Global Studies and Languages

German Studies

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Overview

German Studies at MIT offers a comprehensive academic program ranging from beginning to advanced levels. Aimed at undergraduates and graduates, the German curriculum engages students in the study of language, contemporary culture, history, film, and literature of German-speaking countries. With current faculty expertise covering the fields of migration, cultural transfer, media, science, environment, and technology – German Studies encourages broad engagements with Germany in relation to some of the central questions that shape our time. Highlighting transnational perspectives, German Studies contributes to the larger mission in Global Studies and Languages to enable students to become critical global citizens and refine their problem solving skills to local challenges.

The four semester language-focused course series (German I-IV) assumes no background in German language or culture. Students in these courses acquire the communication and cultural competencies that allow them to engage in further study in advanced courses and to participate in the MISTI-Germany Program to gain international work experience. All courses use innovative and engaging pedagogies together with study materials ranging from print to digital. Each course in this sequence is offered both fall and spring semesters. In addition, beginning and intermediate language courses are offered in a 3-week intensive format during the Independent Activities Period (IAP) in January. Undergraduates can elect to concentrate, minor, or major in German Studies.

Spring 2019 Course Offerings
Tier I
21G.401   German I
21G.402   German II
21G.403   German III
21G.404   German IV
Tier II
21G.410   Advanced German: Communication for Professionals
Tier III
21G.057   Gender, Race, and Environmental Justice
21G.417   Cultural Geographies of Germany: Nature, Culture, and Politics

Looking ahead

Fall 2019
Tier I
21G.401   German I
21G.402   German II
21G.403   German III
21G.404   German IV
Tier II
21G.412   Advanced German: Literature and Cultures
21G.420   Visual Histories: German Cinema 1945 to Present
Tier III
21G.058/21G.418 Migration, Race, and Ethnicity in a New Europe and Germany

The indication of prerequisites for specific German offerings does not apply to students who have already completed equivalent work. For further placement advice, consult one of the field advisors in German.

A note regarding the enrollment policy of the Global Studies and Languages section: Enrollment limited to 18 for pedagogical reasons. Preference will be given to pre-registered students, including pre-registered undergraduates who were cut from the same class the previous semester due to the enrollment cap. Please note that you have to attend the first day of class to maintain your preference level. As a general rule, preference will be given in the following order in case of over-enrollment: declared majors, declared minors, declared concentrators, first-years, sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students.

Requirements

MIT students have interests and prospects that span the globe. The academic programs offered by Global Studies and Languages—concentrations, minors, and majors— offer undergraduates the opportunity to combine a degree in any STEM-related field with in-depth language and cultural studies.

Major
Advisor: Bettina Stoetzer
A major in German, through advanced-level coursework in German literature and culture, brings students to a high level of proficiency in the language. The program:

Requires 11 subjects (138 units) beginning at German III
- 6 of these subjects overlap with the 8-subject HASS GIR
- The 5 remaining subjects count as units beyond GIR
  - A typical major in German provides 66 units beyond GIR
May include a pre-thesis (21G.THT) and thesis (21G.THU) for up to 18 units of the 138 units in the major. Note:
- The pre-thesis and thesis are reserved for students who have completed advanced-level coursework in a particular language group and demonstrate outstanding competence in the particular field of study

German Major Degree Chart
Sample Roadmap German Major

Sample Roadmap Double Major German

Double Major Worksheet

Double Major Application Instructions

Minor
Advisor: Bettina Stoetzer
A minor in German leads students who have already reached an intermediate level of proficiency (above German II) into a more advanced study of the language and culture. The program:

Consists of 6 subjects arranged in 3 levels of study starting at German III or higher*
- 5 of these subjects overlap with the 8-subject HASS GIR. The remaining 6^th subject counts for 12 units beyond GIR

A student can concentrate and minor in the same field.
*Please note that German I & II do not count towards the Minor. They do count towards the Concentration.

Minor in German: MIT Bulletin
SHASS Minor Guidelines and Procedures

Concentration
Advisor: Bettina Stoetzer

There are several concentration options, depending on whether the focus is language or literature and culture.

If a student’s incoming level is German I:

4 subjects, German I through German IV are required to complete the concentration

If a student’s incoming level is German II or above:

3 subjects at German II or above are required to complete the concentration

An upper-level concentration may include three subjects, such as German III or German IV and/or intermediate to advanced classes taught in German. Certain subjects offered in English that pertain to German studies may be applied towards fulfilling certain concentration requirements; please see the concentration advisor for approval.

For the online HASS Concentration Form, click through to studentformsandpetitions.mit.edu!
Current Brochure

Study Abroad

Advisor: Ellen Crocker (email)
You may also consider spending a summer, a semester, or a year abroad. Credits received from most accredited programs will count towards your major, minor or concentration you should consult with the Study Abroad Advisor in German prior to your departure.

MIT-Germany

Part of MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI)

MIT-Netherlands

Part of MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI)

MIT-Switzerland

Part of MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI)

MIT Global Education and Career Development Office : General information about study abroad. All forms related to study abroad and scholarship information available.

Activities

Max Kade Program

The unique Max Kade Writer-in-Residence Program brings a German-speaking writer to MIT to teach a special advanced-level course in German every two years. These writers bridge two or more cultures and/or languages by virtue of their biographies and writing, and they provide the students an alternative understanding of German and Swiss society and culture.

The German Studies Excellence Award at MIT

The annual award, sponsored by Global Studies and Languages (GSL) and MISTI-Germany, was started in 1997 to honor students each academic year who exhibit unusually strong skills and effort in the study of German language and culture in courses at MIT. The awards are decided by a jury of faculty from the German program.

Ecology und Global Justice Forum

The simultaneity and proliferation of environmental degradation, racial violence, forced migration, war, and neoliberal market policies that currently threaten the flourishing of human and non-human life defies a separation between social, psychological and environmental registers in our understanding of the key challenges of our time. Led by Bettina Stoetzer, Assistant Professor in German at GSL, the Ecology and Global Justice Series provides a forum for conversation among cultural critics, artists, and scientists about how to tackle these challenges and how to think across different registers while combining matters of social justice with environmental concerns.

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German Studies

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