2026-2027 Course Catalog

Source: https://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/las/germanic-studies-balas/german-studies/ Parent: https://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/

for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Germanic Studies, German Studies Concentration

The Germanic Studies Concentration provides a multidisciplinary approach to the study of German, emphasizing a balanced knowledge of German language, literature, and culture as well as exposure to contemporary politics and social issues in broader European and global contexts.

Undergraduate degree programs in Germanic Languages & Literatures:

• Germanic Studies: German Studies, BALAS
• Germanic Studies: German Business & Commercial Studies, BALAS
• Teaching of German, BA
• Germanic Studies: Scandinavian Studies, BALAS

for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Germanic Studies, German Studies Concentration

Graduation Requirements

Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours.

Minimum hours required major and supporting course work: normally equates to 34 hours in German. Twelve hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be taken on this campus.

University Requirements

The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.

General Education Requirements

Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | Composition I | | 4-6 | | Advanced Composition | | 3 | | Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | | 6 | | Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | | 6 | | Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | | 6 | | Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | | 6-10 | | Language Requirement (Completion of the fourth semester or equivalent of a language other than English, or completion of the third semester in two different languages other than English is required) | | 0-20 |

Major Requirements

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | Minimum of 34 hours of German courses including: | | | | GER 211 | Conversation and Writing I | 3 | | GER 212 | Conversation and Writing II | 3 | | GER 420 | German Cultural History | 4 | | Select 24 hours, including at least 12 hours of 300- and 400-level coursework from this list: | | 24 | | GER 103 | | | | GER 104 | | | | GER 201 | German Popular Culture | | | GER 205 | Germany and Europe | | | GER 250 | Grimms' Fairy Tales - ACP | | | or GER 251 | Grimm's Fairy Tales in Context | | | GER 260 | The Holocaust in Context - ACP | | | or GER 261 | The Holocaust in Context | | | GER 270 | Sexuality and Literature | | | GER 331 | Intro to German Literature | | | GER 332 | German Literature and Culture | | | GER 385 | Politics of the European Union | | | GER 401 | Global Issues in German | | | GER 403 | German-English Translation: Theory & Practice | | | GER 465 | German Linguistics | | | GER 470 | Middle Ages to Baroque | | | GER 471 | Enlightenment to Romanticism | | | GER 472 | Realism to Expressionism | | | GER 473 | 1920s to Today | | | GER 493 | German Cinema I | | | GER 494 | German Cinema II | | | Total Hours | | 34 |

for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Germanic Studies, German Studies Concentration

Sample Sequence

This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.

Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a fourth level of a language other than English. See the corresponding section on the Degree General and Education Requirements page.

Total Hours: 120

for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Germanic Studies, German Studies Concentration

1. Language ability: Students develop and improve their foreign language abilities, i.e. their ability to read, speak, write, and listen in German in order to work with texts and communicate with others in the language.

2. Cultural-historical literacy and knowledge: Students develop and improve their ability to function in non-native cultural-historical and linguistic contexts and communities in order to respect and navigate cultural differences and build upon similarities. Furthermore, students will synthesize knowledge relevant to broad cultural and linguistic areas within German studies in order to apply that knowledge toward the other learning outcomes outlined here.

3. Analytical and argumentative skills: Students develop and improve their abilities to analyze diverse cultural artifacts in order to apply analytical thinking and discursive skills to the construction of sound, supported, factual argumentation rather than merely expression of opinion, completely or in part.

4.Writing development:  Students will demonstrate and produce well-written, communicative, argumentative, and interpretive texts in German and/or English in order to competently meet diverse writing tasks. Furthermore, students will be able to carry out various forms of research in support of their writing in order to create more substantive texts, which are also genre appropriate and written for a particular audience.

for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences in Germanic Studies, German Studies Concentration

Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures

Germanic Languages & Literatures Faculty\ German advising

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

overview of college admissions & requirements: Liberal Arts & Sciences