The German Studies major is designed to let students dive into intellectually engaging and personally fulfilling coursework no matter their initial language proficiency. There are many possible pathways through the major. Each student will work closely with the German faculty to create a course of study that responds to their interests and language proficiency, while preparing them to engage with a wide variety of German-language literary, historical, and cultural traditions.
Our major requirements are designed to allow students flexibility and freedom in their coursework. There is no fixed order of content courses and students still completing the language sequence are welcome and encouraged to take any 200 and 300 level course offered in English for major credit. Students who have satisfied their language proficiency requirement (German 210 or equivalent) may take any 300 level course at any point in their studies, including the three required courses for the major: German 315, 316 (German Cultural History), and German 495 (Senior Research Seminar, usually taken in the Fall of their senior year), as well as a minimum of four further German courses to complete the major, two of which must be courses in German culture and literature conducted in German. Additionally, German majors who participate in the Amherst-Göttingen Exchange may count two to three relevant courses taken during their studies abroad for Department Major Credit, as well as further courses towards College credit.