Courses of Study 2015-2016 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
German Studies
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In the College of Arts and Sciences .
Course Offerings
The Department of German Studies offers students a wide range of opportunities to explore the literature and culture of German-speaking countries, whether as part of their general education, a major in German Studies, a double major, or a German minor involving another discipline, or as preparation for graduate school or an international professional career. Courses are offered in German as well as in English; subjects range from medieval to contemporary literature and from film and visual culture to intellectual history, music, history of psychology, and feminist, gender, and sexuality studies.
The course offerings in German begin with GERST 1210 –GERST 1220 , GERST 1230 (introductory language level). Students then continue with intermediate-level courses, which provide further grounding in the language and in German literature and cultural studies. GERST 2060 provides instruction for German in the culture of business, leading to certification. On the advanced level (3000-level or above), we offer thematically oriented courses that include intensive language work (3000–3200); literature and culture study courses in German, including the senior seminar; and seminars of interdisciplinary interest taught in English. Addressing a broad spectrum of topics in German culture, our courses appeal to German majors, minors, and other qualified students alike.
The department’s offerings in English begin literature (e.g., the fairy tale and Romantic consciousness or 20th-century writers such as Kafka, Hesse, Mann, Brecht), theorists such as Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud, issues in mass culture and modernity, problems of German national identity/ies, and cinema and society. Courses in German and English at the 3000- and 4000-levels explore such topics as the Faust legend, aesthetics from Kant to Heidegger, city topographies, Freud and his legacy, opera from Mozart to Strauss, the German novel, literature and philosophy, political theory and cinema, the Frankfurt School, migration and globalization, and feminist theory. It may be possible to arrange a German section for courses taught in English, either informally or formally (for credit). Students are encouraged to discuss this possibility with instructors.
Website: german.cornell.edu
Faculty
A. Schwarz, acting chair; P. Gilgen, director of graduate studies; G. Lischke, language program director and director of undergraduate studies; L. Adelson, P. Dobryden, P. Fleming, A. Groos, G. Matthias, D. McBride, P. McBride, S. Noellgen, E. Pirozhenko, E. Siegel, G. Waite. Emeritus: D. Bathrick, P.U. Hohendahl.
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Sequence of Courses:
Courses in German:
Introductory level: GERST 1210 –GERST 1220 , after completion, placement into GERST 1230 or GERST 2000
Intermediate level: GERST 2000
Upper intermediate level: GERST 2020 , GERST 2040 , and GERST 2060
Advanced level: GERST 3000-level or higher taught in German
Courses taught in German that are numbered 3000 through 3200 focus on primarily language study; courses taught in German that are numbered 3210 through 3500 focus on studying literature and other forms of cultural expression.
Courses in German or English: further 3000- and 4000-level literature and culture courses (see course descriptions) Advanced Standing:
Students with an AP score of 4 or better can be granted 3 credits in German depending on placement test results. Students with an AP score of 4 or better, an LPG score of 65 or higher, an SAT II score of 690 or higher, or an official B1 Goethe Institute Certificate, must take the CASE exam for placement in courses above GERST 2000 . Students coming to Cornell with advanced standing in German and/or another subject are encouraged to consider a double major or minor and to discuss the options with the director of undergraduate studies as early as possible. Certificate in German Language Study:
The Certificate in German Language Study is issued to recognize substantial language study beyond the GERST 2000 level in the Department of German Studies. It is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, Level B2+. Students are awarded the certificate after passing three German Studies courses held in German with a grade of B or above. Two of these courses must be at the 3000-level or above. No more than two of the three courses can be taken with the S–U option. Applications for the language certificate may be picked up in the Department of German Studies (183 Goldwin Smith Hall) in mid-April. Internships:
The department is affiliated with the USA–Interns Program to provide summer internships to qualified students with German companies and agencies. Interested students should contact the language program director, Gunhild Lischke (gl15@cornell.edu, G75 Goldwin Smith Hall, (607) 255-0725). The deadline is October 31 every year. Majors in German Studies:
The department offers two options for the major: German literature and culture, and German area studies. The latter is a more broadly defined sequence that includes work in related disciplines. The course of study in either major is designed to give students proficiency in reading, speaking, and writing in German, to acquaint them with German culture, and to help them develop skills in reading, analyzing, and discussing German texts in relevant disciplines with those goals in mind. The department also encourages study abroad. For both majors, there is a wide variety of courses co-sponsored with other departments (Comparative Literature; Government; History; Music; Theatre, Film, and Dance; Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies).
The department encourages double majors and makes every effort to accommodate prospective majors with a late start in German. Students interested in a major should consult the director of undergraduate studies, Gunhild Lischke, G75 Goldwin Smith Hall. German (Literature and Culture):
Students in this major select courses from the Department of German Studies and may use them to pursue individual interests in literature, film and visual culture, theater and performing arts, music, intellectual and political history, and gender studies, for example. Please consult with the director of undergraduate studies.
Admission: By the end of their sophomore year, prospective majors should have successfully completed GERST 2020 , GERST 2040 , or GERST 2060 .
To complete the major, a student must:
- Demonstrate competence in the German language by successful completion of two 3000-level courses with intensive language work (GERST 3000–3200) or the equivalent.
- Complete six courses in the Department of German Studies at the 3000-level or above. One of these must be GERST 4100 - Senior Seminar .
- Select a faculty advisor from the department.
German Area Studies:
Students select courses from the Department of German Studies as well as courses with a substantial German component from other departments, such as Comparative Literature; Government; History; Music; Theatre, Film, and Dance; and Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies.
Admission: By the end of their sophomore year, prospective majors should have successfully completed GERST 2020 , GERST 2040 , or GERST 2060 .
To complete the major, a student must:
- Demonstrate competence in the German language by successful completion of two 3000-level courses with intensive language work (GERST 3000–3200) or the equivalent.
- Complete six courses with a substantial German component at the 3000-level or above. Three of these must be in the Department of German Studies, including GERST 4100 - Senior Seminar .
- Select a faculty advisor from the department.
Minor in German Studies:
The undergraduate minor in German Studies is intended for students enrolled in any of the seven undergraduate colleges at Cornell who wish to gain a broad understanding of the culture, literature, and society of German-speaking countries while they are refining their language competence. The minor is designed to provide for breadth while permitting flexibility to emphasize areas of interest in German studies.
The course GERST 2000 or equivalent is the prerequisite for declaring the minor. Students must complete a minimum of four courses numbered 2020 or above and selected from the offerings of the German Studies Department. At least one of these courses must be taught in German at the 3000-level or higher. One of the four courses may be from another department as long as it has a substantial German component. No more than one course per semester taken as part of a study abroad program may be counted toward the minor. GERST 4510 –GERST 4520 Independent Study may not be counted at all.
Interested students in the German Minor should consult with the department’s director of undergraduate studies, Gunhild Lischke, G75 Goldwin Smith Hall. Honors:
Honors in German Studies are awarded for excellence in the major, which includes overall grade point average and completion of the honors thesis. Students are awarded either honors (cum laude), high honors (magna cum laude), or the highest honors (summa cum laude) in the program based on the honors advisors’ evaluation of the level and the quality of the work completed toward the honors degree. The honors distinction will be noted on the student’s official transcript and will also be indicated on the student’s diploma.
Prerequisites for admission. Students must have upperclass standing, an overall GPA of a B or higher, and a GPA of 3.5 or higher in the major. Students must first consult with the director of undergraduate studies in German Studies regarding eligibility for the honors program.
Procedure. Students who wish to be considered for honors ideally should apply to the director of undergraduate studies no later than the second term of the junior year. Students who are off campus in their junior year must apply by the third week of classes in the first semester of their senior year. Students should secure the consent of a faculty member to serve as the director of both the reading course (GERST 4530 ) and the writing of a thesis (GERST 4540 ). With the help of their thesis advisor, students choose an area of special interest and identify at least one other faculty member who is willing to serve on the honors committee. An oral thesis defense concludes the process. Study Abroad in a German-Speaking Country:
The Department of German Studies strongly supports study abroad as an opportunity for students to live and study in the German cultural context. The experience of living abroad promotes enduring personal growth, provides new intellectual perspectives through cultural immersion, and opens up academic and professional opportunities.
Students interested in studying abroad are encouraged to consider the Berlin Consortium, of which Cornell is a member. The program is run in conjunction with the Free University of Berlin and is of very high caliber. Six weeks of an intensive proseminar on German discourse and culture held at the Berlin Consortium center are followed by one or two semesters of study at the university. Participants enroll in regular courses at the university. Assistance in finding internships between semesters may be available to students staying for an entire academic year. Four semesters of German language study (GERST 2020 , GERST 2040 , GERST 2060 ) are prerequisite for participating in the program for a full academic year; an additional GERST 3000-level course is required for spring; 3.0 language GPA.
Students interested in this or other study abroad options in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland should consult the language program director, Gunhild Lischke (G75 Goldwin Smith Hall, (607) 255-0725, gl15@cornell.edu). |
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