Language and Area Studies: German/Europe (BA)

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Offered by the Department of World Languages and Cultures , College of Arts and Sciences , the Language and Area Studies: German/Europe (BA) is designed for students with a strong interest in a region of the world and in a language of that region. This innovative program achieves a balance between humanities and social sciences courses, combined with an advanced level of world language study.

Admission to the Program

To be considered for first-year admission, an applicant should have earned at least a 3.00 average in secondary school. Students from other regionally accredited collegiate institutions, and students in other programs at American University who have completed the first year, should maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) to be considered for transfer to the program.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 2 )
Completion of all requirements for a major (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 9 )

AU Core Requirements

Completion of AU Core foundation requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.2-8.6 )
Completion of AU Core Habits of Mind requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.7 )
Completion of AU Core integrative course requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.8-8.11 )

For additional information, see AU Core Curriculum .

Major Requirements

51 credit hours with grades of C or better, including at least 18 credit hours at or above 300-level
- Where appropriate, and with Faculty Advisory Committee approval, special topics courses may fulfill requirements
- Up to 3 credit hours may be applied toward the major from an approved internship
- Study abroad coursework may be used toward the major with Faculty Advisory Committee approval
Proficiency in German demonstrated by achieving a B (3.00) average or better for all GERM coursework taken in World Languages and Cultures

Course Requirements

Foundation (9 credit hours)

World Politics

SISU-105 Introduction to International Studies FA3 (3)

Intercultural Communication

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

SISU-205 Intercultural Communication FA3 (3)
SISU-360 Topics in Identity, Race, Gender, and Culture (3) : Foundations of International Communication

Comparative Politics

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

German Language (18 credit hours)

18 credit hours from GERM coursework at or above 300-level

Area Studies (21 credit hours)

Humanities

Complete 15 credit hours, with 12 credit hours at or above the 300-level, in humanities coursework, including 3 credit hours from HIST coursework and an additional 3 credit hours of coursework with a strong historical component, from the following or other area studies courses approved by major advisor:

Social Science

Complete 6 credit hours of social science coursework from the following if not taken to fulfill Comparative Politics or Humanities, or other area studies courses approved by major advisor:

Capstone (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following, other approved coursework in SIS comparative seminar, or topics or seminar course in World Languages and Cultures :

GERM-488 Capstone Project (3) (topics)

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Admission to a Combined Bachelor’s / Master’s Program and Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.