German Studies, Minor

The German Studies Program

The German Major at William & Mary may be self-designed through the Charles Center (https://www.wm.edu/as/charlescenter/).

The German Studies Program at W&M offers a Minor in German language, literature, philosophy, and cultural studies at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels, as well as many courses in German Studies taught in English translation, including COLL 100 and COLL 150 courses. Courses in English translation are often cross-listed with Philosophy, History, Film and Media Studies, Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, Judaic Studies, and European Studies.

The German Studies curriculum is designed to facilitate a wide range of research and study opportunities, from the introductory and intermediate study of German, to securing a deep understanding of the history of literature, thought, and culture in German-speaking countries, and finally, to helping students formulate research questions and engage in independent scholarly work at an advanced level. At all levels, we stress linguistic and cultural competency as well as critical, theoretical perspectives.

The German Studies Program at William & Mary is particularly strong in the following areas: Film Studies; 20th century literature; 18th century literature; the theory and practice of translation; the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazism; German literature and the history of science; fin-de-siècle literature and culture; post-war and post-Wall German literature, cinema, and culture; German philosophy from the 18th century to the present; multi-culturalism; migration studies; and the Nazi Genocide of the Jews, 1933-1945. Faculty closely mentor students on research projects and provide opportunities for actual research in the field. The program’s scholarship closely reflects the kinds of research in German Studies currently conducted nationally and internationally in the discipline.

We strongly encourage our students to study in a German-speaking country. In the Study Abroad section of our website, you will find links to information about our summer study abroad program at the Universität Potsdam and our junior-year semester or full-year program at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster.

Required Credit Hours: 18 Credits

Core Requirements

Six courses or 18 credits above GRMN 202. Students must take GRMN 207 Introduction to German Cultural Studies (Taught in English) (Taught in English). Of the remaining 15 credits, at least 6 credits must be at the 300-level or above. One course other than GRMN 207 Introduction to German Cultural Studies (Taught in English) (Taught in English) may be taken in English. COLL 100 and 150 courses may count toward the minor if they are on a topic directly relevant to German Studies (approval of the Program Director is required.)

The recommended sequence of courses for majors and for minors is indicated by the prerequisites given for each course. These prerequisites may be waived, however, provided the student receives consent to do so from the course instructor and the Program Director.