9.22. German Studies

Program Offered:

  • Minor in German Studies (TU)

The German Studies minor is a multidisciplinary program designed to provide students with understanding and competence in German-speaking societies. It is informed by “the five C’s” and represents the defined goals of the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning, namely, communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities.

By combining language learning with the study of literature, German life and thought, history and culture, the student can develop the intercultural competencies relevant to their chosen major to strengthen their professional skills towards success at a local and international level. The minor has flexibility to explore a wide range of subjects and will be useful to students planning careers in education, translation and interpretation, the Foreign Service, international non-government organizations (NGOs), international corporations, and banking. Additionally, the German Studies minor will be advantageous for OU graduates seeking employment in German-based Multi-National Firms and organizations located in the US, many of which have regional offices in Atlanta, such as Lufthansa, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and others.

A strong emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches provides students with opportunities to make connections between German and their other disciplines and programs of study.

With an adequate proficiency in the German language, students will be ready to complement their classroom studies with full-immersion study abroad opportunities, which is an integral part of the German Studies minor program. While most of the courses for the German Studies minor will be offered and accessible on the OU campus, German Studies minor students are strongly encouraged to spend one semester in abroad with our university partner in Dortmund, Germany. Coordination of this is in conjunction with the offices of our partner school in Dortmund and the OU Global Education offices.

Following is the selection of courses required.

  1. Completion of the following courses either in class or through advanced placement (see additional notes, below):
    • GER 101 Elementary German I
    • GER 102 Elementary German II
    • GER 201 Intermediate German I
    • GER 202 Intermediate German II
  2. Completion of three courses selected from among the following
    • GER/COR 350 Myth, Meaning and Modernity: German Influencers from the 19th to Early 21st Centuries
    • HIS 219 German History Since 1800
    • HIS 222 History of the Holocaust
    • HIS 319 Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
    • GER 290 Special Topics in German Language, Literature and Culture I
    • GER 291 Special Topics in German Language, Literature and Culture II
    • GER 400 Advanced Independent Study in German
    • GER 490 Advanced Special Topics in German Language, Literature and Culture I
    • GER 491 Advanced Special Topics in German Language, Literature and Culture II
    • GER 495 Internship in German
  3. Additional requirements and things to note:
    • Students with previous study or experience in German must take a language placement examination; see Sec. 6.4.4. of this Bulletin. They will be placed in the course sequence according to their competence. Under no circumstance should students with experience in German place themselves in courses, especially at the elementary level. Students are not eligible to enroll in elementary and intermediate courses in their native languages.
    • Other special topics courses offered at Oglethorpe as well as certain courses offered at other colleges and through study abroad programs may also qualify, pending approval by German Studies Program Coordinator.
    • Of particular interest to students of German Studies is the Oglethorpe exchange agreement with the Technical University of Dortmund, Germany. All students of German Studies are strongly encouraged to spend at least one semester in Germany. Guidance in finding an appropriate program is provided by the German Studies program coordinator or Global Education in coordination with placement personnel at Dortmund. See also information about global education in Sec. 10.3.
    • A student can also gain practical experience by pursuing internship opportunities in German organizations and firms in and around Atlanta. Credit for these activities is given when the internship is completed in accordance with the objectives agreed upon with the German Studies Program Coordinator and the student’s faculty advisor. The office of career development has an extensive list of available internships.
    • A student may take GER 350/COR 350 Myth, Meaning and Modernity: German Influencers from the 19th to Early 21st Centuries either as fulfillment of a Core requirement or for the German Studies minor but not both.