GERM - German

GERM 101 - Elementary German I

Fundamentals of spoken and written language. Development of reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. An introduction to the culture of Germany and German-speaking countries. Class/laboratory. Language level and subsequent course placement will be determined by the Department of Languages & Literary Studies.

GERM 102 - Elementary German II

Fundamentals of spoken and written language. Development of reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. An introduction to the culture of Germany and German-speaking countries. Class/laboratory. Language level and subsequent course placement will be determined by the Department of Languages & Literary Studies. [H]

Prerequisite
GERM 101 or equivalent proficiency

GERM 108 - Independent Study Project in Beginning and Intermediate German

The course provides students, who take German at Jacobs University Bremen during the spring semester, with the opportunity to fulfill the German language sequence on either the beginning (GERM 102) or the intermediate level (GERM 110 or GERM 112) by completing an independent study project that has to be approved by the German instructor prior to departure. While abroad, students work under close guidance of the instructor and meet regularly using online communication media. At the end of the semester, students submit their final project for assessment by the German instructor. 0.50 credit course. [H]

Prerequisite
Permission of the German instructor and the Department Head prior to departure

GERM 111 - Intermediate German I

Review of fundamental principles of grammar and syntax and expansion of vocabulary with short literary and cultural readings. Attention to improving reading, sharpening conversational skills, and developing a deeper understanding of the culture of Germany and other German-speaking countries. Class/laboratory. Language level and subsequent course placement will be determined by the Department of Languages & Literary Studies. [H]

Prerequisite
GERM 102 or equivalent proficiency

GERM 112 - Intermediate German II

Review of fundamental principles of grammar and syntax and expansion of vocabulary with short literary and cultural readings. Attention to improving reading, sharpening conversational skills, and developing a deeper understanding of the culture of Germany and other German-speaking countries. Class/laboratory. Language level and subsequent course placement will be determined by the Department of Languages & Literary Studies. [GM2, H]

Prerequisite
GERM 111 or equivalent proficiency

GERM 201 - Advanced German

This course is designed for students who have advanced German proficiency. Intensive review and practice of fundamental principles of grammar and syntax, and the expansion of vocabulary with a variety of cultural texts. Attention to improving reading, sharpening conversational skills, and developing a deeper understanding of major historical and contemporary aspects of German civilization and the culture of German-speaking countries. [H, GM2]

Prerequisite
GERM 112 or equivalent proficiency

GERM 202 - Advanced German

This course is designed for students who have advanced German proficiency. Intensive review and practice of fundamental principles of grammar and syntax, and the expansion of vocabulary with a variety of cultural texts. Attention to improving reading, sharpening conversational skills, and developing a deeper understanding of major historical and contemporary aspects of German civilization and the culture of German-speaking countries. [H, GM2]

Prerequisite
GERM 112 or equivalent proficiency

GERM 211 - Advanced German

Students will expand and deepen their cultural literacy and interpretive skills by exploring issues of social, cultural, and political significance in German-speaking countries. Through focusing on a variety of textual materials on such topics as identity and multiculturalism, migration and immigration, matters of social justice for women and minorities in modern and contemporary Germany, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland, students will expand their skills in understanding and using the German language in a broad variety of cultural contexts. Students will receive advanced training of the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). Language level and subsequent course placement will be determined by the Department of Languages & Literary Studies. [H]

Prerequisite
GERM 112 or equivalent proficiency

GERM 212 - Vienna and Berlin in Architecture, Literature, and Film

This course focuses on Vienna and Berlin during the 20th century, and how the past shaped the present. Texts and films present the cities' fascinating art and architecture that reflect the cities' histories and help deepen our understanding of such topics as women's rights and the emergence of the ''new'' woman, anti-Semitism and the rise of National Socialism, forced migration, the reemergence of Austria as a neutral nation, coming to terms with the Nazi past, the second feminist movement, and challenges for today's Berlin and Vienna as world-class cities. [GM1]

Prerequisite
GERM 211 or equivalent

GERM 225 - Business German

This course is designed for students who already have a firm grasp of German language skills (e.g., based on at least four years of high school instruction). Focus on business culture, terminology, and vocabulary, and information about Germany today and other German-speaking countries and their place in both the European and the world markets. Readings of business-related texts and oral presentations. [H]

Prerequisite
GERM 112 or equivalent proficiency

GERM 311 - German and Austrian Identities as Reflected in Contemporary Media

This course studies texts from newspapers, magazines, and the Internet, and critically views newsreels and video documentaries. Focus on contemporary issues and sociopolitical developments in Germany and German-speaking countries. Emphasis on everyday conversational and idiomatic German. [GM1, H]

GERM 312 - Exploring German America

This course critically examines diverse readings in German poetry, prose, and drama of the previous two centuries with a focus on critical analysis of contextual meaning and the structure of literary texts. Introduction to literary terminology and techniques of interpretation. Literature as a reflection of Zeitgeist (social taste or the characteristic spirit of the times) that gave form to the cultural outlook of an epoch or generation). [GM1, H]

GERM 322 - German Literature and Culture after 1750

This course chronologically traces the development of forms of artistic expression in German literature, respectively within each new historical, cultural, and sociopolitical framework. Representative readings from the Classical Era of the late eighteenth century to the present. Emphasis on characteristics and trends of major literary movements. Introduction to notable modes of artistic expression such as Classicism, Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism, Impressionism, Expressionism, and Modernism. [GM2, H]

GERM 423 - German Literature and Culture in the Age of Imperialism

Highlights characteristics of social perceptions as reflected in literary movements. Analysis and interpretation of literature as a medium for critiquing historical and social developments. Literary responses to political absolutism through the growth of liberalism and nationalism. Social forces reflected in literature from the Age of Enlightenment through Storm and Stress, Classicism, Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism. [GM2, H, W]

Prerequisite
Completion of at least one 300-level course

GERM 424 - From Modernism to Postmodernism and Beyond: Literature and Film of the German-Speaking World in the Twentieth Century

This course provides a comprehensive overview of poetry, prose, and drama of the twentieth century. Focus is on matters of literary style, as well as major social, political, and cultural movements that influenced and shaped literary and artistic expression from the turn of the century to the present. [GM2, H, W]

Prerequisite
Completion of at least one 300-level course

GERM 431 - Literature and Film as a Mirror of Socio-Historical Issues in the Contemporary German-Speaking World

This course analyzes literature after 1945, first and foremost the short story as a reflection of the forces of social change in Germany and other German-speaking countries. Emphasis is on the relationship of artistic expression and history, social issues, political conviction, and personal experience. Focus is on techniques for interpretation of literature. [GM2, H, W]

Prerequisite
Completion of at least one 300-level course

GERM 441 - Junior/Senior Seminar

This content-driven course focuses on investigations of an influential literary or intellectual movement or trend, an individual author or the study of a genre, a literary masterpiece, or a significant theme in German literature. [H, W]

Prerequisite
Completion of at least one 300-level course

GERM 460 - Reading and Research in German

This course provides qualified students with the opportunity to investigate an area of special interest. Students work on their projects independently under the guidance of their mentor and submit a research paper and/or a substantial oral presentation. Hours arranged.

Prerequisite
Permission of the research instructor

GERM 495-496 - Thesis in German

Tutorial sessions related to an investigation of the specific area chosen by the student for an honors essay. Hours arranged. [One W credit only upon completion of both 495 and 496]

Prerequisite
Open to majors who are candidates for departmental honors. Permission of the research instructor.