German

The program strives to offer a diversified curriculum capable of accommodating a variety of student interests and professional goals connected with German studies. The aims of the program are:

  1. To give students a solid command of the German language(s) and Germanic cultures for use in professional, academic, and personal life.
  2. To acquaint students with the history, literature, and cultures of the German-speaking countries and to familiarizes students with the role these countries and their cultures play in the world today.
  3. To prepare students for study abroad and a variety of careers in a global world through diverse course offerings.
  4. To educate students in the tradition of a liberal arts setting.

German degrees and tracks offered

  • Major in German (BA)
  • Minor in German
  • International Engineering Program (IEP), dual degree program with German (BA) and Engineering (BSCE, BSCPE, BSEE, BSME)
German Honor Society

The University of St. Thomas is chartered as the Tau Omicron chapter of Delta Phi Alpha

The German National Honor Society, Delta Phi Alpha (Deutsche Ehrenverbindung), seeks to recognize excellence in the study of German and to provide an incentive for higher scholarship. The society aims to promote the study of the German language, literature, and civilization, and endeavors to emphasize those aspects of German life and culture which are of universal value, and which contribute to humankind's eternal search for peace and truth. Delta Phi Alpha was founded in 1929 at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where the Alpha Chapter still resides. Currently chapters are active on over 270 college and university campuses in the United States.

Qualifications for student membership are:

A minimum of two years of college level German, or the equivalent.
A minimum GPA of B+ (3.3) in German courses.
A minimum cumulative GPA of B- (2.7).
An indication of continued interest in the study of German language and literature.

Major in German

  • Completion of GERM 212 or its equivalent
  • GERM 300 Introduction to German Studies (4 credits)

Plus:

  • Twenty-four additional credits numbered above GERM 300
  • At least six of these 28 credits must be literature courses.
  • At least twelve of these 28 credits must be completed at the University of St. Thomas.
  • No more than twelve credits may be in the area of advanced language skills development.
  • Elective courses for the major in German should be selected in consultation with a member of the German faculty.

Plus Allied Requirement:

4 credits in a neighboring field with a German cultural component.  Examples of approved allied courses are listed below.  Students should consult with the German program director prior to enrolling in the class, or to request approval for a course not listed below.

  • Department of Modern and Classical Languages:
    • German Program: Courses offered with an intercultural focus, but not counting toward the German Major course load such as
      • GERM 330
      • GERM 475
    • Courses offered in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages with an intercultural competence focus
  • Theology Department:
    • THEO 222: History: Reformation
    • THEO 224: Bridges: Theology & Politics
    • THEO 227: Contexts: Nazism & Apartheid
  • History Department:
    • HIST 226 Modern Europe since 1914
    • HIST 227 Global History of Genocide 1900-
    • HIST 335 Nazi Germany and the Holocaust
    • HIST 337 History of the First World War
  • Interdisciplinary Courses:
    • IDSC 287: German Cultural Heritage

For administrative purposes, students will complete assessment measures at the beginning of their major (in their 300 class) and during their final semester.

Recommended:

  • Courses in a second foreign language.
  • The department strongly urges all students planning to major in German to spend some time, (a summer, a J-Term, one semester, or a year) studying in a German-speaking country and to enroll in a German course at St. Thomas upon their return. See a member of the German faculty for information on study-abroad opportunities and scholarships for University of St. Thomas’ students in Germany or Austria.
  • Interdisciplinary courses offered at the University of St. Thomas with a German Studies component
  • Department of Theology
    • THEO 222: HISTORY: Reformation
    • THEO 224/433: Theology & Politics
    • THEO 227: Contexts: Naziism & Apartheid
  • Department of History
    • HIST 226 Modern Europe since 1914
    • HIST 227 Global History of Genocide 1900-
    • HIST 335 Nazi Germany and the Holocaust
    • HIST 337 History of the First World War
  • Interdisciplinary Courses
    • IDSC 287: German Cultural Heritage
  • Department of Philosophy
    • PHIL 304: Modern Philosophy
    • PHIL 306: Contemporary Philosophy

International Engineering Program (IEP), Dual Degree Program with German and Engineering:

(https://www.stthomas.edu/catalog/current/engr/)

The dual degree program in engineering and German is designed for students pursuing an international career. It provides engineers with language skills, international experience, and intellectual competence. Students in this dual program will have skills to prepare them for a wide variety of opportunities in industry.

Upon completing, students receive a B.A. in German and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical (BSME), Electrical (BSEE), Computer (BSCPE), or Civil Engineering (BSCE).

Students must complete the appropriate Engineering and German Major Requirements and the respective Engineering and German allied requirements. This dual degree requires approximately five years to complete.

Plans of study for dual degree programs are available online, through the German program director, or in the School of Engineering main Office.

For more information see: https://www.stthomas.edu/academics/undergraduate/german-engineering-dual-degree/index.html


 

Minor in German

  • Completion of GERM 212 or its equivalent
  • GERM 300 Introduction to German Studies (4 credits)
Plus:
  • Twelve additional credits numbered above GERM 300
  • At least three of these credits must be a literature course.
  • Elective courses for the minor in German should be selected in consultation with a member of the German faculty.

German Undergraduate Courses

Course Number Title Credits
GERM  111 Elementary German I 4
GERM  112 Elementary German II 4
GERM  211 Intermediate German I 4
GERM  212 Intermediate German II 4
GERM  243 Individual Study 2 OR 4
GERM  297 Topics 4
GERM  298 Topics 4
GERM  300 Intro to German Studies 4
GERM  311 Conversation/Composition 4
GERM  315 Influential Ideas 4
GERM  320 Contemp Germany/Curr Events 4
GERM  330 IC: Prep Study/Work Abroad 2
GERM  341 Highlights of German Lit I 4
GERM  342 Highlights of German Lit II 4
GERM  345 Austria: the Golden Age 4
GERM  350 Genre Studies in German Lit. 4
GERM  393 Individual Study 2 OR 4
GERM  401 German Poetry 4
GERM  410 The German Opera 4
GERM  440 Intro to Business German 4
GERM  441 Prof Communication/Tech German 4
GERM  475 Experiential Learning (Abroad) 2
GERM  476 Experiential Learning 1 TO 4
GERM  488 Topics 2
GERM  489 Topics 4
GERM  490 Topics 4
GERM  495 Individual Study 2 OR 4