German Placement Information For First Year Students

German department courses engage with language, literature, art, and culture, taught in German, as well as literary, cultural, and multidisciplinary studies, taught in English. Students can develop their research and critical skills as they explore forms of cultural theory and production from the Middle Ages to the present. Intentionally interdisciplinary and inclusive, the department brings deep historical knowledge to global conversations on topics like identity, race, and the environment. Courses draw on diverse offerings in the narrative, spatial, sonic, and time-based works of architectural studies, performance studies, intellectual history, gender and sexuality studies, film/video and media studies, trauma and memory studies, European studies, and the digital humanities.

Courses offered in English are open to all students, regardless of levels of background or proficiency in German.

Students considering taking a German language course are advised to contact the department’s Language Coordinator, Dr. Anna Schrade. Placement in 300 level German literature and culture courses taught in German is determined in consultation with the respective instructors on the basis of a student’s language skills. AP results are considered in this conversation but are not always, in our experience, adequate indicators of the appropriate placement.

Note: Beginning German (German 101) will be offered in the spring semester as well as the fall.