German Language and Literature Minor Major (BA)
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181 Courses of Study: German Language and Literature Minor Major (BA) Objectives How to Become a Major The German section of the Department of German, Russian, and The department welcomes all students who wish to become majors in Asian Languages and Literature offers instruction in the German German language and literature. Nonmajors and majors are offered language and literature aimed at providing access to many computer-aided instruction in German, and work in the classroom is aspects of the culture, past and present, of Germany, Austria, and supplemented with regular German-speaking events. Majors in parts of Switzerland. German has always been one of the prime German literature are encouraged to spend their junior year in languages of international scholarship, and the reunification of Germany or any other German-speaking country. Students are Germany in 1990 has drawn renewed attention to the European especially encouraged to participate in the Brandeis Berlin Summer and worldwide importance of that country. German majors have Program, a six-week intensive program taught in the center of the gone on to graduate school in German literature to prepare for a German capital. See Scott Van Der Meid in the Study Abroad office career of teaching and research or to professional schools in law, for more details. medicine, or business, entered government work, or found employment with publishing companies or business firms with In addition to the major in German literature, the section offers a international connections. minor in German literature and participates in the program in European Cultural Studies. (The abbreviation GECS denotes German and European Cultural Studies courses.) Faculty See German, Russian, and Asian Languages and Literature. Requirements for the Major Requirements for the Minor A. ECS 100a (European Cultural Studies: The Proseminar) to be GER 103a or GER 104a and GER 105b are required, plus two German completed no later than the junior year. literature/culture courses above GER 105b. Successful completion of GER 30a or a departmental language exemption exam is a prerequisite B. Advanced language and literature study: Required are: GER for the minor. 103a, GER 104a, and GER 105a, plus any five German literature/ culture courses above GER 105b, at least two of which must be conducted in German. C. Majors wishing to graduate with departmental honors must enroll in and complete GER 99d (Senior Thesis), a full-year course. Before enrolling, students should consult with the coordinator. Candidates for departmental honors must have a 3.50 GPA in German courses previous to the senior year. Honors are awarded on the basis of cumulative excellence in all courses taken in the major and the grade on the honors thesis. One semester of the Senior Thesis may be counted toward the six required upper-level courses. A major in German may obtain the Massachusetts teaching certificate at the high school level by additionally completing requirements of the education program. Interested students should meet with the program director. 182 German Language and Literature Courses of Instruction (100–199) For Both Undergraduate GER 109b Meisterwerke Deutscher Kurzprosa and Graduate Students [ hum ] (1–99) Primarily for Undergraduate Conducted in German. Students Tailored to suit the needs of advanced The abbreviation GECS denotes German intermediate students, this course explores and European cultural studies courses in detail several short prose masterworks by which are taught in English. GER 10a Beginning German writers including Martin Buber, Franz Intended for students with little or no Kafka, Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Mann, GER 103a What You Always Wanted to previous knowledge of German. Emphasis is GER 103a What You Always Wanted to Rainer Maria Rilke, and Arthur Schnitzler. Know placed on comprehending, reading, writing, Know Usually offered every third year. [ hum fl ] and conversing in German and the Mr. Dowden Prerequisite: GER 30a presentation of basic grammar. Class work Why is 1870 an important date in German is enhanced by various interactive GER 110a Goethe history? What/who is Wilhelm Tell of classroom activities and is supplemented by [ hum ] Switzerland? What exactly is the Weimar extensive language lab, video, and Intensive study of many of Goethe’s Republic? Why was it so easy for Hitler to computer-aided exercises. Usually offered dramatic, lyric, and prose works, including seize power? Was Hitler German or every year in the fall. Goetz, Werther, Faust I, and a Austrian? What is “Zwolftonmusik”? What Ms. von Mering comprehensive selection of poetry. Usually is Dadaism? Is Wagner’s music anti- offered every third year. semitic? What was the relation between GER 20b Continuing German Ms. von Mering “Bauhaus” and the Nazi regime? What is Prerequisite: GER 10a or the equivalent. the “new German film”? The “Ossies” and Continuation of comprehending, reading, GECS 118a Seduction and Enlightenment the “Wessies” and their trouble in getting writing, and conversing in German, with an [ hum ] along—why is that? All that and much emphasis on basic grammar concepts. Open to all students. Conducted in English more are elaborated in this cultural Special attention is paid to the development with readings in English translation. overview course that aims to cover German, of speaking skills in the context of cultural Explores the dialectic of reason and the Swiss, and Austrian history and culture, topics of the German-speaking countries. irrational from the late eighteenth century while at the same time strengthening and Extensive language lab, video, and in Germany and Austria until its collapse in enhancing German language competency. computer-aided exercises supplement this World War I. Works by Beethoven, Kant, Ms. Geffers Browne course. Usually offered every year in the Mendelssohn, Goethe, Lessing, Mozart, spring. Heine, Novalis, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, GER 104a Let’s Talk! Shall We? Ms. Geffers Browne GER 104a Let’s Talk! Shall We? Thomas Mann, and others. Usually offered [ fl hum ] every third year. Prerequisite: GER 30a. GER 30a Intermediate German Ms. von Mering Designed to focus on fostering students’ [ fl ] oral skills. Numerous mock situations and Prerequisite: GER 20b or the equivalent. GECS 119b Nietzsche to Postmodernism roleplaying exercises provide students with In concluding the development of the four [ hum ] the opportunity to develop and polish oral language speaking skills—comprehending, Open to all students. Conducted in English competency in the German language. writing, reading, and speaking—this course with readings in English translation. Various mock social gatherings like student focuses on finishing up the solid grammar Explores the dialectic of reason and the outings and parties, festive family events, foundation that was laid in GER 10a and irrational from the late nineteenth century romantic dates, and academic and GER 20b. It also presents additional audio in Germany and Austria to the present. professional interview situations offer the and video material, films, radio plays, and Works by Adorno, Benjamin, Brecht, Celan, know-how for interns to be successful and newspaper and magazine articles, as well as Habermas, Heidegger, Junger, Kiefer, gain the most out of their experience a variety of extensive interactive classroom Thomas and Heinrich Mann, Nietzsche, abroad. Travel and restaurant “language,” activities. Usually offered every year in the Schoenberg, Spengler, and expressionist and also a certain amount of business fall. painting and film. Usually offered every German, all this and more are practiced in Ms. Geffers Browne second year. this course. Mr. Dowden Ms. Geffers Browne GER 98a Independent Study May be taken only with the permission of GER 120a German Enlightenment and GER 105a Learning Language through the chair or the advising head. GER 105a Learning Language through Classicism Literature/Learning Literature through Readings and reports under faculty Literature/Learning Literature through [ hum ] Language supervision. Usually offered every year. Language Prerequisites: GER 39a, A– or better in GER [ fl hum wi ] Staff 30a, or the equivalent. Prerequisite: GER 30a or the equivalent. Careful reading and discussion (in German) Provides broad introduction to GER 98b Independent Study of some of the most moving dramatic contemporary German literature while May be taken only with the permission of scenes and lyrical poems written by further enhancing various language skills the chair or the advising head. Lessing, Klopstock, Lenz, Goethe, Schiller, through reading, writing, student Readings and reports under faculty Holderlin, and others will provide an presentations, class discussion, and partner supervision. Usually offered every year. overview of those fertile literary and and group activities. “Covers” the entire Staff intellectual movements—enlightenment, twentieth century, examining ways in storm and stress, and idealism—that which literature reflects culture, history, GER 99d Senior Thesis eventually culminated in German and politics, and vice versa. Focuses on a Students should consult advising head. classicism. Usually offered every third year. significant expansion of vocabulary as well Usually offered every year. Ms. von Mering as ironing out some subtle grammar Staff “traps.” Students’ writing skills improve by means of numerous creative writing assignments. Speaking skills are challenged in every class since the course is designed as an interactive language/literature