Beginners looking for basic language instruction will find several sections of GER 101 each Fall, followed by 102 in the Spring. Students with high-school German should generally take GER 104 instead. Either way, students may then continue with intermediate courses (GER 151 and 152) before moving on to 300- and 400-level classes. These upper-level courses are offered on a rotating basis, so that our majors and minors always have new classes to choose from. Most 300- and 400-level classes are only repeated once every three years. "Topics" numbers (GER 410, 449, 450) are used for new courses. Students may take several different new courses under the same Topics number. A few upper-level courses are taught in English. These are open to all students.

Placement

Students coming to our program with some previous knowledge of German should consult the German Placement Information sheet. Those who still have questions about placement should consult with the Director of the German language program. (Click on "People" above for contact information.)

Independent Study

GER 499: Independent Study is available only to majors and minors interested in exploring a specific topic not covered by any of our regular courses. Students must consult with the professor before registering for GER 499.

German for Reading Knowledge

A special graduate course (GER 600 RDG) serves students who need to acquire a reading knowledge of German for research purposes.

Course descriptions and schedules

For official course descriptions, see the Undergraduate Catalog. Keep in mind that none of the courses beyond the 152 level are offered every year. For current and upcoming offerings, see the online class schedules.

Sample syllabuses are available for a number of our courses. The syllabus is subject to change each time a course is offered.