German
California Lutheran University’s German major curriculum offers students a thorough course of study in the language, literature and culture of the German people with a full complement of courses that include conversation and composition, studies in German grammar, literature and film.
Cal Lutheran’s extensive Study Abroad Program provides students with opportunities to study for a semester or an academic year in various institutions in Germany and Austria. A study abroad experience in a German-speaking location is highly recommended for the German major and minor. Course credits earned in study abroad count towards Cal Lutheran’s German major and minor requirements. The students can choose between a year, a semester, a summer, or a short-term study abroad program in a German-speaking country with courses taken primarily in German. It is recommended that students attain intermediate proficiency before leaving to study abroad. Students can contact the Office of Education Abroad in the Center for Global Engagement for program options and information.
Cal Lutheran’s German graduates have regularly found careers in education, government, business, and even the clergy. These include jobs as teachers, government agents, translators, banking administrators, international businessmen and businesswomen, interpreters and travel agents. When combined with business studies, a degree in German provides graduates with even broader career opportunities.
Students interested in teaching German should contact the head of the German Department for further information.
Bachelor of Arts in German
32 credits minimum*, 28 credits in upper division
| GERM 201 | Intermediate German (**) | 4 |
| GERM 301 | Conversation and Composition | 4 |
| GERM 401 | Advanced Grammar and Composition | 4 |
| 6 German Elective Courses*** | 24 | |
| Total Hours | 32-36 | |
*GERM 101, 102 are excluded.
** GERM 201 can be fulfilled by proper test score in the German placement test.
***At the discretion of the department, two relevant courses in other disciplines, may be substituted for two upper division electives in the major.
German Minor
Students who already possess some proficiency in German will be placed at the appropriate level after consultation with the department.
A study abroad experience in a German-speaking location is highly recommended for the minor. The students can choose between a year, a semester, a summer, or a short-term study abroad program in a German-speaking country with courses taken primarily in German. It is recommended that students attain intermediate proficiency before leaving to study abroad. Students can contact the Office of Education Abroad in the Center for Global Engagement for program options and information.
Courses
Lower Division
GERM 1. Elementary German 1. (5).
GERM 101/102. Elementary German. (4,4).
A foundation in the grammar, speech and writing of German, including the reading of selected texts and supported by regular laboratory practice. Laboratory, 1 hour/week. Prerequisite: GERM 102: GERM 101 or equivalent.
GERM 2. Elementary German 2. (5).
GERM 201/202. Intermediate German. (4,4).
Development of oral and written skills. This course is the prerequisite for any upper division course in German. Prerequisite: GERM 102 or equivalent or satisfactory score on proficiency exam.
GERM 282. Selected Topics. (1-4).
GERM 282C. ST: Select Topic (core). (1-4).
Select Topic approved for core requirement.
Upper Division
GERM 301. Conversation and Composition. (4).
German 301, Advanced Composition and Conversation continues the course work from Intermediate German 201. It is designed as an accelerated course to enable students to quickly improve their understanding, competence, and proficiency in German through a format of reading, writing, speaking, and film. The course is specifically designed as "writing intensive" in order to help students become more adept at articulating their ideas and expressing them most clearly in written form. Prerequisite: GERM 201 or equivalent or placement by the department.
GERM 306. Masterpieces of German Literature. (4).
The study and interpretation of selected major works from German literature in English translation, supplemented by outside reading and individual reports.
GERM 308. Nietzsche. (4).
Friedrich Nietzsche was one of the most outspoken and influential philosophers of the 19th century. Curiously, although he is not widely read among philosophers and is even less well understood, people nonetheless tend to make categorical assumptions about what he believes without having the requisite background to do so. The aim of this course is to place Nietzche's life, theories, and works into the proper context. We hope, thereby, to be able to present a more complete understanding of Nietzsche's thought and how it has affected the cultural, social, political, and psychological worlds around us today.(May count as CORE-21 Literature requirement OR CORE-21 Philosophy requirement).
GERM 311/312. Survey of German Literature. (4,4).
The study of the main epochs and personalities in German literature through the reading of representative works. GERM 311: From the beginning to the Enlightenment. GERM 312: From the Enlightenment to the present.
GERM 340. Business German. (4).
An introduction to the German business environment that deals with marketing, import/export, business transactions, banking, resumes and effective correspondence.
GERM 343. Women in German Literature. (4).
An in-depth study of women in Germany and Europe after the industrial revolution. The course deals with both female and male writers and the way in which women are portrayed, what roles they assume and how they must attempt to resolve conflicts in modern society.
GERM 401. Advanced Grammar and Composition. (4).
A functional review of all phases of communication skills, including the more intricate grammar and idiom. Required of all candidates for a teaching major. (on demand).
GERM 437. Goethe's Faust. (4).
This course will undertake a close, thorough reading and critical textual examination of Goethe's world masterpieces, Faust I and Faust II. In so doing, the course will examine the literary, historical, and contemporary creative forces that went into the production of these two dramatic masterpieces. The course will also undertake a study of Goethe and his works within the context of the time in which he wrote them and how his work and his individual literary language developed and took shape to form a unique worldview.
GERM 447. German Cinema. (4).
A comprehensive review of German cinema from the inception of motion pictures to the present. The course treats the historical and social implications of film in Germany during its volatile first 40 years and the contribution of German Exile filmmakers.
GERM 471. Teaching a Modern Foreign Language. (3).
A study and discussion of the current methods, techniques and applications for teaching and evaluating foreign-language skills at various levels of instruction. Includes a demonstration of the use of textbooks, multimedia aids and language laboratory equipment and materials.
GERM 482. Selected Topics. (1-4).
GERM 482C. ST: Select Topic (core). (1-4).
Select Topic approved for core requirement.
GERM 490. Independent Study. (1-4).
Majors only. (on demand).
GERM 492. Internship. (2-4).
Majors only. (graded P/NC only) (on demand).
GERM 496. Directed Research. (1-3).