German Studies (BA)

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Offered by the Department of World Languages and Cultures , College of Arts and Sciences .

Admission to the Program

Students must be approved by the department for formal admission to the major. Language coursework may be waived if high school or other preparation warrants it. Placement will be made in consultation with a departmental advisor.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better
Completion of college writing requirement
Completion of university mathematics requirement

General Education Requirements

A total of ten courses, consisting of two courses from each of the five foundational areas
At least one course from Area Five: The Natural and Mathematical Sciences must include a laboratory science component
No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline

Major Requirements

39 credit hours with grades of C or better
- Prerequisite: completion of intermediate language level
One of the following field concentrations:
- 12 credit hours in a second foreign language at any level
- 12 credit hours in area studies in the major field at or above the 300-level
- Teacher education leading to certification to teach a foreign language at the secondary level
- An approved minor related to the major field; for example, another language, business administration, communication, economics, political science, history, sociology, literature, anthropology, or international studies

Course Requirements

Required (12 credit hours)

GERM-332 German Conversation and Composition I (3) (may be replaced by other 300- or 400-level courses if warranted by language proficiency)
GERM-333 German Conversation and Composition II (3) (may be replaced by other 300- or 400- level courses if warranted by language proficiency)
GERM-438 German Civilization I (3)
GERM-439 German Civilization II (3)

Linguistics (3 credit hours)

Complete one of the following:

ANTH-225 Language and Human Experience FA1 (3)
ANTH-254 Language and Culture (3)
TESL-4xx course as approved by advisor

Senior Capstone (3 credit hours)

3 credit hours of approved coursework at or above the 400-level

Electives (21 credit hours)

Remaining credit hours chosen from 300-400-level courses, independent study projects, internships, and topics courses in German studies

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 Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.