Major in German

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Most graduate programs require knowledge of two foreign languages.

  • Business and law schools value proficiency in a foreign language.

  • Knowing German allows you to continue your studies in Germany.

  • Many German degrees and certificates count across Europe and in the U.S.

  • Foreign language skills provide opportunities in the job market.

  • Learning a foreign language fosters creative and analytical thinking.

  • Knowing another language casts new light on your own.

  • Understanding a foreign culture through its language expands your horizon.

  • Over 100 million people speak German as a first language.

  • Enjoy reading literature in German and catch the nuances lost in translation

WE OFFER . . .

  • An intellectually stimulating liberal arts education through the lens of a major European language.

  • Small classes, personal attention, and a sense of community

  • A nationally top-ranked faculty and outstanding Graduate Student Instructors.

  • An innovative approach to language learning that is challenging and fun.  

  • Courses in English focus on German philosophy (Arendt, Benjamin, Freud, Hegel, Heidegger, Kant, Marx, Nietzsche), German political culture (Weimar Republic, fascism, exile, Cold War, post-Wall European integration, migration and multiculturalism), or German cinema and popular culture.

  • Courses in German center around classic literary authors, including Brecht, Goethe, Kafka, Kleist, Thomas Mann, Rilke, as well as movements such as Classicism, Romanticism, and Expressionism. We also offer a course on contemporary digital literature in German. Discover the many works not available in translation or become an actor in a cabaret performance!

  • A lively calendar of special events such as guest lectures, performances, conferences and informal gatherings where you can meet fellow students and practice speaking German. – Meet distinguished visiting speakers from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria!

Major in German

The German Studies Major leads from the acquisition of written and spoken German language skills to a critical understanding of past and contemporary German-speaking societies and cultures. Students are also trained in advanced study and independent research.

The department offers a variety of courses, both in German and English, that count toward the major. Listed below are the requirements for completing the German Studies Major and related courses outside of the department that may be taken to complete the requirements. 

All courses counted toward the major must be taken for a letter grade, and a major GPA of 2.0 must be maintained. Students must fulfill the following requirements.

Lower-Division Requirements

German 1, 2, 3, and 4 or equivalent. If the courses are taken at UC Berkeley, students have to complete each level before proceeding to the next one. Students who have prior knowledge of German but are uncertain as to the appropriate level of instruction should contact the German Language Program Coordinator Nikolaus Euba.

Upper-Division Requirements

A minimum of 32 units of upper-division courses, at least half of which must be taken at UC Berkeley. Students must take courses dealing with at least two different centuries. In addition, the following core course requirements must be satisfied:

  • German 100 (core course; 4 units)

  • German 101 (core course; 4 units)

  • 2 upper-division courses taught in German (German 100 or German 101 are a prerequisite for these upper-division courses; one course from the 102 series may count toward this requirement)

  • 6 upper-division elective courses taught either in German or English, offered by the department to reach 32 units (*H196 and German 113 (capstone) both count towards 32 units). 

  • 1 upper-division course related to German studies or Europe, offered by another department may be substituted for an upper-division German elective.

Students are encouraged to enroll in the German Department capstone project.  This 2 unit credit option allows students under faculty direction to revise a seminar paper from an earlier course.

If a student has completed at least 16 upper-division units with a grade average of no less than “B,” the student has the option to enroll in German 198/199 to study in a group or independently (this course may not be counted toward the 32-unit total). 

Students who study abroad are allowed to take up to 4 courses up to a max. of 16 units from abroad for the German major.

A major can be declared at any time, but students usually do so when taking German 4. Students may also consider pursuing an Honors, a double major, or a minor in German.  Minors are encourage to declare as early as German 2.

Please consult Nadia Samadi (Undergraduate Student Adviser) with questions about these requirements, or for further information. Please also contact them if you are transferring from another institution and wish to declare a German major.

Double Major in German

The Department of German is very supportive of students who want to pursue a double major. Combining a German Major with a major in another program of study, like Business, International Relations, Film Studies, or Comparative Literature, will give students a competitive advantage in today’s globalized job market. The College of Letters & Sciences allows a higher unit ceiling for double majors.

The German Department tries to accommodate double majors and to facilitate the completion of additional work. Students can enroll in upper-division German courses taught in English while they are starting to learn the language. The department also offers intensive language workshops during the summer that allow students to complete a whole year of German in only ten or fifteen weeks. Many classes offered by the department fulfill some of the college’s breadth requirements, and half of the courses required for the major may be completed while studying abroad. Additionally, two courses taken in other departments can count toward the German major if those courses concern European topics.

To declare a double major, fill out a double major packet from the College of Letters & Sciences. You will need to prepare a four-year plan and get signatures from both departments.

Please consult Nadia Samadi (Undergraduate Student Adviser) if you are interested in pursuing a double major, and for further information.