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German Studies

Saint Louis University's undergraduate degree in German goes beyond instruction to immerse you in many aspects of the German-speaking world in a multidisciplinary manner.

Major in German Studies

If you chose to major or minor in German at SLU, you will become proficient in oral and written German, and knowledgeable about the history, politics, society and culture of the German-speaking world.

All instruction is in German and is interdisciplinary in nature. Upper-division courses are taught in an intimate classroom setting, allowing for greater classroom discussion and unique learning experiences. You'll also have opportunities for extracurricular engagements that can strengthen your understanding of the German culture and language.

As a German studies student at SLU, you will also have access to the University's Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Language Resource Center and the Center for Global Citizenship. You also can enjoy a German language film series and conversation hours each semester, and round out your degree with classes in film, literature, journalism and business.

SLU offers German studies students opportunities for summer, semester and year-long study-abroad programs that count toward your degree, including programs at the University of Heidelberg, the University of Frankfurt and the University of Stuttgart. Many German majors and minors take advantage of these study abroad opportunities to enhance their language skills, cultural competency and general knowledge.

The majority of students earning a German minor or major at SLU meet the high academic standards for initiation into the National German honor society, Delta Phi Alpha. Initiation ceremonies take place annually during the spring semester.

Curriculum

You must complete 30 credit hours to earn a major in German studies at SLU. In addition to four required 3000-level German courses, you must take at least one upper-level language skills course, one upper-level medieval course and at least one upper-level modern/contemporary course. Two more electives in German and a capstone/senior inquiry course are also required.

Required courses:

  • GR 3010: Oral and Written Proficiency I
  • GR 3020: Oral and Written Proficiency II
  • GR 3200: German Culture Studies I
  • GR 3250: German Culture Studies II

Take at least one of these language skills courses:

  • GR 4010: Fluency in German
  • GR 4250: Business German
  • GR 4750: The German Press

Take at least one of the medieval courses:

  • GR 4500: Courtly Love and Life in Medieval German Literature
  • GR 4550: History of the German Language
  • GR 4600: Beginning of Middle High German
  • GR 4650: Wolfram's Parzival: Gender, Race, and Otherness

Take at least one of these modern/contemporary courses:

  • GR 4150: Berlin
  • GR 4200: Modern German Prose
  • GR 4350: German Film
  • GR 4700: Weimar Republic

Take one more course in German (which can be an additional course in any of the above three areas.

Take one more elective from the following list of courses for three credit hours:

  • GR 4xxx (elective)

  • ARTH 3520: Northern Renaissance Art

  • ARTH 3650: Northern Baroque

  • HIST 3100: The Reformation Era

  • HIST 3140: 20th C Europe: Era of World Wars

  • HIST 3300 : Modern European Diplomatic History: 1815-1914

  • PHIL 4600: History of Modern Philosophy

  • PHIL 4700: Contemporary German Philosophy

  • PHIL 4740: Philosophy of Karl Marx

  • POLS 4630: The European Union: Politics and Political Economy

  • THEO 3325: The Reformation of the 16th Century

Finally, you will take the capstone project course: GR 4960.

Internships and Careers

Students who graduate with a degree in German studies from Saint Louis University are prepared to work in a number of rewarding fields, including:

  • Foreign service
  • International business
  • International law
  • Scientific research
  • Social service
  • Translation
  • Museum Curation
Faculty

SLU’s full-time German faculty members are easily accessible to all students for academic advising. All faculty members hold doctorates. Their areas of specialty include German language and literature, medieval literature, manuscript studies, German expressionism, culture of the Weimar Republic, German applied linguistics, and performing and visual arts from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Tuition and Fees

Saint Louis University takes pride in being one of Barron's Best Buys in College Education and Kiplinger's Best Values in Private Colleges.

For information regarding the upcoming academic year’s tuition rate, fees and financial aid, visit SLU Financial Services.

2017-2018 Tuition and Fees
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Minor in German Studies

Students must complete 15 hours to earn a minor in German studies, including:

  • GR 3010: Oral and Written Proficiency I
  • GR 3020: Oral and Written Proficiency II
  • GR 3200: German Culture Studies I
  • GR 3250: German Culture Studies II
  • Oneupper-level German studies elective from the following list: GR 4010/ GR 4150/ GR 4200/ GR 4250/ GR 4350/ GR 4500/ GR 4650/ GR 4700/ GR 4750.
Special Events

German Immersion Weekend

Students enrolled in “GR 2010: Intermediate German Language and Culture” and most upper-division language courses take part in the annual German Immersion Weekend each fall semester, where they can enjoy German food, film, dance, and art.