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College Catalog 2024-2025

German Studies Major

Major Requirements

Students earn a major by choosing from among several tracks, listed below. Students should work closely with an advisor in German Studies to choose a track and list of courses that match their interests and goals. All tracks require 40-credits (typically 10-courses) above GERM 203 - Intermediate German I , to include:

  1. Participation in the Macalester German Studies study abroad program or in another approved, semester-long study abroad program entailing at least 12-credits in German Studies courses taught in German above fourth-semester German; 
  2. Completion of a capstone project in GERM 488 - Senior Seminar . 

All majors participate in the Senior Seminar (taught in German), where they also write their capstone projects. The capstone project is written in German, includes a significant research component, and is typically 20 pages long. It may contain elements other than those of a formal academic paper, such as a film, a performance, a translation, an exhibit, or some other creative project. The seminar concludes with a public event, open to the faculty of the department and all students, in which the participants offer brief presentations of their capstones. The senior seminar is open to all qualified students, including minors and other non-majors.

Students graduating in December are expected to take the senior seminar in their junior year. If a student is unable to attend the senior seminar during their junior year due to participation in a study abroad program, they may, with permission of the chair, complete their capstone in their final semester by enrolling in a 36x course and making arrangements with the instructor to complete a capstone project that relates to the topic of the course.

German Major Tracks

The German major tracks are designed for students to focus in an area of interest. Click on the interested track to get a list of required/suggested courses to fulfill the major requirement in that track:

Language and Culture

Art History

Critical Theory

Environmental Humanities

Film, Media, and Theater

History

Literature

Student Designed

Language and Culture

A major with an emphasis in language and culture offers in-depth training in the core areas of German Studies. Students completing this track typically attain the highest level of proficiency in German language. Up to two of the 10-courses required for the major may be taken in English. Students are required to complete: 

  1. GERM 308 - German Cultural History: Failed and Successful Revolutions  or 
    GERM 309 - Culture and the Capital: Urban Experience in Berlin and Vienna  

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement.

  1. Study Away
  2. GERM 488 - Senior Seminar   
  3. Additional courses above GERM 203 - Intermediate German I  with substantial German content as needed to complete a total of 40-credits of coursework. These courses may be chosen either from among the department’s own course offerings or in another relevant field, provided they form a coherent plan of study designed in consultation with the student’s departmental advisor. Up to eight of the 40-credits required for the major may be acquired in courses conducted in English. Possible courses include any of the following, as well as other courses approved by the departmental advisor:

Art History

A major with an emphasis in art history offers students the opportunity to pursue their study of German while concentrating on the study of art history. Up to four of the 10 courses required for the major may be taken in English. Students are required to complete:

  1. GERM 308 - German Cultural History: Failed and Successful Revolutions  or
    GERM 309 - Culture and the Capital: Urban Experience in Berlin and Vienna  

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement.  

  1. Study Abroad
  2. GERM 488 - Senior Seminar  
  3. A coherent set of four courses with an emphasis on art history, to be chosen in consultation with the student’s departmental advisor. These will typically be taught in English, though courses taught in German (e.g. on study abroad) are also eligible. Not more than one of these may be taken at the 100-level. Possible courses include any of the following, as well as other courses approved by the departmental advisor:
  1. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40 credits above GERM 203 - Intermediate German I  , to include at least 6 courses (24 credits) taught in German, such as:

Critical Theory

A major with an emphasis in critical theory offers students the opportunity to pursue their study of German while concentrating on critical theory. Up to four of the required 10 courses for the major may be taken in English. Students are required to complete:

  1. GERM 308 - German Cultural History: Failed and Successful Revolutions  or
    GERM 309 - Culture and the Capital: Urban Experience in Berlin and Vienna  

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement.  

  1. Study Abroad
  2. GERM 488 - Senior Seminar  
  3. A coherent set of four courses in critical theory, to be chosen from among the department’s own relevant course offerings or in another field in consultation with the student’s departmental advisor. These courses may be taken in English or in German. Not more than one may be taken at the 100-level. Possible courses include any of the following, as well as other courses approved by the departmental advisor:
  1. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40 credits above GERM 203 - Intermediate German I  , to include at least 6 courses (24 credits) taught in German, such as:

Environmental Humanities

A major with an emphasis in environmental humanities offers students the opportunity to pursue their study of German while concentrating on critical theory. Up to four of the required 10 courses for the major may be taken in English. Students are required to complete:

  1. GERM 308 - German Cultural History: Failed and Successful Revolutions  or GERM 309 - Culture and the Capital: Urban Experience in Berlin and Vienna  

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement.  

  1. Study Abroad
  2. GERM 488 - Senior Seminar  
  3. A coherent set of four courses with an emphasis on environmental humanities issues, to be chosen from among the department’s own relevant course offerings or in another field in consultation with the student’s departmental advisor. These courses may be taken in English or in German. Not more than one may be taken at the 100-level. Elibigle courses include:

 5. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40 credits above GERM 203 - Intermediate German I , to include at least 6 courses (24 credits) taught in German.

Film, Media, and Theater

A major with this emphasis offers students the opportunity to pursue their study of German while developing their knowledge of the theory and history of film, media, and/or theater. Up to four of the required 10 courses may be taken in English. Students are required to complete:

  1. GERM 308 - German Cultural History: Failed and Successful Revolutions  or
    GERM 309 - Culture and the Capital: Urban Experience in Berlin and Vienna  

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement. ​ 

  1. Study Abroad
  2. GERM 488 - Senior Seminar  
  3. A coherent set of four courses with an emphasis on film, media, and/or theater, to be chosen from among the department’s own relevant course offerings or in another field in consultation with the student’s departmental advisor. These courses may be taken in English or in German. Not more than one may be taken at the 100-level. Possible courses include any of the following, as well as other courses approved by the departmental advisor:
  1. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40 credits above GERM 203 - Intermediate German I  , to include at least 6 courses (24 credits) taught in German, such as:

History

A major with an emphasis in history offers students the opportunity to pursue their study of German while concentrating on the study of history. Up to four of the required ten courses for the major may be taken in English. Students are required to complete:

  1. GERM 308 - German Cultural History: Failed and Successful Revolutions  or
    GERM 309 - Culture and the Capital: Urban Experience in Berlin and Vienna  

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement. 

  1. Study Abroad
  2. GERM 488 - Senior Seminar  
  3. A coherent set of four courses with an emphasis on history, to be chosen from among the department’s own relevant course offerings or in another field in consultation with the student’s departmental advisor. These courses may be taken in English or in German. Not more than one may be taken at the 100-level. Courses must include:

i. At least two, and up to four courses involving study of the German-speaking lands and/or Europe. Possible courses include any of the following, as well as other courses approved by the departmental advisor:

ii. Up to two courses involving issues in global or transnational history or the study of historical methodology. Eligible courses include:

  1. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40 credits above GERM 203 - Intermediate German I  , to include at least 6 courses (24 credits) taught in German, such as:

Literature

A major with an emphasis in literature allows students to pursue their study of German with a focus on the theory and history of literature, both in the German-speaking countries and globally. A maximum of four of the ten courses required for the major may be taught  in English. Courses must include:

  1. GERM 308 - German Cultural History: Failed and Successful Revolutions  or 
    GERM 309 - Culture and the Capital: Urban Experience in Berlin and Vienna  

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement. 

  1. Study Abroad
  2. GERM 488 - Senior Seminar  
  3. A coherent set of at least four courses with an emphasis on the history and/or theory of literature, to be chosen from among the department’s own relevant course offerings or in another field in consultation with the student’s departmental advisor. These courses may be taken in any language. Not more than one may be taken at the 100-level. Possible courses include any of the following, as well as other courses approved by the departmental advisor:
  1. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40 credits above GERM 203 - Intermediate German I  , to include at least 6 courses (24 credits) taught in German

Student Designed

A major with a student designed track allows students to pursue their study of German with a focus on a cognate field such as environmental studies, music, linguistics, international studies, religious studies, political science, or sociology. Students interested in this track should consult with their departmental advisor and the department chair. They must submit a proposal subject to approval by the department. At least six of the ten courses required for the major must be conducted in German. Courses must include:

  1. GERM 308 - German Cultural History: Failed and Successful Revolutions  or
    GERM 309 - Culture and the Capital: Urban Experience in Berlin and Vienna  

Students who have completed the Macalester Berlin/Vienna study abroad program or an equivalent may with permission of the chair substitute another upper-level course taught in German for this requirement. 

  1. Study Abroad
  2. GERM 488 - Senior Seminar  
  3. A coherent set of four courses with a clearly defined emphasis, to be chosen from among the department’s own relevant course offerings or in another field in consultation with the student’s departmental advisor. These courses may be taken in any language. Not more than one may be taken at the 100-level.
  4. Other courses in German studies as needed to complete a total of 40-credits above GERM 203 - Intermediate German I  , to include at least 6-courses (24-credits) taught in German, such as