Requirements for a Major or Minor in German


– also see Education
– also see Global Studies
– also see International Business

Programs offered
• Major in German (32 credits)
• Minor in German (20 credits)
• Major in International Business with a minor in German (also see international business) (20 credits in German)
• Major in German Education (32 credits plus 36 credits in education)
• World Languages add-on endorsement for Elementary Education majors (see education) (24 credits)

Faculty
Jonathan P. Clark, chair
Madelyn C. Burchill
Stephen A. Grollman (chair, fall 2012)

The German program is a part of the department of Chinese, German and Norwegian and has as its mission “recognizing and affirming global awareness through the study of the language and cultures of the German-speaking world.” Through coursework and a unique set of on-campus and overseas programs, students achieve high proficiency levels in the German language and attain a high degree of cultural awareness of the German-speaking world. The German program prepares students for further study in graduate school and for professional opportunities in many fields, including international business and economics, law, teaching in grades K-8 or K-12, and jobs that require effective communication, critical thinking skills and knowledge of another culture and language. Taken individually or in conjunction with other majors, studies in German will give students a leading edge in a global society and in any professional pursuit.

The German program offers a number of specialized programs both on campus and in Germany. International programs include the Wittenberg Summer Study program, the Jena Study Abroad program, the Federation of German-American Clubs Scholarship, and the International Business program in Germany, which includes a 12-week internship with a German firm and a semester study at the Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität in Mainz or at the Leibniz Universität Hannover. The German program also offers May Seminars and Exploration Seminars on a regular basis. See course and program descriptions below and consult with the department chair for details.

The German program also offers a variety of on-campus opportunities for all students interested in German. These include Deutsches Haus, a German language residence; study and work opportunities during the summer or school year at Waldsee, the Concordia German Language Village; and teaching German in area elementary schools. Delta Phi Alpha, the National German Honor Society, has an active chapter that recognizes academic excellence and promotes the study of German language, culture and society. The German Club celebrates German culture and language in a non-classroom environment. All students of German are encouraged to participate in these programs, and the German faculty works with each student to afford them the greatest opportunities.

Honors in German
The German Honors Program is designed to allow exceptional students to develop their interests in German on an advanced level, and to work on an individual basis with a member of the German faculty. Students in the program are expected to demonstrate academic maturity, active enthusiasm in the field of German, independent research ability, and a heightened cultural understanding of the German-speaking world. Successful participants will be recognized as German honors graduates at the Honors Convocation and it will be noted on the transcript.

Criteria. German majors who meet the following criteria are invited to submit an application for acceptance into the German Honors Program:
1. Completion of GER 311, 320 and two courses from 321, 322 and 323 with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in those courses
2. An overall GPA of 3.5 or higher
3. An applicant must complete two full courses at the 400-level or one course at the 400-level plus another full course on an approved topic overseas

Recognized Honors Projects
1. A successful internship abroad
2. Award through an independent agency, e.g. Fulbright, DAAD, Kongress-Bundestag
3. Presentation of an approved project at a recognized regional, national or international conference
4. Research paper 10-15 pages in length, nature and scope of which will be determined in collaboration with a faculty member

Application Procedure
Application for acceptance into the German Honors Program must be submitted to the program chair no later than the midsemester break in the first semester of the senior year. Forms are available in the department office. The applicant will be asked to write a short essay in German outlining the proposed honors project.

Any deviation from these criteria must be successfully petitioned in writing to the German faculty.

The German program provides learning experiences that prepare students to achieve the following outcomes:
• develop communication skills in the German language
• gain knowledge and understanding of German-speaking cultures
• make connections with other disciplines
• develop comparisons based on insight into the nature of the language and culture
• participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world

Liberal Arts Core Distribution World Languages Requirement
Students may satisfy this requirement by either option A or B:
A. Successful completion of GER 112 – Introduction to the German-Speaking World II, 4 credits, or a higher numbered course. All students who have studied German prior to coming to Concordia are expected to take a computerized placement test in German to determine which course level is the most appropriate for each individual’s ability. If the transcript shows that the student has not previously studied German, the student is not required to take the placement exam and qualifies to enroll in GER 111 – Introduction to the German-Speaking World I, 4 credits.

B. Achieving successful scores on the oral proficiency interview and a timed essay, which demonstrate that the student has mastered the content and scope of the GER 111-112 – Introduction to the German-Speaking World sequence. Students are eligible to take this proficiency exam by placing beyond GER 112 on the computerized placement exam in German.

Major in German
The requirements for a major in German are 32 credits:
• GER 211 – Intermediate German I: Culture and Society through the Media,
4 credits
• GER 212 – Intermediate German II: Culture through Literature, 4 credits
• GER 311 – Advanced Composition and Style, 4 credits
• GER 320 – German Cultural History in Overview, 4 credits
• 4 credits from the following courses:
– GER 321 – The Fine Arts in German Cultural History, 2 credits
– GER 322 – Politics, Economics and Social Structure, 2 credits
– GER 323 – Literature and Society, 2 credits
• 12 additional upper-division credits, at least eight of which must be at the 400 level

Minor in German
The requirements for a minor in German are 20 credits:
• GER 211 – Intermediate German I: Culture and Society through the Media,
4 credits
• GER 212 – Intermediate German II: Culture Through Literature, 4 credits
• GER 311 – Advanced Composition and Style, 4 credits
• GER 320 – German Cultural History in Overview, 4 credits
• 4 additional upper-division credits

Major in International Business
with a Minor in German
The business requirements for a major in international business with a minor in German are listed in the international business pages of the catalog. A minor in German may be completed as described above. However, in order to participate in the international business program in Germany, students must complete the minor by taking the following courses:
• GER 211 – Intermediate German I: Culture and Society through the Media,
4 credits
• GER 212 – Intermediate German II: Culture Through Literature, 4 credits
• GER 311 – Advanced Composition and Style, 4 credits
• GER 314 – German in the Business World, 4 credits
• GER 320 – German Cultural History in Overview, 4 credits
• GER 390 – a three-month internship in Germany through Cooperative Education, 4 credits
• A semester at the Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität in Mainz, the Leibniz Universität Hannover or another university approved by the department

Major in German Education
This major prepares students to be recommended by the Concordia College department of education for Minnesota licensure to teach German in grades K-12. To be eligible to complete this major, the student must be admitted to the teacher education program. (See education pages for program information, requirements and course descriptions.)
GERMAN 93
The requirements for a major in German education are 32 credits plus 36 credits in education:
• GER 211 – Intermediate German I: Culture and Society through the Media,
4 credits
• GER 212 – Intermediate German II: Culture through Literature, 4 credits
• GER 311 – Advanced Composition and Style, 4 credits
• GER 320 – German Cultural History in Overview, 4 credits
• 4 credits from the following courses:
– GER 321 – The Fine Arts in German Cultural History, 2 credits
– GER 322 – Politics, Economics and Social Structure, 2 credits
– GER 323 – Literature and Society, 2 credits
• GER 330 – Introduction to German Literature, 4 credits
• GER 411 – History of the German Language, 2 credits
• GER 412 – Descriptive Linguistics and Pronunciation, 2 credits
• 4 additional credits from the following:
– GER 420 – Contemporary German Culture and Society
– GER 421 – Advanced Topics in Swiss and Austrian Culture and Society (e.g., Swiss History)
– GER 422 – Advanced Topics in German Culture and Society (e.g., Daily Life in the Third Reich)
– GER 430 – German Literary Periods
– GER 431 – German Literary Genres (e.g., The German Novella)
– GER 440 – Topics in German Film
• EDUC 362 – Secondary Methods of Teaching in World Languages, 4 credits (required methods of teaching course)
• EDUC 363 – FLES Methods of Teaching, 4 credits (required methods of teaching course)
• Successful completion of the secondary/K-12 required coursework (see Education: Curriculum in Secondary/K-12 Education)

In order to receive departmental approval for student teaching, all candidates for the major or add-on endorsement must pass a screening at the Intermediate High level of language proficiency as described by the Board of Teaching Standards, and a screening of geographical and cultural knowledge of the German-speaking world. Students are highly encouraged to take advantage of language-immersion opportunities in German to increase their ability to attain this level of proficiency.