The German Studies Minor is designed to provide proficiency in written and spoken German, as well as a thorough acquaintance with German-speaking culture, society, and history. 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 minor. Listed below are the requirements for completing a German Studies Minor. The department’s policy is to maintain a balance between language and literature.
All courses counted toward the minor must be taken for a letter grade. Students must fulfill the following requirements.
Lower-Division Requirements
German 1, 2, 3, and 4 or equivalent. If these courses are taken at UC Berkeley, students must 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 five upper-division courses totaling at least 16 units, at least three courses and nine units of which must be taken at Berkeley. Students must enroll in at least three courses in which knowledge of German is required. One of the five courses should deal with broader socio-cultural, historical issues. A letter grade of “C” or better is required for each upper-division course applied to the minor.
The following courses are required:
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German 100 (core course; 4 units, only offered in the Fall term)
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German 101 (core course; 4 units, offered in Fall and Spring term)
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1 upper-division German course (taught in German)
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1 upper-division German course (taught in English or German)
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1 additional upper-division course (texts in English, German, Dutch, or Yiddish literature and culture), offered either by the German Department, or related to Germany or Europe offered by an affiliated department
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 16-unit total).
Students who study abroad are allowed to take up to 3 courses up to a max. of 8 units for the German minor.
You must declare your minor no later than the semester before your Expected Graduation Term (EGT) and, if the semester before EGT is fall or spring, the deadline is the last day of RRR week. If the semester before EGT is summer, the deadline is the final Friday of Summer Sessions. To declare a minor, contact the Undergraduate Adviser, Nadia Samadi
Students may also consider pursuing a major, Honors status, or a double major.
Please consult Nadia Samadi for further information on eligibility requirements and before registering for courses to be applied to the minor, or if there are questions about these requirements.