German Studies

Courses offered by the Department of German Studies are listed on the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses web site under the subject codes GERGEN (German General) and GERLIT (German Literature). For courses in German language instruction with the subject code GERLANG, see the "Language Center" section of this bulletin.

The department's goal is to provide students with the linguistic and analytic ability to explore the significance of the cultural traditions and political histories of the German-speaking countries of Central Europe. At the same time, the interdisciplinary study of German culture, which can include art, history, literature, media theory, philosophy, and political science, encourages students to evaluate broader and contradictory legacies of modernity, such as how the literary, artistic, and cultural responses to the belated and rapid modernization of Germany allow for reflection on the modern condition in general.

Similarly, the German experience of national identity and political unification sheds light on wider issues of cultural cohesion and difference, as well as on the causes and meaning of phenomena such as racial prejudice, anti-Semitism, and the Holocaust. In general, an education in German Studies not only encourages the student to consider the effects of German-speaking thinkers and artists on the modern world, but also provides a lens through which the contours of the present and past can be evaluated.

The department offers students the opportunity to pursue course work at all levels in the languages, cultures, literatures, and intellectual histories of the German-language traditions. Whether interested in German literature or the influence of German thought on other fields in the humanities, students find a broad range of courses covering language acquisition and refinement, literary history and criticism, cultural history and theory, history of thought, continental philosophy, and linguistics.

By carefully planning their programs, students may fulfill the B.A. requirements for a double major in German Studies and another subject. An extended undergraduate major in English and German literature is available, as are coterminal programs for the B.A. and M.A. degrees in German Studies. Doctoral students may elect Ph.D. minors in Comparative Literature, Linguistics, and Modern Thought and Literature.

Special collections and facilities at Stanford offer possibilities for extensive research in German Studies and related fields pertaining to Central Europe. Facilities include the Stanford University Libraries and the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace. Special collections include the Hildebrand Collection (texts and early editions from the 16th to the 19th century), the Austrian Collection (with emphasis on source material to the time of Maria Theresa and Joseph II, the Napoleonic wars, and the Revolution of 1848), and the Stanford Collection of German, Austrian, and Swiss Culture. New collections emphasize culture and cultural politics in the former German Democratic Republic. The Hoover Institution has a unique collection of historical and political documents pertaining to Germany and Central Europe from 1870 to the present. The department also has its own reference library.

The Republic of Austria has endowed the Distinguished Visiting Professorship in Austrian Studies. The professorship rotates on a yearly basis through several departments.

Haus Mitteleuropa, the German theme house at 620 Mayfield, is an undergraduate residence devoted to developing an awareness of the culture of Central Europe. A number of department courses are regularly taught at the house, and there are in-house seminars and conversation courses. Assignment is made through the regular undergraduate housing draw.

MISSION OF THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM IN GERMAN STUDIES

The mission of the undergraduate program in German Studies is to provide students with the linguistic and analytic background necessary to explore the significance of cultural traditions and political histories of the German-speaking countries of Central Europe. In addition, its interdisciplinary component prepares students to evaluate how the literary, artistic, and cultural responses to the belated yet rapid modernization of Germany allow for reflection of its modern condition. Students pursue course work at all levels in the languages, literatures, and intellectual histories of the Germanic nations. The program prepares students for careers in business, social service, and government, and for graduate work in German Studies.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The department expects undergraduate majors in the program to be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are used in evaluating students and the department's undergraduate program. Students are expected to demonstrate:

oral proficiency beyond the interpersonal level with presentational language abilities.
writing proficiency beyond the interpersonal level with presentational language abilities.
close reading skills of authentic texts in German.
the ability to develop effective and nuanced lines of interpretation.

STANFORD IN BERLIN

Undergraduates interested in Germany are encouraged to enroll in the Berlin program, which is open for academic study during the Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters. The program also offers internships in German industry, government, and cultural organizations year round. Through the Center, students with at least two years of college-level German can also take courses at the Freie Universität, Technische Universität, or Humboldt Universität. Most students live in homes with German hosts.

Most credits earned in Berlin can be applied to the undergraduate major in German Studies. All students who are planning to study at Stanford in Berlin or engage in an internship are encouraged to consult with the Chair of Undergraduate Studies and the Overseas Studies office about integrating work done abroad into their degree program. Returning interns who wish to develop a paper based on their experience should enroll in GERLIT 298. More detailed information is available at the Overseas Studies Program in Sweet Hall or with the Chair of Undergraduate Studies.

COTERMINAL PROGRAMS

Students may elect to combine programs for the B.A. and M.A. degrees in German Studies. University requirements for the coterminal M.A. are described in the "Coterminal Bachelor's and Master's Degrees" section of this bulletin. For University coterminal degree program rules and University application forms, see http://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/registrar/publications#Coterm.

Graduate Programs in German Studies

The University requirements for the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees are described in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.

Explore Degrees Archive, 2010-11

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