Undergraduate students may choose to major in either German studies or Russian studies. The department also offers courses in Hebrew studies and a minor in Nordic studies.
The major in German studies is an interdisciplinary program focusing on study of the German language, its manifestations in history, and its usage in the current cultural and social context; the literary, artistic, and philosophical aspects of German culture in the past and the present; the major historical events and developments in Germany and its neighboring countries, and the current political institutions and dynamics in Germany within the broader European framework.
The undergraduate degree in German studies emphasizes knowledge and awareness of:
In addition, students completing the degree in German studies are expected to acquire the ability and skills to:
The major in Russian studies is an interdisciplinary program focusing on study of the current cultural and social context, and the literary, artistic, and historical aspects of Russian culture in the past and present. The aim of the language curriculum is to equip students to read, write, speak, and understand Russian on a level allowing communication with natives and other users of the language. Before registering for a course, students should consult with a departmental advisor concerning appropriate placement.
Students interested in Russian studies should consider a double major in order to increase their career opportunities. Prospective teachers might combine Russian studies with a major in another foreign language, while those preparing for a career in government, business, or social services should benefit from a combination of Russian studies and a social science or business major. Students structure their curriculum according to the departmental checklist for majors, in close consultation with a departmental advisor.
The undergraduate degree in Russian studies emphasizes knowledge and awareness of:
In addition, students with a degree in Russian studies are expected to acquire the ability and skills to:
Course codes for these programs are GRMN, GSLL, HEBR, NORW, RUSS, SCAN, and SWED.
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below.
The major requirement in German studies is 34 hours beyond GRMN 2010 (with grades of C- or above). Students design their own major in consultation with the undergraduate advisor and a faculty mentor. Completion of the following courses is required; at least 18 hours from the department must be upper division. Students who test out of GRMN 2020 are required to complete 33 hours.
Required Courses and Semester Credit Hours
Completion of the following German language courses or demonstration of third year proficiency:
GRMN 4550 Senior Seminar (required and must be taken at CU Boulder) and any six German literature/culture courses from I or II. At least two of the six courses must be upper-division, and at least two must be in German. With the approval of the German program faculty advisor, one course from another department may be taken in lieu of one of the six courses, provided that the course has a direct link to German studies.
Courses Taught in German
Students have the option of taking the exam Zertifikat Deutsch als Fremdsprache in GRMN 3020 and the Goethe-Zertifikat C1 in GRMN 4010.
Courses Taught in English
Note: GRMN 4450 and 4460 can be taken only after full admission to the teacher education program in the School of Education.
The department strongly recommends that all majors take part in study abroad. The university offers study abroad programs in Regensburg (academic year or spring semester) and Berlin (academic year or summer semester). Please consult with the major advisor. For more information on study abroad programs, see studyabroad.colorado.edu.
A minor is offered in German Studies. Declaration of a minor is open to any student enrolled at CU-Boulder, regardless of college or school. The requirements for a minor in German Studies are 19 hours (with grades of C- or above).
German Language (10 hours minimum above the 2010 level)*
Three courses taught in German at the 3000- or 4000-level. One upper-division German course taught in English may replace one of these courses.
Hebrew language instruction is offered over six semesters at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. By the end of this cycle students have a sound basis in Hebrew language production, spoken and written, and comprehension, oral and written. The Jewish literature and culture courses introduce students to Jewish literature, culture, and religion, and examine Jewish identity in the modern and contemporary worlds.
Courses are offered in English on Nordic culture and civilization. Courses are also offered in Norwegian and/or Swedish language. The language courses satisfy arts and sciences language requirements for the BA and BFA degrees. In addition, there is an exchange program with Uppsala University in Sweden and with the University of Copenhagen in Denmark (DIS).
A minor is offered in Nordic Studies. Declaration of a minor is open to any student enrolled at CU-Boulder, regardless of college or school. A minor in Nordic Studies requires the completion of 18 credit hours. A minimum of 9 credit hours must be taken in upper-division courses. All courses used to fulfill requirements for the minor must receive a grade of C- or better; none may be taken pass/fail. A minimum of 9 hours must be taken on the Boulder campus, but students may earn credit for approved study abroad in the Nordic countries.
Required Courses and Semester Credit Hours
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below.
Note: Beginning or middle-level language course requirements may be met by transfer credit or by testing out of the course. Students who enter the program at the third-year level must complete at least 18 credit hours in residence in courses numbered 3000 or above with grades of C- or better. (None may be taken pass/fail.) Students who enter at and enroll in Russian language courses at the 3000- or 4000-level may not receive credit for lower-division Russian language courses, unless lower-division language course work was completed prior to registration for 3000- and 4000-level Russian language courses. Students may not receive credit for both 3060 and 4010 or 4020 and 4060.
Required Courses and Semester Credit Hours
Two of the following (6 credit hours):
Two of the following (6 credit hours):
Two 2000-4000 level Russian or GSLL courses or JWST 4544 (6 total credit hours)
Two of the following (6 credit hours):
One of the following (3 credit hours):
Three of the following (9 credit hours):
Two other 3000-4000 level Russian or GSLL culture/literature or language courses or JWST 4544 (6 credit hours)
Students who are native speakers of Russian (speak or spoke Russian at home while growing up) and/or who attended school in Russia for one or more years when their family lived there, may be eligible for special major track for heritage speakers. Heritage speakers of Russian who wish to major in Russian should speak with the advisor for the Russian major to map out a specific plan for their major.
Two of the following (6 credit hours):
One of the following (3 credit hours):
Three of the following (9 credit hours):
One of the following (3 credit hours):
One other 3000-4000 level Russian or GSLL culture/literature or language course, or JWST 4544—3
The department strongly recommends that all Russian majors take part in the university summer language program in St. Petersburg. For more information on CU Study Abroad programs, see studyabroad.colorado.edu.
Declaration of a minor in Russian studies is open to any student enrolled at CU-Boulder, regardless of college or school. A minor in Russian requires the completion of 20 credit hours. All courses used to fulfill requirements for the minor must receive a grade of C- or better. (None may be taken pass/fail.) Students may not apply more than 9 hours of transfer credit (including 6 upper-division credits) toward the minor. Transfer courses must be approved by the department.
One additional 2000-4000 level RUSS course—3
One of the following (3 credit hours):
One of the following (3 credit hours):
Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of “adequate progress” as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress in Germanic or Russian studies, students should meet the following requirements:
Note: Although these requirements apply only in cases in which students are seeking to graduate under the terms of the four-year guarantee, they are good advice for all majors. Consult the program advisor about the major at any time.
A number of courses are offered in translation. These courses generally require no previous study in the language, history, or culture of the area involved, and are open to all interested students, regardless of major.
Highly motivated undergraduates majoring in German studies at CU-Boulder have the opportunity to enter a BA/MA program, thereby earning both the BA and the MA in five years. The concurrent degree program offers a unique academic credential designed to produce skilled graduates for a variety of occupations. In most cases, students must make written application no later than April 1 of the sophomore year. A minimum GPA of 3.25 for all courses is required, as well as two letters of recommendation indicating strong potential for advanced, intensive work in German. The recommended track requires a total of 58 hours of courses, with graduate courses in the fourth and fifth years only. Students should have completed most of their MAPS/core requirements (at least 30–37 hours) by the end of the sophomore year. Only CU-Boulder students may apply. For specific requirements please contact the department or see gsll.colorado.edu.
Students wishing to pursue the interdisciplinary master’s in German should read carefully Requirements for Advanced Degrees in the Graduate School section. The following prerequisites and requirements apply: BA or equivalent in German or BA-level proficiency in German with a BA in a related field; general knowledge of the German-speaking countries’ literature, history, and culture; 24 hours of approved course work and a master’s thesis (6 hours), or 30 hours of course work without thesis; and reading knowledge of one modern foreign language in addition to German and English. For specific requirements please contact the department or see gsll.colorado.edu.
To support the university’s mission of advancing knowledge across disciplines, the Leeds School of Business and the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures offer a dual degree, Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts in German Studies. In most cases, students should be able to complete the dual degree in three years with a total of 70 credit hours. Prospective students must apply to and meet the application and admission requirements for each program separately. See the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures for application to the German MA program, and the Leeds School of Business to apply to the MBA program.
The new interdisciplinary PhD in German studies is designed so that students can complete their course work and their dissertation in four years for applicants who may want to pursue careers in academics, government, business, and the non-profit sector. In Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and many other European countries, it is a strongly held conviction that a doctorate demonstrates to potential employers intellectual independence, superior research and writing skills, the perseverance and ingenuity to complete an original piece of scholarship, and deep familiarity with a different culture. These qualities are equally valuable in the 21st-century American economy, and indeed in the global marketplace.
This program provides intensive and personalized mentoring, directed reading advice, and clinics devoted to dissertation- and conference-paper writing, digital and archival research, oral presentation, and interview preparation. Our PhD strongly emphasizes interdisciplinary work within a secondary concentration area of the student's choice, and includes one year spent abroad at CU-Boulder's partner universities of Göttingen and Regensburg or at other leading institutions in the German-speaking world. A wide range of graduate-level course offerings is designed to ensure content coverage and to move research projects into publishable scholarship. The expanded graduate faculty includes scholars in disciplines such as political science, comparative literature, Jewish studies, business, and library science.
For more information, contact the department for information at gsll@Colorado.edu or see their website at gsll.colorado.edu.
To support the University’s mission of advancing knowledge across disciplines, and in recognition that business education and training and language learning have relevance to many academic fields, the Leeds School of Business and the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures introduced a dual degree: a master of business administration and a master of arts in German studies.
The normal MBA program is two years with 55 credit hours. The normal MA in German is a two-year program with 30 credit hours. With the dual degree one should be able to complete the degree in three years with a total of 70 credit hours.
Students must apply to and meet the application and admission requirements for each program separately. See the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures for application to the German MA program, and the Leeds School of Business to apply to the MBA program.
Required MBA courses:
German required courses:
For additional information, contact Ann Schmiesing, Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures, Ann.Schmiesing@colorado.edu, 303 492-2602, or Diane Dimeff, Leeds School of Business, Diane.Dimeff@colorado.edu, 303-492-3537.
The purpose of this certificate is to provide engineering students training in language and culture, giving them skills necessary to work effectively with engineers in multinational teams and to succeed during overseas assignments in today’s global marketplace. It is an indication to prospective employers that the students have a certain degree of proficiency in German language and an understanding of the culture. Visit ecadw.colorado.edu/engineering/academics/international-german.htm for more information.
The Graduate Certificate Program in Critical Theory offers students a background in philosophical foundations of critical theory. Drawing on disciplines such as philosophy, psychoanalysis, Marxism, literary criticism, and sociology, critical theory develops analytical tools for describing and evaluating modern society and cultural production. Students who are currently enrolled in a graduate disciplinary degree or a professional degree program are encouraged to apply for the Graduate Certificate in Critical Theory early in their graduate career. For further information, please visit our website at gsll.colorado.edu.