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
The program consists of 11 subjects (138 units) beginning at German III. 6 of the 11 subjects may count towards the 8-subject HASS GIR. The 5 remaining subjects provide 66 units beyond GIR.
Students choose from the following list of subjects:
Core subjects:
21G.404 German IV
21G.406 German Communication Intensive I CI-M (for majors in German only)
21G.407 German Communication Intensive II CI-M (for majors in German only)
Electives:
Tier I
21G.403 German III
Tier II
21G.405 Intermediate German: Intensive Study of Language and Culture
21G.409 Advanced German: Visual Arts, Media, Creative Expression
21G.410 Advanced German: Communication for Professionals
21G.412 Advanced German: Literature and Culture
Tier III
Taught in English
21G.029/419 City Living: Ethnographies of Urban Worlds
21G.055 Media in Weimar and Nazi Germany
21G.057 Gender, Race, and Environmental Justice
21G.058/418 Race and Migration in Europe
21G.059 Paradigms of European Thought and Culture
17.561 European Politics
Taught in German
21G.414 German Culture, Media, and Society
21G.416 20th and 21st-Century German Literature
21G.417 Cultural Geographies of Germany: Nature, Culture, and Politics
21G.420 Visual Histories: German Cinema
The CI-M requirement is completed by pairing the 3-unit add-on subject numbers 21G.406 and 21G.407 with two of the Tier II or III subjects in German, as listed above. These pairings count as two single subjects worth 15 units each towards the eleven-subject requirement. Students who have registered for 21G.406 or 21G.407 will develop an additional project with the faculty member teaching the affiliated subject.
A major course plan may include a pre-thesis (21G.THT) and thesis (21G.THU) for up to 18 units of the 138 units in the major. 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 their field of study.
Note: students starting the major at Tier II do not need to take 21G.404 German IV as part of the major program.
Advisor: Eric Goldberg
German Major Degree Chart
Sample Roadmap German Major
Sample Roadmap Double Major German
Double Major Worksheet
Double Major Application Instructions
Joint Majors: 21E Humanities and Engineering; 21S Humanities and Science
These programs entail nine subjects in German, starting at 21G.403 German III or higher, and six subjects from a chosen Engineering or Science course. Student must complete two CI-Ms, one taken from each area of study. Only one subject being used to meet the distribution component of the HASS Requirement may be counted toward the degree program.
Minor
A minor in German leads students who have already reached an intermediate level of proficiency (German II) into a more advanced study of the language and culture.
The program consists of 6 subjects arranged in 3 tiers starting at German III. Five of these six subjects overlap with the 8-subject HASS GIR. A student can concentrate and minor in the same field.
All subjects listed above are eligible for the minor. Typically, only one subject taught in English is allowed in a minor course plan, and requires the approval of the minor advisor.
Advisor: Eric Goldberg
Minor in German: MIT Bulletin
SHASS Minor Guidelines and Procedures
Concentration
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 3 subjects, such as German III or German IV and/or intermediate to advanced classes taught in German (Tiers II and III). See above under German Major for the list of subjects.
Subjects offered in English that pertain to German cultural studies may be applied towards certain concentration requirements; please see the concentration advisor for approval.
Advisor: Haohsiang Liao
For the online HASS Concentration Form, click through to studentformsandpetitions.mit.edu!
Transfer Credit
Transfer credit examiner: Haohsiang Liao
Current Brochure