Major & Minor
The department offers both a major and minor in German Studies, and many students combine their study of German with another discipline. Students then used that combination to go on to pursue careers in medicine, education, law, business, and non-profit work. For instance, in the past few years German majors and minors have also majored or minored in:
| Biology | Business |
| Physics | History |
| Philosophy | Sociology |
| Political Science | Italian |
| Registrar Code | Degree Awarded | Completion Hours | Courses Required |
| GERMANST | BA | 42 | 13 |
Requirements
Students must complete 36-42 credit hours in German Studies courses to complete the major. The number of credit hours required for the major depends on the student's placement into the German program:
- For students beginning with 101, 42 credit hours including 8 credits for the 101-102 sequence are required to complete the major;
- For students beginning with 102, 38 credit hours including 4 credits for 102 are required;
- For students beginning with courses numbered 201 or higher, 36 credit hours are required.
Regardless of placement, required components of the major include the following:
- 2 courses in German numbered 400 or higher, one of which must be completed during the student’s final year at Emory. Courses must be a minimum of 3 credit hours; independent study projects and senior thesis research cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.;
- GER 392 (1-credit conversation course, which is repeatable but may count for the major only once);
- An academic study abroad program in the German-speaking world:
- Emory's Summer Study Abroad Program in Vienna (a minimum of 8 credit hours from this program can count toward the major), or
- One semester in Freiburg, Berlin, or Vienna through an approved program (a maximum of 12 credit hours can be counted from semester study abroad toward the major)
Students may substitute a maximum of 7 credit hours in courses on German-related topics approved by the German Studies Department and taught by either the German Studies Department or another department, such as Film Studies, History, Art History, Music, Political Science, or Philosophy. These courses may be taught in German, English, or Yiddish.
Declare (or remove) a major or minor on OPUS under the Course Planning and Enrollment tile.
| Registrar Code | Credits Required | Courses Required |
| GERMANSTMIN | 30 | 7 |
Requirements
Students must complete 24-30 credit hours in German Studies courses to complete the minor. The number of credit hours required for the minor depends on the student's placement into the German program:
- For students beginning with 101, 30 credit hours including 8 credits for the 101-102 sequence and one credit for German Conversation course (GER 392) are required to complete the minor;
- For students beginning with 102, 26 credit hours including 4 credits for 102 and one credit for German Conversation course (GER 392) are required to complete the minor;
- For students beginning with courses numbered 201 or higher, 24 credit hours including one credit for German Conversation course (GER 392) are required to complete the minor required
Students may substitute a maximum of 3 credit hours in courses on German-related topics approved by the German Studies Department and taught by either the German Studies Department or another department, such as Film Studies, History, Art History, Music, Political Science, or Philosophy. These courses may be taught in German, English, or Yiddish.
Declare (or remove) a major or minor on OPUS under the Course Planning and Enrollment tile.
Complete the Major/Minor Form
Complete the online Declaration of Major/Minor form in OPUS. Be sure to select your German Studies sub-plan based on your entry level: 101, 102, or 201 or higher.Contact our DUS
Contact our Director of Undergraduate Studies after submitting your request to schedule an appointment to review the requirements and opportunities available.Review the requirements
Review the requirements for the German Studies major and minor in the other tabs on this page.
There are many ways to complete the requirements for a German Studies major. The table below outlines just 4 different options.
Note that a German Studies major does not preclude majoring or minoring in another department. In fact, every current German Studies major is a double major.
The most popular combinations with a German Studies major have in recent years:
- International Studies
- Business Administration
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Anthropology
- Human Biology
German Studies majors have also double majored in:
- Italian
- History
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- Music
- Physics
Prior knowledge of German is not a prerequisite for choosing to major in German. In the last seven years 38% of all majors started their study in German 101, 41% in German 201, and 21% in German 301/320.
Notes:
- Any 400-level course can count toward the major, not just those listed below. 401, 402, 403, 404 are course numbers for 400-level courses that were selected for illustrative purposes only.
- “x” refers to a summer that was not spent engaged in German Studies through Emory. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!
| Elementary Student | Intermediate Student | Intermediate Student | Advanced Student |
Year 1 | 101 & 102 | 201 & 202 | 201 & 202 | 301 & 302 |
Summer 1 | 201 & 202 in Vienna | 370A & 370B in Vienna | x | x |
Year 2 | 320 & 321 | 301 & 302 | 301 & 302 | 320 & 321 |
Summer 2 | x | 370A & 370B in Vienna | ||
Year 3 | 401 & 402 | 401 & 402 & 340 | 401 & semester abroad | 401 & 402 & 340 |
Summer 3 | Emory-funded research for Honor’s thesis | x | Emory-funded research for Honor’s thesis | |
Year 4 | 403 & 404 & thesis | 403 & 404 | 403 & 404 | 403 & 404 & thesis |
