German
Immerse yourself in German culture, language and history
As a German major, you’ll study German and Austrian cultures (authors, musicians, literature), language and notions of German history. German is the most widely spoken first language in the European Union, and German-speaking countries are among the most influential engines driving culture, business and politics today.
Through your studies, you will learn that the German-speaking world is rich and multifaceted, including the works of Mozart, Goethe, Freud, Kafka and Marx. As a German major, you’ll explore the crucial questions of memory and history particular to the German past. You’ll become equipped with crucial skills in reading, writing, critical thinking, and intercultural communication—providing you with career opportunities around the world.
You’re encouraged to participate in DePaul’s Study Abroad program with two options: a long-term program in Vienna, and a short-term, human rights-oriented program in Berlin. Through these experiences you’ll grow linguistically and expand your cultural understanding of German-speaking societies.
Our German program also has its own chapter of the German Honorary Society Delta Phi Alpha, and is affiliated with the student-led DePaul Deutsch Club. Several students have been awarded prestigious grants and scholarships, including multiple Fulbright grants and Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange scholarships.
We also offer the 3+3 BA/JD program, which allows high-achieving first-year undergraduate German majors to be admitted simultaneously to the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (LAS) and the College of Law (LAW). You’ll complete your first three years in LAS and your final three years in LAW.
Classes
Coursework
- Berlin and the Golden Twenties
- Coffeehouses and Culture in Turn of the Century Vienna
- German Translation
- Kafka and the Kafkaesque
- Business German
- New German Cinema
- The German Novella
- Voicing Migration: Turkish-German Music, Literature, and Film
Resources
Concentrations/Tracks
- Commercial German
- German Language and Literature
- German Studies
Career Options
Common Career Areas
- Public policy
- International business
- Translation services
- Research
- Law
- Immigration work
- Education
- Social services
- Human rights
81%
of Modern Languages graduates were employed, continuing their education or not seeking employment after graduation.
Major Requirements
Majors in German must complete a total of 12 courses (48 quarter hours), comprised of an 8-course core at the Intermediate and Advanced levels and a 4-course concentration in “German Studies,” “German Language and Literature," or “Commercial German.” ?
Core Requirements
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GER 105 | INTERMEDIATE GERMAN II | 4 |
| GER 106 | INTERMEDIATE GERMAN III | 4 |
| Six 300-level GER electives | 24 | |
300-Level German Course Listings
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ORIGINS OF THE GERMAN LANGUAGE TO 1600 | ||
| PLAY, PERSONALITY, AND POLITICS IN SCHILLER'S LETTERS ON ART | ||
| WORD-SCRIPT-STAGE-WORLD: DAS THEATER | ||
| COMPOSING REALITY: WRITING IN GERMAN | ||
| THE NOVELLE | ||
| FROM SOUND TO STRUCTURE: GERMAN POETRY | ||
| GOETHE AND HIS ERA | ||
| BREAKING NEWS IN THE GERMAN-SPEAKING WORLD | ||
| GERMAN INTELLECTUAL HISTORY | ||
| TURN OF THE CENTURY VIENNA | ||
| BERLIN AND THE GOLDEN TWENTIES | ||
| LITERATURE AFTER 1945 (EAST AND WEST) | ||
| WOMEN WRITERS OF GERMAN EXPRESSION | ||
| THE CONTEMPORARY GERMAN FILM | ||
| MULTICULTURAL GERMANY: LITERATURE, FILM, FOOD, CULTURE | ||
| ADVANCED COMMERCIAL GERMAN | ||
| TRANSLATION | ||
| ELFRIEDE JELINEK: WRITING ANGER, WRITING RESISTANCE | ||
| KAFKA AND THE KAFKAESQUE | ||
| GERMAN FILM SINCE 2010 | ||
| MEISTERWERKE OF GERMAN CINEMA | ||
| GERMAN PHONOLOGY AND PHONETICS | ||
| FOREIGN LANGUAGES ACROSS THE CURRICULUM | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN GERMAN | ||
| STUDY ABROAD | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY |
Open Electives
Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours. Majors in German should select these courses in consultation with the German Program Director and Modern Languages Staff Advisor. Students can use their open electives to pursue a double major or one or more minors.
