Assistant Professor: Ulrich Plass, Chair

Adjunct Associate Professor: Iris Bork-Goldfield

Departmental Advising Expert 2008–2009: Krishna Winston

Department/Program Home Page

Interdisciplinary in nature, the academic field known as German studies has undergone rapid development in recent years. At Wesleyan, the Department of German Studies takes an active part in internationalizing the curriculum to educate students for a world in which a sophisticated understanding of other cultures has become increasingly important. A background in German studies can provide preparation for careers in many fields, including teaching, translation, publishing, arts administration, international law, business, and foreign service. Graduate study in certain subfields of literature, as well as linguistics, philosophy, art history, history, psychology, the natural sciences, music, and many other disciplines, calls for fluency in German.

At every level, the German Studies Department's courses in German stress the four basic skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking and attempt to develop students' sensitivity to language and its relationship to culture. Instruction in the German language helps students gain an appreciation of the significance of grammar, syntax, idiom, and levels of diction. The department's courses offered in English focus on the German-speaking countries' specific historical experiences and on their contributions to literature, the other arts (film, photography, music, painting), and many other areas. These courses often raise the question of translation, asking how successfully cultural phenomena particular to a certain place and time can be expressed in another language.

In its courses and in other activities, such as lectures and an informal film series, the department provides rich opportunities for students to encounter the cultures of the German-speaking countries past and present. All students interested in German are welcome to take courses in the department and to participate in department-sponsored events.

Major program. To become a German studies major, a student should have no grade lower than a B in any course offered by the department, except GRST101 and 102. The department recognizes the diversity of students' interests and goals by allowing majors great flexibility in designing their programs of study, which are arranged in close consultation with a faculty advisor in the department. While a specific concentration is not required, coherence should be a guiding principle. Majors are expected to fulfill the General Education Expectations.

Requirements and procedures. The department requires nine credits worth of courses. At least five credits must be earned in courses taught in German above the level of GRST214. Courses in which class discussion is conducted in English may be taken in the German Studies Department and, with the major advisor's approval, in other departments. A maximum of three courses from other departments may be counted. For additional practice in German, majors taking courses taught in English by faculty in the department are strongly encouraged to do part of the reading and writing in German and to have extra sessions with the instructor to discuss the material in German. All majors must take GRST299, Seminar in German Studies, and GRST301, Advanced Seminar in German Literature. GRST299 is offered almost every year in the first semester and should be taken in the sophomore or junior year. GRST301, offered annually, should be taken in the junior or senior year. Majors are expected to spend a semester in Germany, preferably with the Wesleyan-Vanderbilt-Wheaton Program in Regensburg. Credits for courses taken in Regensburg, including one credit from the two-credit intensive language program, count toward the major, provided the subject matter is relevant to German studies; students should consult their major advisor about whether a given course will count.

Criteria and procedures for departmental honors.

• Eligibility. To become a candidate for honors in German studies, a student must have earned a B+ or better in all German studies courses above GRST211 and must fulfill the departmental requirements for GRST301 and GRST299 stated above.
   
• Candidacy. A prospectus must be handed in and approved by the tutor or department chair by the end of Reading Period in the spring of the junior year. The senior must sign up for GRST409/410 (Senior GRST Thesis Tutorial), unless he or she is a candidate for honors in both German studies and another department or program; in this case, the thesis tutorials may be divided between the departments. Alternatively, both 409 and 410 may be taken in the German Studies Department or the other department or program. The two departments must agree in advance on what constitutes adequate supervision of the candidate, must approve the topic, and must agree to cooperate in the evaluation of the thesis. By the deadline set by the Committee on Honors, the department will formally nominate the candidate if it appears reasonably certain that the project will be completed on time and in the approved form.
   
• Honors projects. The following are examples of two-semester senior-year projects: a traditional research thesis; a detailed analysis of a text, to be presented in written form; a translation from German to English, accompanied by a critical essay or introduction; a production of a play, accompanied by a written analysis; a creative project written in German, accompanied by a brief introduction or afterword.
   
• Deadline. All theses and written projects must be submitted by the spring deadline established by the Committee on Honors. Suitable dates for theatrical productions will be arranged by the department.
   
• Evaluation and award of honors. The student's project will be evaluated by the tutor(s) and a designated reader or readers. If honors are awarded, they may be either honors or high honors. The award will be reported to the Honors Committee and the faculty. A student receiving high honors may, at the department's discretion, be nominated to take the qualifying examination for University honors.

German Haus. This small house at 135 High Street, with seven single rooms, sponsors many cultural and social activities. To apply for a place, a student should get in touch with the residents of the house by the end of the first semester.

Department prizes. Students who demonstrate excellence in the study of German may be candidates for prizes given from the Scott, Prentice, and Blankenagel funds. For information, see the department chair.