Undergraduate Handbook

The German program offered through the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at the University of Nebraska provides students with opportunities to acquire proficiency in the use of the German language and with courses of study leading to the undergraduate major or minor in German. The department also offers degree programs at the graduate level leading to the M.A. and to the Ph.D. in German.

A German major or minor at UNL prepares students for a wide range of professional activities. Our graduates have gone on to careers in secondary and post-secondary teaching, law, psychology, the natural sciences, and engineering. UNL German majors are well prepared for graduate studies in either German literature or linguistics. Many of our majors choose to double-major in another field, some in another language or in the humanities, others in the natural or social sciences. Our faculty members’ affiliations with a number of UNL’s interdisciplinary programs (European Studies, Judaic Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Women’s Studies) offer interesting possibilities for students wanting to broaden their study of German to related fields. Students can also do a double-major within our Department, which offers, besides German, majors in French, Spanish, and Russian.

Major Requirements

21 hours of courses numbered 300 or above, including 6 hours at the 400 level.

Required:
(All courses are three hours unless otherwise noted.)

• German 301 Representative Authors I
• German 302 Representative Authors II
• German 303 Advanced Composition, Grammar, and Conversation I
• German 304 Advanced Composition, Grammar, and Conversation II

Electives: 300 Level
(All courses are three hours unless otherwise noted.)

• German 307 German for Business and Commerce I
• German 308 German for Business and Commerce II
• German 317 Introduction to Linguistics in German
• German 319 Phonetics in German
• German 321 German Civilization I
• German 322 German Civilization II
• German 398 Special Topics in German (credit arranged)
• German 399 Independent Study (credit arranged)

Electives: 400 Level
(All courses are three hours unless otherwise noted.)

• German 403 Advanced Syntax and Stylistics in German I
• German 404 Advanced Syntax and Stylistics in German II
• German 405 Linguistics in German
• German 407 History of the German Language
• German 442 Survey of Medieval German Literature in Translation
• German 443 Middle High German Language
• German 444 Middle High German Literature
• German 445/446 Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century German Literature (3 hrs each)
• German 447 Eighteenth Century German Literature
• German 448 Romanticism
• German 449 Nineteenth Century German Literature I
• German 450 Nineteenth Century German Literature II
• German 451 From Naturalism to Expressionism
• German 452 From the Weimar Republic into Exile
• German 453 History of German Poetry
• German 455 Postwar German Literature I
• German 456 Postwar German Literature II
• German 459 Works of Goethe and Schiller
• German 460 Goethe's Faust
• German 498 Special Topics in German (credit arranged)

Portfolio
All German majors must submit, before they graduate, a PORTFOLIO. This portfolio is used by the Department to assess the German undergraduate program--it is submitted anonymously by the student, and is NOT to be used to assess the STUDENT!! Students are free to make a copy of their portfolio for their own use, for example in their job interviews or for applying to graduate schools.

Included in the this portfolio are:

• One paper from 301 or 302
• One paper from 303 or 304
• Two papers from 400-level classes, at least one in German
• Taped oral proficiency interview
• If possible, one paper from 203 or 204
• A brief personal statement summarizing his/her experience as a German major at UNL.

A minor is required and can be taken in any other program in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Minor Requirements

Plan A:
Twelve hours in German at the 300 or 400 level including at least six hours from German 301, 302, 303, and 304 and at least 3 hours at the 400 level.

Plan B:
Six hours in German at the 300 or 400 level, including at least 3 hours from German 301, 302, 303, and 304.

Placement
If you are entering the German program with a year or more of high school or college German, you are required to take the placement examination to determine your level of entry into our sequence of courses. The computer-based test is given in the Language Lab (302 Burnett) during New Student Enrollment, and also during the academic year. Depending on your level of preparation, you may be eligible for 3-6 hours of advanced placement credit. Information about advanced-placement credit is available in the Modern Language Department office, or from undergraduate and placement advisors. For for information about Placement Testing please visit the Language Lab website, www.unl.edu/langlab/.

Advanced Placement Credit
If you took three or more years of German in High School, you may be eligible for 3 to 6 hours of retroactive credit. See the Vice-Chair or Departmental Office for details and the proper paperwork.

Secondary Teaching Endorsement
Students planning to teach in high school should contact Dr. Ali Moeller, 115 Henzlik Hall, 472-2024 and enroll in the Teacher's College.

Business Minor for Arts and Sciences Students
Arts and Sciences students who plan a business career might consider a Business Minor. This 24 or 12 hour minor will give you exposure to a wide range of business courses. You can major in German at the undergraduate level and then do an MBA (Master of Business Administration) after receiving your B.A., if you include the proper business prerequirements for the MBA in your undergraduate program. See the MBA entry of the Graduate Studies Bulletin for the list of these courses.

CBA Students
These German courses count toward your additional hours for the Group III/Block II Humanities requirement: 101 (if you take 102 as well), 102, 201, 202, 203, 204, 282, 283, all 300 and 400 courses, except for 398, 399 and 498. Use your additional elective hours towards the prerequisites for these courses. Note that German 307 (German for Business) is on the list of "International" courses. Students taking German 307 are prepared to take the internationally recognized Goethe-Institute exam, the Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf ; the instructor, Prof. Christina Brantner, is a certified tester for this exam. Finally, CBA students are encouraged to minor in a language by completing one of the two options available to A&S students. These requirements change frequently, and you should check the Bulletin to see which apply to you.

Course Descriptions

101. Beginning German (5 cr)
The primary goal of beginning German is to help the student achieve a certain ability to communicate in German. This course puts equal stress on all four language skills (listening-speaking-reading-writing). Listening and speaking will be stressed in the classroom and the language lab. Participation and attendance is very important. Homework is assigned daily; there are a series of chapter tests and a two-hour final.

102. Beginning German (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 101. This course is a continuation of German 101.

181. Beginning German for Reading (3 cr)
Prerequisite: Open to juniors, seniors, and graduates beginning their German. Does not apply to general education requirements. Rapid course in the essentials of grammar followed by reading of varied types of literary and technical publications. For mature students; also designed to meet the needs of graduates preparing for the German reading examination.

201. Second-Year German (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 102 or equivalent. Develop communicative skills learned in German 101/102 through conversation, reading, writing, audio and video tapes. Complete review of grammar. Daily homework, several quizzes, a series of chapter tests, and a two-hour final exam.

202. Second Year German (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 201 or equivalent. Continuation of German 201.

203. Composition and Conversation (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 201 or permission. The course stresses the active skills of writing and speaking. The class requires compositions, small group projects and discussion of selected reading texts. It also includes an in-depth review of several grammatical topics which prove troublesome to intermediate German students.

204. Composition and Conversation (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 203. Continuation of 203.

210. Block Course Accelerated Second Year German (6 cr)
Prerequisite: German 102. This course covers the same material as German 201/202.

282-283. German Literature in Translation (cr arr)
Prerequisite: 6 hrs courses in literature. Masterpieces of German literature in translation. A study of selected texts to be announced in the schedule and the course description booklet. Permission for student to take these courses more than once may be obtained from the instructor if the area of concentration has changed.

283G. German Literature in Translation (3 cr)
This course will present a series of German texts in translation and will identify a theme or problem reflected in them, such as, The Quest for Identity from Goethe to Christa Wolf, The Soldier in German Literature, or Women in German Literature. These texts will be examined as literary works in their own right as well as within the context of the historical and philosophical development of the theme of the course. German 283 and 283G may not both apply towards a degree without special permission.

301. Representative Authors (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 203 or 204, 321 or 322, or permission. Introduction to 20th-Century German literature. A small selection of 20th Century German masterpieces will be discussed in considerable detail. Class discussion and occasional lectures in German. Course grade will be based on two exams, a short paper and class participation.

302. Representative Authors (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 301 or equivalent, plus 203 or 204 or 321 or 322 or permission. Intensive analysis of a few literary masterpieces. Instruction and readings in German. Midterm, final and short essays.

303. Advanced Composition and Conversation (3 cr)
Prerequisite: 202 or 204 or permission. The course emphasizes writing—essays and letters: free and assigned topics/definitions and descriptions—as well as conversation in small groups. The text TURNEAURE (Der treffende Ausdruck) uses Modern German Literature as a basis for grammatical and syntactical exercises. Review of grammar on the third year level including learning of German idiomatic expressions. Two one hour exams and a final.

304. Advanced Composition, Grammar and Conversation (3 cr)
Prerequisite: 303 or permission. The course emphasizes writing—essays and letters: free and assigned topics/definitions, descriptions—as well as conversation in small groups. The text TURNEAURE (Der treffende Ausdruck) uses Modern German Literature as a basis for grammatical and syntactical exercises. Review of grammar on the third year level including learning of German idiomatic expressions. Two one hour exams and a final.

307. German for Business and Commerce (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 204 or permission. This course initiates a special sequence of language and culture study designed for students interested in international business. An introduction to cultural aspects of problems related to the conduct of international business. Focus on specific business language problems, e.g., business correspondence, commercial vocabulary, etc. An international exam, Deutsch für den Bemf, can be taken independently from this class, but it is strongly advised to take this class right before the exam every December.

308. German for Business and Commerce (3 cr)
Prerequisite: 307 or permission. A continuation of 307, using video sequences and workbooks with increasingly difficult materials and other subject areas not touched upon in 307. Discussion of assigned materials as a class and in small groups, use of video sequences with workbooks, and written assignments in the subject area. Midterm and final exam, written assignments and general oral performance.

317. Introduction to Linguistics in German (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 202 or equivalent, plus 203 or 204 or permission. Introduction to phonology, morphology, syntax, and basic linguistic concepts in German. Recommended for majors.

319. Phonetics in German (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 202 or equivalent, plus 203 or 204 or permission. An intensive study of standard German with the aid of tape recordings. Emphasis on articulation and phonetic transcription. Recommended for all majors.

321. German Civilization (3 cr)
Prerequisite: none. German 321 is taught in English and uses English texts and textbooks. This course is a survey of German social, cultural, and political history and of significant contributions in arts and letters from the earliest times to the present.

322. Special Topics in German Cultural History. (3 cr)
A different topic of significance will be chosen each year.

392. Topics in German Studies (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent, or permission. Offers interdisciplinary, in-depth look at particular period or problem in the history of the German-speaking lands, presenting a broad view of the cultural, intellectual, political and social aspects associated with the topic. Topics or problems covered might be: issues in contemporary German society; the Weimar Republic, Goethe’s Weimar, Jews in Germany, German children’s literature, the German fairy tail.

398. Special Topics in German (cr arr)
Prerequisite: German 301 and 302 or permission. Consideration of topics in the area of language, literature, and civilization. Specific topic to be covered in any given semester and credit to be awarded to be determined by the instructor at that time.

399. Independent Study in German (cr arr)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructors.

403-404. Advanced Syntax and Stylistics in German (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 303, 304 or equivalent. Advanced syntax and style in their application to composition. Recommended for all graduate students in German.

405. Linguistics in German (3 cr each)
Prerequisite: German 303, 304 or equivalent. Phonetics, phonemics, morphology, and transformational grammar as applied to standard German.

407. History of the German Language (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 302 or permission.

409. Morphemics in German (3 cr)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Morphemic theory and its application to modern German.

442. Survey of Medieval German Literature in Translation (3)
Prerequisite: German 302 for German majors or permission. An examination of the development of German vernacular literature during the Middle Ages. Major works to be studied include those that represent the philosophical/religious literature, the heroic epic, and the romance.

443. Middle High German Language (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 302 or permission. Grammar to attain reading knowledge of Middle High German/translation of excerpts from a variety of Middle High German texts.

444. Middle High German Literature (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 443 or 843 or reading knowledge of Middle High German. Reading of masterworks of Middle High German literature in the original language.

445-446. Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century German Literature (3 cr ea)
Prerequisite: German 302 or equivalent. Representative readings in German, Humanism, Reformation, and Baroque.

447. Eighteenth-Century Literature (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 302 or equivalent. Representative authors of the Enlightenment and Storm and Stress.

448. Romanticism (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 302 or equivalent. Representative authors of the Romantic movement.

449. Survey of Nineteenth-Century German Literature I (1820-1848) (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 301 and 302 or permission. A survey of the major literary currents, authors, works, influences in German-speaking countries in the first half of the nineteenth century, excluding Romanticism, which is treated in German.

448/848.
The main concern of the course will be a careful examination of many aspects of Biedermeier and Das Junge Deutschland, the two major movements of the time.

450. Survey of Nineteenth-Century German Literature II (1848-1900) (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 301 or 302 and permission. A survey of the major literary current authors, works, influences in German-speaking countries in the second half of the nineteenth century. The main concern of the course will be a careful examination of Poetic Realism and Naturalism, the two major movements in this half of the century.

451. From Naturalism to Expressionism (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 302 or equivalent. Critical survey of the major literary currents from the turn of the century to the end of World War I.

452. From the Weimer Republic into Exile (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 302 or equivalent. Critical survey of German literature from 1918 to 1945.

453. History of German Poetry (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 302 or equivalent. Critical survey of the development of lyric poetry from the beginning to the present time.

455. Postwar German Literature I: The Literature of West Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (3 cr)
Prerequisite: Critical survey of major literary currents in the West since 1945.

456. Postwar German Literature II: The Literature of the GDR (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 302 or equivalent. Critical survey of major literary trends in the German Democratic Republic. Particular attention will be paid to the relationship between cultural policies and literary production in a socialist state, and to the problems of German writers after unification.

459. Goethe and Schiller (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 302 or equivalent. A study of representative works.

460. Goethe’s Faust (3 cr)
Prerequisite: German 302 or equivalent. A critical study. Lectures, assigned readings, and reports.

498. Special Topics in German (cr arr)
Prerequisite: Permission. Consideration of topics in the area of language, literature, and civilization. Specific topic to be covered in any given semester and credit to be awarded to be determined by the instructor at that time.

Stammtisch (German Table)

WHEN: Friday 5:00-6:30pm
WHERE: Yia Yia's Pizza, 14th & O St

Deutsch in Deutschland

Contact: Christina Brantner 402-472-3758, 1141 Oldfather Hall

Berlin has many historical and other interesting facets which you will want to explore. Among them are the Reichstag, 2 opera houses, a soccer stadium, and the Wannsee. You will also be able to visit the Berlin Wall Museum at the former Checkpoint Charlie, see the Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg (areas famed for their alternative life-styles), tour the Charlottenburg Palace and see the extensive displays at the Botanical Gardens and the Berlin Zoo. Berlin is also well known for its many other museums of art and history as well as its world-class musical ensembles and theaters. Berlin ranks amongst the world's most interesting cities, and you will have no lack of fun things to do and see in your free time. The program arranges many excursions within the city but also schedules a few day trips to Potsdam and Dresden, which are included in the program's costs.

Courses of Study

German language courses: The intensive language program is for undergraduates. After initial testing, both at UNL and in Berlin, students will be placed according to their proficiency. A contemporary German Civilization course, taught by the resident director will round off the program. In part 2 of the program, advanced students can take regular classes at the universities after successful completion of the language requirements. The resident director will also offer a 300 level class.

Academic Credits

For the 4 months language and culture courses 20 credit hours can be transferred (prearranged). You may earn additional hours as a visiting student at a German university in the second phase of the program. This credit is transferable by UNL department validation on return.

For more information: http://www.unl.edu/iaffairs/study_flyers/europe/deutschland.shtml