German Curriculum
Unser Studiengang
The German curriculum at WWU is a comprehensive, standards-based curriculum designed to provide rich learning experiences to its students and to focus on what students should know and be able to do with the language.
The experienced faculty at Western aim to weave these rich curricular experiences into a fabric of language learning that comprises skills, competencies, teaching methodologies, uses of language, and content areas. The image to the left depicts a weaving pattern of these curricular experiences.
[Image source: Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (2006), p. 33.]
Highlights from the German curriculum
- Active & collaborative learning in classes ranging from 15-30 students
- Diverse & interdisciplinary program of study
- Engaged professors teaching on all levels of the curriculum
- Strong advising and mentoring
- Low textbook costs
- Affordable study abroad opportunities in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland that allow students to complete German credits from Western abroad
- Recognized as a German Center of Excellence by the "American Association of Teachers of German" (AATG) in 2012, one of only two public undergraduate institutions in the U.S. with this distinction at the time.
Major & Minor Information
Course Offerings
Visit WWU ClassFinder to view the days, times, and openings for courses during the academic year.
First-Year Courses
To be taken in sequence. Fundamentals of the language (speaking, listening, reading, writing), language use for communication, and introduction to the cultures of the German-speaking countries.
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
Fundamentals of the language (speaking, listening, reading, writing), language use for communication, and introduction to the cultures of the German-speaking countries.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 101 or equivalent
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
Fundamentals of the language (speaking, listening, reading, writing), language use for communication, and introduction to the cultures of the German-speaking countries.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 102 or equivalent
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
GUR Attributes: BCOM
Third-Year Courses
To be taken in sequence. Comprehensive review of grammatical structures, further development of language skills, and discussion of authentic materials in their socio-historical contexts.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 203 or instructor permission.
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
GUR Attributes: HUM
Continuing review of grammatical structures, further development of language skills, and study of more complex authentic materials in their socio-historical contexts.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 301 or instructor permission.
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
GUR Attributes: HUM
Students engage in activities such as role-play, simulation, scenario enactment, song, and/or the writing and performing of plays, cabaret scenes or sketches. Further development of language and communication skills, and discussion of authentic materials in their socio-historical contexts.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 302
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
A course designed to improve the student’s pronunciation and intonation, to become familiar with phonetic transcription, and to become aware of problems involved in teaching German sounds.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 203
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
Variable topics of German culture throughout the ages. Repeatable with different topics up to a maximum of 10 credits, including original course.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 302 or instructor permission.
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
Selected works of major German authors, with emphasis on reading improvement and methods of textual interpretation.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 301
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
Variable topics on German literature from the 18th to the 21st Century. Repeatable with different topics up to a maximum of 10 credits, including original course.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 340
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
Second-Year Courses
Deepening of language and communication skills developed in Elementary German and introduction of further cultural content in the target language.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 103 or instructor's approval
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
GUR Attributes: BCOM
Deepening of language and communication skills developed in Elementary German and introduction of further cultural content in target language.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 201 or instructor permission.
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
GUR Attributes: HUM
Deepening of language and communication skills developed in Elementary German and introduction of further cultural content in the target language.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 202 or instructor permission.
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
GUR Attributes: HUM
Fourth-Year Courses
In-depth work with the language, including complex structures and stylistics, communication and cultural content.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 302 or instructor permission.
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
In-depth work with the language, with an emphasis on effective written communication; analysis of written texts for style, organization and purpose.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 302 or instructor permission; recommended to take GERM 401 first.
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
This course provides an overview of German-language cinema from the 1920s to the present and explores specific features of the medium of film, film genres, and related debates.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 302
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
Practicum in preparation, implementation and evaluation of instructional materials. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 credits, including original course. S/U grading.
Prerequisites & Notes: 6 credits upper-division German; written department permission.
Credits: 2
Grade Mode: S/U
Analysis of important trends and current events in the German-speaking countries presented through various texts and media.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 340
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
Study of major areas in Germanic linguistics. Topics may include history of German, lexicology, phonology, morphology, syntax, dialectology. Repeatable with different topics up to 10 credits.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 401
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter
Special Topics in German Studies depending on the expertise of the instructor. Repeatable with different topics up to 10 credits, including original course.
Prerequisites & Notes: GERM 302, GERM 340 and GERM 401.
Credits: 5
Grade Mode: Letter