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Organization, Regulations, and Courses 2025-26


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German Studies

Chair: Yuliya Komska

Professors G. Gemünden; Associate Professors V. Fuechtner, K. Mladek, Y. Komska, P. McGillen; Assistant Professor: M. Deniz, M. McGillen; Senior Lecturer/Research Assistant Professor N. Ostrau; Senior Lecturer H. Denzel; Senior Adjunct Lecturer E. Miller

To view German Studies courses, click here. 

Important Note: The Department of German Studies has made significant changes to the Major & Minor, beginning with the Class of 2029. Classes 2026-2028 may opt into the new Major/Minor requirements or continue with their earlier edition. See below for the earlier Major/Minor requirements. 

New Requirements for the Major

Students design their major plan in consultation with a faculty advisor/ the Chair prior to declaring it on DartWorks. There are two major types, Major in German Studies and Modified Major in German Studies, each consisting of a minimum of ten courses. These include two prerequisites and eight required courses.

Prerequisites to graduating with a German Studies major and modified major:

  • Two courses at the intermediate level (GERM 6, GERM 10.00, GERM 10.01, GERM 10.03, GERM 10.06, or permission of the Chair). Please note:
    • Students completing the summer Language Study Abroad (LSA) receive credit for GERM 6;
    • Students completing the summer Language Study Abroad+ (LSA+) receive credit for GERM 6 and GERM 10.00;
    • GERM 5 may never count toward the major.

I. Major in German Studies

A major in German Studies focuses on understanding and interpreting texts, cultural artifacts, material mediums, and mediums of communication in their historical and intellectual contexts. This major is ideal for students whose priority it is to deepen their competencies in the German language while also expanding their knowledge of Germanophone cultures and societies.

Prerequisites: See above.

Required courses:

  • Eight German Studies courses numbered 13 or above, in addition to the prerequisites. A third German 10-level course may replace one of these courses. Please note:
    • All three courses in the Foreign Study Program (FSP) receive major credit (GERM 29, GERM 30, and GERM 31);
    • GERM 13-16 and 42-47 are taught in English. No more than two may count toward this major. With permission of the Chair, you may replace one such course in the German Studies department with an appropriate course in another department. At least one-third of the work in the substituted course should be on topics related to German Studies;
    • A GERM 65 course must be completed as the culminating experience in the winter of the senior year. German 65 may also be taken prior to the senior year, with a different number in the decimal, but that iteration will not count as the culminating experience. 

II. Modified Major in German Studies

A modified major combines the resources of the German Studies department with a coherent selection of courses from one or more other departments and programs. It is ideal for students whose priority it is to develop a cross-disciplinary profile.

Prerequisites: See above.

Required courses: 

  • Four German Studies department courses numbered GERM 13 or above, in addition to the prerequisites. A third German 10-level course may replace one of these courses. Please note:

    • GERM 13-16 and 42-47 are offered in English, and no more than one such course may count towards the Modified Major;
    • A GERM 65 course must be completed as the culminating experience in the winter of the senior year. German 65 may also be taken prior to the senior year, with a different number in the decimal, but that iteration will not count as the culminating experience. 
    • Four courses beyond the introductory level (numbered 11 or above) that are taught in other departments or programs, such as Art History, Comparative Literature, Film Studies, Geography, Government, History, Jewish Studies, Music, Philosophy, Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Religion. At least one-third of the work in these courses should be on topics related to German Studies, with the appropriate syllabus is submitted for consideration to the Chair at the time of planning. The four courses should amount to a coherent intellectual program. At the time of planning, the students should also submit a single-paragraph rationale to the department (when declaring, also to the Registrar) to explain how the four courses cohere and how they complement the rest of the major. None of these courses may count toward other majors or minors.

New Requirements for the Minor

Prerequisites:

  • Two courses taught in German at the intermediate level: GERM 6, GERM 10.00, German 10.01, GERM 10.03, GERM 10.06, or permission of the Chair. Please note:
    • Students completing the summer Language Study Abroad (LSA) receive credit for GERM 6;
      • Students completing the summer Language Study Abroad+ (LSA+) receive credit for GERM 6 and GERM 10.00;
  • GERM 5 may not count toward the minor.

    • Required courses: Four courses numbered German 13 or above, as follows:

    • If GERM 6 is taken a prerequisite, an additional German 10-level course may count among the minor-level courses;
    • GERM 13-15 and GERM 42-47 are taught in English. No more than one may count toward the minor. By permission of the Chair, you may replace such a course with an appropriate advanced course in another department or program, such as Film Studies, Government, History, Jewish Studies, Music, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Comparative Literature, or Philosophy. At least one-third of the work in this course should be on topics related to German Studies;
    • GERM 29, 30, 31 (LSA+/FSP), and 64-87 are taught in German. A minimum of two must be taken to complete the minor;
    • GERM 65 may be taken more than once, with a different number in the decimal. 

    Earlier Edition Requirements for the Major

    Prerequisite : Two courses in the GERM 10.XX range (GERM 10.00, GERM 10.01, GERM 10.03 etc.) or permission of the Chair. Students majoring in German Studies design an individual program in consultation with a departmental adviser and/or chair.

    The Department of German Studies offers three routes to the major:

    1. Major A focuses on literary and non-literary texts in their historical and intellectual contexts, comprising courses offered by the Department of German Studies. With permission of the Chair, one appropriate course in another department or program may be substituted.

    Requirements : eight courses numbered above 14 (GERM 42-47, which are in English translation, require additional work in German), three of which normally come from participation in the Foreign Study Program in Berlin (GERM 29, GERM 30, and GERM 31). All majors must take the upper-division seminar offered in the winter term of their senior year (normally a GERM 60s course). At the end of their senior winter term, all majors will give a presentation based on their work done for this seminar.

    2. Major B combines resources of the Department of German Studies with a coherent selection of those of other departments and programs, such as Art History, Comparative Literature, Film Studies, Geography, Government, History, Music, Philosophy, and Religion. In principle, any relevant course in the Dartmouth curriculum that is approved by the Department of German Studies may qualify for this major.

    Requirements : six courses in the German Studies Department numbered above 14 (GERM 42-47, which are in English translation, require additional work in German), three of which normally come from participation in the Foreign Study Program in Berlin (GERM 29, GERM 30, and GERM 31); four advanced courses from among those offerings in other departments or programs that deal substantially with the culture of German-speaking countries. All majors must take the upper-division seminar offered in the winter term of their senior year (normally a GERM 60s course). At the end of their senior winter term, all majors will give a presentation based on their work done for this seminar.

    3. Modified Major combines German Studies with another discipline in a coherent program of study. This major is designed individually by the student with a departmental adviser. It may include participation in the Foreign Study Program in Berlin.

    Requirements : six courses numbered above 14 (GERM 42-47, which are in English translation, require additional work in German); four courses beyond the introductory level in another department or program of the College and approved by the Chair of the Department of German Studies. All majors must take the upper-division seminar offered in the winter term of their senior year (normally a GERM 60s course). At the end of their senior winter term, all majors will give a presentation based on their work done for this seminar.

    Senior Culminating Experience : All German majors must take the upper-division seminar offered in the winter term of their senior year. This course will count as one of the eight courses required for Major A and one of the ten courses required for Major B or the Modified Major. In addition to regular participation in the seminar, senior majors will meet with its professor during designated x-hours to discuss methodology and to develop a research topic. Additional work will culminate in a significant essay, the argument of which will be presented orally in German to classmates and to the faculty of the Department of German Studies at the end of winter term.

    Earlier Edition Requirements for the Minor

    Prerequisites: Two courses taught in German at the intermediate level: German 6 (LSA/+), German 10.00 (LSA+ or on campus), German 10.01, German 10.03, German 10.06, or by permission of the Chair.

    Minor-Level Courses: Four courses numbered German 13 or above, as follows:

    • German 13-15 and German 42-47 are taught in English translation. No more than two may count toward the minor. Only one course from German13-15 may count.

    • German 29, 30, 31 (Berlin FSP/LSA+), and 61-87 are taught in German. A minimum of two must be taken to complete the minor.

    One of the German courses in English translation may be replaced with an appropriate advanced course in another department or program, such as Film Studies, Government, Engineering, History, Jewish Studies, Music, or Philosophy, with permission of the Chair. At least one-third of the coursework should be on a topic directly related to German Studies, or by permission of the Chair.

    Dartmouth Language Study Abroad Program in Germany (LSA/LSA+)

    LSA/LSA+ are German-language programs that run jointly in Berlin during the summer term. Students live with local familles, take courses taught by on-site instructors and the Dartmouth faculty director, and enjoy numerous cultural events and field trips in Berlin and outside. 

    LSA prerequisite: GERM 2 with a grade of B- or higher, or equivalent preparation, and admission to the program. 

    LSA+ prerequisite: GERM 3 with a grade of B- or higher, or equivalent preparation, and admission to the program. 

    Upon successful completion of the LSA, students receive credit for GERM 3, GERM 5, and GERM 6. GERM 3 serves to complete Dartmouth's foreign language requirement. Upon successful completion of the summer LSA+, students receive credit for GERM 5, GERM 6, and GERM 10.

    Dartmouth Foreign Study Program in Germany (LSA+/FSP, Germany on the World Stage)

    LSA+/FSP are German-language programs that run jointly in Berlin during the fall term. Students live with local familles, take in-depth courses taught by on-site instructors and the Dartmouth faculty director, and enjoy a long study trip to Vienna as well as numerous events, field trips and live performance outings in Berlin. 

    LSA+: GERM 3 with a grade of B- or better, or equivalent preparation, and admission to the program. 

    FSP prerequisite: Admission to the program and a grade of B or better in any two German-language courses from among German 6 (LSA/LSA+), German 10.00 (LSA+ or on campus), German 10.01, German 10.03, German 10.06 or equivalent (with the Chair’s permission). Please note: 

    • students who have successfully completed the summer LSA/LSA+ qualify without additional coursework;
    • students who receive credit for German 10.00 as the result of a placement test must complete one further course (GERM 10.01, GERM 10.02, or GERM 10.03, for example.) 

    Upon successful completion of the fall LSA+, students receive credit for GERM 10, GERM 30, and GERM 31. Upon successful completion of the FSP, students receive credit for GERM 29, GERM 30, and GERM 31.

    For the programs the department runs in cooperation with other units on campus—namely, the Jewish-German Studies Migration and Memory (Fall Term +) and German Studies-Engineering FSP: Green City (every other spring term)—please consult the Frank J. Guarini Institute for International Education at https://guarini.dartmouth.edu/programs.

    German Honors Program 

    German Studies seniors with a strong interest in in-depth research and motivation to do long-form writing are encouraged to participate in the Honors Program. By the start of the fall term of their senior year, all prospective honors students must secure an advisor. By October 1, they must submit to the advisor and Department Administrator a thesis proposal demonstrating adequate knowledge of the topic, with a bibliography appended at the end. Examples appear on the department website under "Honors Program", which describes the Honors timeline in detail. The proposal must be approved by the department. In senior winter, the prospective honors students must enroll in GERM 65 and produce sufficient written work to quality them for continuing their project in GERM 87 in the spring term.