2007-08 Academic Catalog	home FAQs request

GERMAN
-also see Education
-also see Global Studies
-also see International Business

Programs offered:

•  Major in German (8.0 course credits)
•  Minor in German (5.0 course credits)
•  Major in German with a Minor in International Business (also see international business) (8.0 course credits in German)
•  Major in International Business in German (also see international business) (6.0 course credits in German)
•  German Education major with a teaching license, grades K-12 (8.0 course credits plus 8.5 course credits in education)
•  World Languages Area of Specialization for Elementary Education majors, grades K-8 (see education)  (6.0 course credits)

German Course Descriptions 

Faculty
Jonathan P. Clark, chair
Madelyn C. Burchill
Stephen A. Grollman

The department of German 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 department of German offers a number of specialized programs both on campus and in Germany. International programs include the GER 220 — 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-Universitaet in Mainz, Germany. The German department 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 department of German also offers a variety of on-campus opportunities for all students interested in German language and the society and culture of German-speaking countries. These include Deutsches Haus, a German language residence; study and work opportunities during the summer or school year at Waldsee, the German Concordia 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.

The German honors program allows select students to develop their interests in German on an advanced level and to work on an individual basis with a faculty member in the German department. Students are expected to demonstrate academic maturity, active enthusiasm in the field of German, independent research ability and a thorough cultural understanding of German-speaking countries. Successful participants will be recognized as German honors graduates in the Honors Convocation, the graduation program and on their diplomas. Requirements for the German honors program are the successful completion of 2.0 course credits at the 400-level or 1.0 course credit at the 400-level plus another course credit on an approved topic taken overseas, and “for honors credit” papers in the two courses as defined above. The nature and the scope of each paper will be arranged with the instructor of each course. Students must receive grades of A- or above on the papers.

The German department 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 and acquire information
• 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, 1.0 credit, 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, 1.0 credit.

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 8.0 course credits:

•  GER 211 — Intermediate German I: Culture and Society through the Media, 1.0 credit
•  GER 212 — Intermediate German II: Culture Through Literature, 1.0 credit
•  GER 311 — Advanced Composition and Style, 1.0 credit
•  GER 320 — German Cultural History in Overview, 1.0 credit
•  1.0 credit from the following courses:
–  GER 321 — The Fine Arts in German Cultural History, 0.5 credit
–  GER 322 — Politics, Economics and Social Structure, 0.5 credit
–  GER 323 — Literature and Society, 0.5 credit
•  3.0 additional upper-division course credits, at least two of which must be at the 400 level

*All changes to the major requirements must be approved by the department chair.

Minor in German

The requirements* for a minor in German are 5.0 course credits:

•  GER 211 — Intermediate German I: Culture and Society through the Media, 1.0 credit
•  GER 212 — Intermediate German II: Culture Through Literature, 1.0 credit
•  GER 311 — Advanced Composition and Style, 1.0 credit
•  GER 320 — German Cultural History in Overview, 1.0 credit
•  1.0 additional upper-division course credit

*All changes to the minor requirements must be approved by the department chair.

Major in German with a Minor in International Business

The business requirements for a minor in international business with a major in German are listed in the international business pages of the catalog.

The German requirements* for a major in German with a minor in international business are 8.0 course credits:

•  GER 211 — Intermediate German I: Culture and Society through the Media, 1.0 credit
•  GER 212 — Intermediate German II: Culture Through Literature, 1.0 credit
•  GER 311 — Advanced Composition and Style, 1.0 credit
•  GER 314 — German in the Business World, 1.0 credit
•  GER 320 — German Cultural History in Overview, 1.0 credit
•  1.0 credit from the following courses:
–  GER 321 — The Fine Arts in German Cultural History, 0.5 credit
–  GER 322 — Politics, Economics and Social Structure, 0.5 credit
–  GER 323 — Literature and Society, 0.5 credit
•  BUS 390/GER 390 — a three-month internship in Germany through Cooperative Education, 1.0 credit
•  A semester at the Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität in Mainz, Germany, or another university approved by the department
•  1.0 additional upper-division course credits at the 400 level (can be taken abroad)

*All changes to the major requirements must be approved by the department chair.

Major in International Business in German

The business requirements are listed in the international business pages of the catalog.

The German requirements for a major in international business in German are 6.0 course credits:

•  GER 211 — Intermediate German I: Culture and Society through the Media, 1.0 credit
•  GER 212 — Intermediate German II: Culture Through Literature, 1.0 credit
•  GER 311 — Advanced Composition and Style, 1.0 credit
•  GER 314 — German in the Business World, 1.0 credit
•  GER 320 — German Cultural History in Overview, 1.0 credit
•  BUS 390/GER 390 — a three-month internship in Germany through Cooperative Education, 1.0 credit
•  A semester at the Johannes-Gutenberg-Universitaet in Mainz, Germany, or another university approved by the department

Licensure for Teaching German

Under the new Minnesota Board of Teaching rules, world languages have two licenses available, either a K-8 or a K-12 license. In order to receive departmental approval for student teaching, all candidates for K-12 or K-8 certification 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.

German Education Major with a Teaching License, grades K-12

The requirements for a German education major with a teaching license, grades K-12, are 8.0 course credits plus 8.5 course credits in education:

•  GER 211 — Intermediate German I: Culture and Society through the Media, 1.0 credit
•  GER 212 — Intermediate German II: Culture Through Literature, 1.0 credit
•  GER 311 — Advanced Composition and Style, 1.0 credit
•  GER 320 — German Cultural History in Overview, 1.0 credit
•  1.0 credit from the following courses:
–  GER 321 — The Fine Arts in German Cultural History, 0.5 credit
–  GER 322 — Politics, Economics and Social Structure, 0.5 credit
–  GER 323 — Literature and Society, 0.5 credit
•  GER 330 — Introduction to German Literature, 1.0 credit
•  GER 411 — History of the German Language, 0.5 credit
•  GER 412 — Descriptive Linguistics and Pronunciation, 0.5 credit
•  1.0 additional credit 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
•  Successful completion of the secondary/K-12 curriculum requirements.
The required methods of teaching courses are:
–  EDUC 362 — Secondary Methods of Teaching in World Languages, 1.0 credit
–  EDUC 363 — FLES Methods of Teaching, 1.0 credit