Chief Undergraduate Advisor (Fall 2007):
Prof. Sherrill Harbison
Telephone: (413) 545-2350
Office: 521 Herter Hall
Chief Undergraduate Advisor (Spring 2008):
Prof. Robert G. Sullivan
Telephone: (413) 545-6672
Office: 509 Herter Hall
Chair:
For info, contact Mary Maynard ▪ 513 Herter
Hall ▪ 413-545-2350 ▪
maynard@german.umass.edu
Why Major or Minor in German and Scandinavian
Studies?
- We offer small classes and a feeling of community,
and give our majors and minors lots of attention.
- German helps in getting into graduate school.
At many U.S. and Canadian universities, German
is the global language most often required.
- The drinking age is sixteen, the beer and bread
are world class, and everyone hangs out in cafés!
- 40% of U.S. scientists recommend learning German.
- German improves your options on the job market!
- There are lots of fellowships and internships available
if you want to go to Germany or Scandinavia.
- More than 750 U.S. companies do business in Germany and Scandinavia,
while
hundreds of German and Scandinavian ones do business in the U.S, like:
SAP, T-Mobile, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Ikea, Saab, Nokia, Volvo, and Mirma
KKG.
- Saunas and nude sun bathing!
- German and the Scandinavian languages are the most-widely
spoken in Europe, with over 125 million speakers!
- German officers pioneered modern military tactics and strategies
that form a core
of the curriculum at West Point and other American academies.
- Great people have spoken German! Some examples? Bill Clinton, W.E.B.
DuBois, Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, J.S. Bach, Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Ludwig von Beethoven, Karl Marx, Martin Luther, Dirk Nowitzki, Max
Weber, Heidi Klum, Sigmund Freud, Amadeus Mozart, Max Planck, Marlene
Dietrich, the Grimm brothers, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger,
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Otto von Bismarck, and over 75 Nobel Prize
winners.
- Universities are really cheap, even for foreigners!
- Skiing in the Alps and fishing in the fjords!
German and Scandinavian Studies at UMass
Amherst
German and Scandinavian Studies teaches languages as well as
familiarizes students with the cultural achievements of Germany and
Scandinavia and hones their critical thinking through historical,
sociological, cultural, and, above all, interdisciplinary methods. We
currently have the only program in the northeastern U.S. that offers
courses in four Nordic languages: Swedish, Finnish, Old Norse and
Norwegian (through the Five-College Center for the Study of World
Languages). We offer many courses in German film, history,
twentieth-century literature, and cultural, Jewish, and gender studies.
Our courses are among the most popular at the University of Massachusetts
Amherst. Undergraduates can work on practical projects with faculty
ranging from research assistantships to development of web-based language
instruction and course website creation. A number of our undergraduates
have participated in prestigious international internships.
The program is structured to set the study of the Germanic languages and their literatures within the contexts of their respective cultures, including their historical, economic, political, philosophical, and cultural aspects. Strong interdisciplinary ties with other departments (music, drama, the visual arts, history, philosophy, political science, business) are encouraged. Members of different American and European faculties appear as speakers before the department or teach as visiting professors. Close cooperation with the Goethe Institute in Boston enriches the extracurricular program and acquaints students with many aspects of contemporary Germany, far beyond the strictly literary realm. German drama is occasionally performed and German film series are regularly offered, often in conjunction with the surrounding colleges. Lectures and performances which are sponsored by the German departments of Amherst, Mount Holyoke, and Smith colleges are open to all students and greatly diversify the cultural offerings in this field.
Unique to German and Scandinavian Studies at the University of
Massachusetts Amherst:
Kaffeepause
German and Scandinavian Studies hosts a monthly Kaffeepause, or
coffee break, where students and faculty mingle and eat a typical meal of
bread, cheese, sausage, cake, and other sweets. Bring your friends!
Thatcher House
Thatcher House is the foreign language dorm on campus, where students live
in order to speak one of the languages sponsored there: Spanish, French,
Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and German. There are three ways to get
involved in Thatcher, through German and Scandinavian Studies. First, you
can live in Thatcher, which is the closest thing to a total immersion
experience, without actually going to Germany! Second, you can enroll in
the Language Suite, which is a relaxed, two-credit conversation class
required of Thatcher students and open to other students who want to speak
more German. In this class, we watch movies, play games, discuss current
events, and learn more about German culture. Third, you could attend
events at Thatcher House, like the monthly Kulturabend and other events.
Interested? Contact the Thatcher TA, Allie Merley Hill:
amerley@german.umass.edu
The DEFA Film Library
The DEFA Film Library was founded in the early 1990s by Professor Barton
Byg, who hoped to make East German cinema more available and better known
in the U.S. DEFA stands for Deutsche Film Aktiengesellschaft - the
state-run East German film studios, where films were made from 1946 to
1990. The Film Library's collection grew bit by bit, as the
post-unification fate of East Germany's film heritage was being decided
across the Atlantic. In 1997, a groundbreaking agreement brought the
largest collection of 16 and 35mm DEFA prints outside of Germany to the
UMass Amherst campus, and the DEFA Film Library also hosted the first
international conference on East German cinema in North America - thanks
to collaborations with PROGRESS Film-Verleih and the DEFA Foundation in
Berlin. In 1998, ICESTORM International brought East German titles on
video to North America. Since then, the DEFA Film Library has continued to
grow; to date we have hosted 2 international conferences, 3 Summer Film
Institutes and 4 touring film series, and our holdings now include over
400 prints, over 1,000 research videos and DVDs and over 400 articles,
books and periodicals. Research visitors are welcome at the DEFA Film
Library!
The Black Germans and Europeans Initiative
German and Scandinavian Studies has been the US base for two multi-year,
international research projects co-sponsored by the Universities of Mainz
and Massachusetts, one on Black Europeans, funded by the Volkswagen
Foundation, and another on Black Germans, funded by the Alexander von
Humboldt Foundation. The Humboldt grant underwrote an exciting
multi-disciplinary conference on "Remapping Black Germany: New
Perspectives on Afro-German History, Politics, and Culture," held at UMass
in April 2006. Recent graduate seminars have focused on "Migrants'
Literature" and "Race Theory," and, with a grant from the Provost's
Office, faculty and graduate students are working together to integrate
materials on Black Germans into undergraduate language courses. Plans for
future projects include a 2009 Summer Film Institute, organized in
collaboration with the DEFA Film Library, on "SOLIDARITY! East German Film
and Africa."
The Ibsen Translation Project
German and Scandinavian Studies at UMass Amherst has recently been
selected as the home base for the Ibsen Translation Project, established
to provide the only authoritative translation into English of the new
33-volume historical-critical edition of Henrik Ibsen’s writings now being
prepared in Norway. The edition, launched as part of the centennial of the
death of the world’s foremost modern dramatist, is to be available in both
book form and in an electronic format. Included are Ibsen´s dramas, poems,
letters, articles, speeches, as well as notes and drafts by the author’s
hand, all drawn from the original texts. The scholarly introductions,
commentaries, and notes, which add context and correct distortions
accumulated in over a century of 2nd-and 3rd-hand editions and
translations, will serve as the basis for all future performances,
translations and literary
Living, Learning, and Working in
Germany and Scandinavia
Interested in studying in Scandinavia? German and Scandinavian Studies
has historically sponsored exchanges with Linkjöping University in Sweden,
and the International Programs Office maintains connections with Uppsala
University and the University of Copenhagen. Many other study-abroad
programs are available in each of the Nordic countries, some focused on
language acquisition, and others (taught in English) on special fields of
study. See Professor Harbison
or contact the International Programs
Office for more information.
For over forty years, the University of Massachusetts has maintained an
exchange program with the German State of Baden-Württemberg, now extending
to nine universities, including the Universities of Heidelberg, Freiburg,
Koblenz, and Tübingen. The UMass International Programs Office (IPO)
facilitates the enrollment of UMass undergraduates at these universities
and German graduate students at UMass. Coursework completed in Germany
will transfer into credits towards a UMass degree.
Students who study abroad for two semesters generally return home fluent
in German. They may apply for scholarships to defray living costs. For
more information, contact Regina John in the International Programs Office
(tel. 545-2710) or go to the
website
The School of Management offers a course for first-year students who are
otherwise unable to study abroad. This year-long course includes a
two-week excursion to Germany or France during the January break to visit
European and American firms and to introduce first-year students to German
and French culture and language.
The Hospitality and Tourism Management (program within the School of
Management operates a facility in Switzerland where our faculty teach
General Education courses and classes on German/Swiss culture, history and
politics.
After they graduate, German majors have considerable opportunities to win
fellowships and get internships from the Fulbright Commission, the German
Academic Exchange Program, the Robert Bosch Foundation, the
Friedrich-Ebert Foundation, the Congress-Bundestag Exchange, and CDS
International.
The Major
(The major in German and Scandinavian Studies has been updated and the requirements listed below might be subject to change as the University completes its approval process. For clarification, please see the undergraduate advisor.) A total of thirteen courses is required for the German and Scandinavian Studies major, seven required courses from Group A, and one course each from six distribution areas (B through G). No course may satisfy more than one requirement. Courses satisfying major requirements must be 200-level or above.
The program's Undergraduate Advisor will serve as the general advisor for all undergraduate majors. At the end of their junior year majors will, however, choose an individual advisor from among the program faculty to guide them through their capstone project. The self-designed capstone project, usually carried out during the student's senior year, must be developed in consultation with and approved by the student's individual advisor and the academic unit's undergraduate advisor but is otherwise limited only by the student's imagination. It may take various forms, including a: thesis, portfolio, internship, video; webpage or computer program; creative writing exercise; curriculum designed for students learning German or a Scandinavian language at any level; semester-long student-taught colloquium; conference organized by the student; theatrical performance, musical composition or performance, artistic artifact; or other project of the student's devising. This requirement may be satisfied by an honors student's capstone experience in Commonwealth College, as long as it coincides with our general requirements.
In addition to courses offered through the German and Scandinavian Studies program, students are encouraged to take courses outside of the academic unit. These may fulfill some major requirements, with the permission of the undergraduate advisor (see below).
Four-College Courses: Courses in German Studies offered through the Five-College Consortium offer an excellent means for students to broaden exposure to the field, particularly in the areas of literature and film.
Component courses: Some requirements (as indicated below) may be satisfied by taking a “component course” that addresses a topic or region larger than Germany or Scandinavia alone. To qualify as a component course, however, it must include a significant emphasis on German or Scandinavian society and/or culture. In addition, the student's own work in the course must focus on aspects of German or Scandinavian culture in order for the course to qualify for major credit. Requires approval of the Undergraduate Advisor.
Courses in Germany and Scandinavia, or elsewhere: Some requirements may be satisfied by courses taken in Baden-Württemberg, at other U.S. institutions, or elsewhere. Careful consideration will be given to the content and level of each course to determine which, if any major requirement it fulfills.
In addition to course work, majors are also strongly encouraged to take advantage of three supplemental opportunities.
Max Kade German
Suite at Thatcher
Live in the German
Language Suite in Thatcher House dormitory while they are on campus. In
addition to conducting day-to-day life in a German language environment,
residents participate in a relaxed seminar together once a week.
Study Abroad
Live and study in Germany
or Scandinavia as part of their undergraduate experience. Students may take
advantage of the Baden-Württemberg Program administered here at UMass
Amherst, or apply for study abroad programs elsewhere in the German-speaking
world or Scandinavia. Please contact the Chief Undergraduate Advisor for
more information.
Courses in Germany and
Scandinavia, or elsewhere
Some requirements may be
satisfied by courses taken in Baden-Württemberg, at other U.S. institutions,
or elsewhere. Careful consideration will be given to the content and level
of each course to determine which, if any major requirement it fulfills.
Zertifikat Deutsch
Exam
Take the Zertifikat
Deutsch exam when you are a graduating senior. This internationally
recognized certification of competency in German is particularly useful for
those considering graduate school or a career in business.
Course Work
Prerequisites
For the concentration in
German Studies: GERMAN 110, 120, 230, 240 or the equivalent
For the concentration in
Scandinavian Studies: SWEDISH 110, 120, 230, 240 or the equivalent
To apply for the major or
the minor, meet with the Chief Undergraduate Advisor. Because of the
language sequences, a major in German and Scandinavian Studies (GSS) should
be declared as soon as possible. In general, four years of high school
German or Swedish should guarantee proficiency through the 240-level.
Students uncertain of their language level should contact the Chief
Undergraduate Advisor about placement.
Requirements for the
Major = 13
courses, inc. Junior Year Writing Requirement (39 credits)
A. Six Required Courses (inc. Junior Year Writing requirement
/ JYW))
German Concentration
Scandinavian Concentration
German 310: Advanced German I Swedish 310:
Advanced Swedish I
German 311: Reading German Culture Swedish 320: Advanced
Swedish II
German 320: Advanced German II German 276: Vikings
and Their Stories
German 341: Early German
Culture German 365: Scandinavian Mythology
German 391G: German
Studies Junior German 391G: German Studies Junior Seminar /
JYW Seminar / JYW
German 425: Advanced
Composition Swedish 391: Scandinavian Authors
B. Six Elective
German/Scandinavian Studies Courses, one in each of the following areas:
(see pp. 3-4 for details)
1. History
2. German/Scandinavian
Society
3. Comparative
Requirement
4. Literature
5. Film
6. One additional
Cultural Studies course
C.
Capstone Project: (German 491)
In
the second semester of their junior year, majors will choose an individual
advisor from among the program faculty to guide them through their Capstone
Project. The self-designed capstone project, carried out during the
student’s senior year, must be developed in consultation with and approved
by the student’s individual advisor and committee, but is otherwise limited
only by the student’s imagination. It may take various forms; some examples
are a: thesis, portfolio, internship, video; webpage or computer program;
creative writing exercise; curriculum designed for students learning German
or a Scandinavian language at any level; student-taught colloquium;
conference organized by the student; theatrical performance, musical
composition or performance, or an artistic artifact. This requirement may be
satisfied by the Commonwealth College’s “capstone experience,” as long as it
coincides with our general requirements.
Five-College and
Component Courses
Require approval of Chief Undergraduate Advisor
Courses in German Studies
offered through the Five-College Consortium offer an excellent means for
students to broaden exposure to the field, particularly in the areas of
literature and film.
Some elective
requirements may be satisfied by taking a “component course” that addresses
a topic or region larger than Germany or Scandinavia alone. To qualify as a
component course, however, it must include a significant emphasis on German
or Scandinavian society and/or culture. In addition, the student’s own work
in the course must focus on aspects of German or Scandinavian studies in
order for the course to qualify for major credit.
General Education
Courses
The University allows
ONE general education (Gen. Ed.) course to simultaneously fulfill a
major requirement. The following courses, which are all taught in English,
may be counted toward program, as well as general education requirements:
GERMAN 270
(AL) From Grimms to Disney
GERMAN 276
(AL) Vikings & their Stories
GERMAN 304
(AT) Film: From Berlin to Hollywood
GERMAN 341
(HS) Early German Culture
GERMAN 363 (IG)
Witches: Myth & Reality
GERMAN 365
(AL) Scandinavian Mythology
GERMAN 370
(I) Nineteenth-Century German Thought
GERMAN 379
(I) Contemporary Germany
Also of interest for the
major are: LINGUIST 201 (R2) and HISTORY 140, 141 (HS)
Areas for Elective
Courses
1. History Requirement
One
course in the History of Germany or Scandinavia.
May
be satisfied by: HISTORY 323 Modern German History
Or,
with advisor’s approval:
GERMAN 380 Weimar Republic Society and Culture
GERMAN 497A Nazi Germany
GERMAN 370 The Holocaust.
2.
German or Scandinavian Society Requirement
One
course addressing the economics, government, politics, society, and/or
culture of contemporary Germany or Scandinavia.
May
be satisfied by: GERMAN 377 Politics and Culture
GERMAN 379 Contemporary Germany
POL
SCI 332 Gov’t and Politics of Scandinavia
GERMAN 380 Weimar Republic Society and Culture
GERMAN 397S Viking Revival: Creation of a Nordic Ideal
Or,
with advisor’s approval, Five College and component courses in the
Departments of Economics, Political Science, Anthropology, Sociology, etc.
Component courses might include:
ANTHRO 262 Intro to the Cultures of Europe
ECON
361 European Economic History
POL
SCI 239 Gov’t and Politics of Western Europe
3.
Comparative Requirement
One
course that examines German and/or Scandinavian culture in comparison to
some other culture.
May
be satisfied by:
GERMAN 297A Crusades and the Images of Islam
GERMAN 363 Witches: Myth and Reality
GERMAN 397S Viking Revival: The Creation of a Nordic Ideal
Or,
with advisor’s approval, Five College and component courses. Component
courses might include:
HISTORY 302 Early Middle Ages
HISTORY 303 Later Middle Ages
HISTORY 304 Late Middle Ages/Early Renaissance 1300-1494
HISTORY 305 Late Renaissance and Protestant Reformation 1494-1600
HISTORY 307 The Enlightenment
HISTORY 310 European Political Diplomacy, 1870-1914
HISTORY 311 European Political Diplomacy
HISTORY 313 European Intellectual History - 19th Century
HISTORY 314 European Intellectual History - 20th Century
HISTORY 325 Military History of Modern Europe: WWI
HISTORY 386 A Survey of World War II
HISTORY 387 History of the Holocaust
JUDAIC 335 Jewish Experience of Europe
ANTHRO 262 Introduction to the Cultures of Europe
ECON
361 European Economic History
POL
SCI 239 Gov’t and Politics of Western Europe
4. Literature/Linguistics Requirement
One
German or Scandinavian literature course at UMass or, with advisor’s
approval, one of the other four colleges.
5.
Film Requirement
One
German or Scandinavian film course.
May
be satisfied by:
GERMAN 304 Berlin to Hollywood
GERMAN 597A East German Film
SWEDISH 397F Scandinavian Cinema
GERMAN 597C Film and Fascism
GERMAN 597F History of Film
Or,
with advisor’s approval, Five College and component courses, which may
include:
COMP
LIT 381 Self-Reflective Avant-Garde Film
COMP
LIT 382 Cinema and Psyche
COMP
LIT 383 Narrative Avant-Garde Film
6.
Additional Cultural Studies Course
One
more course in the German and Scandinavian Studies program, which may
include a course on: A supplementary Scandinavian language
Literature (see above)
Popular culture (eg, GERMAN 270 From Grimms to Disney)
Linguistics (eg, GERMAN 585 Structure of the German
Language)
Mythology (eg, GERMAN 365 Scandinavian Mythology)
History (eg, GERMAN 370 Nineteenth-Century German
Thought)
Music (eg, GERMAN 592C The German Poem—Lied)
Art
History (eg, GERMAN 372 Vienna 1890-1914)
Society, politics and art (eg, GERMAN 276 Viking and their Stories)
GERMAN 377 Politics and Culture
GERMAN 380 Weimar Republic Society and Culture
GERMAN 397S Viking Revival: The Creation of a Nordic Ideal
Or,
with advisor’s approval, Five College and component courses, such as:
ART
HIST 305 Early Medieval Art
ART
HIST 307 Romanesque and Gothic Art;
ART
HIST 308 Medieval Painting
ART
HIST 323 European Art 1780-1990
JUDAIC ST 333 Jewish Philosophers in the Twentieth Century
MUSIC 501 Seventeenth Century
MUSIC 502 Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven
MUSIC 503 The Nineteenth Century
Music 504 Music of the Twentieth Century
MUSIC 505 History of the Opera
MUSIC 506 Music of the Renaissance
MUSIC 507 The Age of Bach and Handel
PHILOS 329 Medieval Philosophy
PHILOS 330 Continental Rationalism
PHILOS 332 Kant
Career Opportunities
The German major prepares students for graduate school as well as employment in business, government, and education. The ability to read, write, and speak in a major world language other than English can greatly enhance an individual's career options. In the expanding global economy, most of the nations of eastern Europe and western Asia are using German as their common (second) language, and multinational corporations are seeking highly skilled translators and interpreters on an unprecedented scale. Graduates of the department are employed in many different fields, including law, international management, medicine, comparative literature, film studies, history, political science, book publishing, and organizations concerned with trade and commerce, technology and science, leisure and sports, the environment, and the arts.
The Minor
Students considering a minor in German and Scandinavian Studies are encouraged to contact
Professor Harbison for advising on courses best suited to their interests.
Requirements
Five departmental courses including:
310 Advanced German I
311 Reading German Culture
320 Advanced German II
342 Modern German Culture: 1700-Present (or 341 German Civilization to
1700)
Plus one additional course in German Literature or German Studies (as
listed under Major requirements).
With the permission of the undergraduate advisor, a course focused on Germany taken in another department at the University of Massachusetts or in a German-speaking country may be substituted for this additional fifth course in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the German Minor.
Contact Us
German and Scandinavian Studies
510 Herter Hall
University of Massachusetts
161 Presidents Dr.
Amherst, MA 01003-3925 USA
Telephone: (413) 545-2350
Fax: (413) 545-6995
Back to top
|
