and organized texts on familiar as well as unfamiliar concrete topics, in paragraphs and using appropriate vocabulary and grammatical features as well as time frames through spoken or written language.
Minor in German and Minor in Business German
Minors in German will reach Advanced Low on the ACTFL Proficiency Scale (B2 on the CEFR Scale). A student at that proficiency level can understand and create simple paragraph-length texts. More precisely, such a student can be expected to …
- … comprehend the main ideas and information on written and spoken sources on familiar topics across a variety of time frames.
- … maintain spoken or written conversations and discussions on basic needs and simple transactions using a series of single as well as connected sentences and probing questions.
- … deliver basic paragraph-length texts on familiar and concrete topics, using basic vocabulary, basic sentence structures, and single and connected sentences through spoken or written language.
Minor in German Studies
The Minor in German Studies has a prerequisite of German 102-3 (third quarter of second-year German). At that point, students will have reached Intermediate Mid or Intermediate High on the ACTFL Proficiency Scale (A2/B1 on the CEFR Scale). Because no further German courses are required for the Minor in German Studies, the language proficiency is likely to remain at that level.
Only courses beyond 100-level German can count for the major or minor. The prerequisite for enrolling in any 200-level German course is the completion of the last quarter of Intermediate German (102-3) with a grade of C- or better - or the equivalent thereof - for example, achieving a score of "4" or better on the Advanced Placement German Language Examination; or receiving official exemption from 100-level courses based on the German Placement Exam.
NOTE:
- Majors and minors returning from a study abroad program in their junior year must enroll in at least one (1) 300-level course in the German Department.
- Students studying abroad in a German speaking country may apply to have their work count towards the German major or German minor. The department may accept up to eight courses in German for a full year abroad, up to four courses for a semester abroad if majoring in German (half of that if you are minoring), and up to two courses for a summer abroad.
If you have questions about majoring or minoring in German, would want to obtain permission for course substitutions or help with choosing appropriate courses, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
ASSESSMENT
INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENTS IN EACH CLASS
Our courses in the German program are carefully sequenced according to the ACTFL proficiency. The linguistic and cultural tasks are scaffolded to ensure that all students progress according to the learning goals outline for the program and for each course. Students in our courses will have multiple opportunities to demonstrate their linguistic and cultural proficiency through a variety of assessment methods in each class (quizzes, reading and speaking tasks, oral interviews, presentations, creative writing tasks such as dialogues, skits, and essays, presentations on a cultural theme, native speaker interviews, community outreach projects, informal learning opportunities).
AWARDS AND DEPARTMENTAL PRESENTATIONS
In addition to individual course assessments, majors and minors are encouraged but not required …
- to submit one of their written or creative class assignments to the Geza von Molnar Essay Contest for Undergraduate Students in the Department of German. Essays are judged by a group of faculty.
- to present their essay, research paper, honor thesis, or original creative work to German students and faculty at a special departmental meeting
STUDENT REFLECTIONS ON PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND STUDIES
All majors and minors are asked to write a short paragraph about themselves: why and when they began to study German, how specific courses at Northwestern and study abroad opportunities helped them improve proficiency, what German means to them and how they will use German in their future career plans. These paragraphs are published in the yearly departmental newsletter and distributed to faculty, students, and supporters of the Department of German. Majors and /or minors may also meet with the DUS for a short follow-up interview to get answers to the following questions:
- Which courses were particularly helpful in improving your linguistic and cultural proficiency as well as your cross-cultural understanding and why?
- Which informal learning opportunities were especially engaging and helpful to you and why?
- What could we have done better to engage you and improve your learning?