http://uoregon.edu/~gerscan
Dorothee Ostmeier, Department Head
541-346-4245
202 Friendly Hall
1250 University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon 97403-1250
The Department of German and Scandinavian offers a range of courses and degree programs, from instruction in beginning languages through the study of the literature and cultures of German-, Danish-, Finnish-, Swedish-, and Norwegian-speaking countries. Students may earn a bachelor of arts (BA) degree in German with a focus on language, literature, and culture, interdisciplinary German studies, or Scandinavian; master of arts (MA) and doctor of philosophy (PhD) degrees are available in German. The Department of German and Scandinavian offers the only program in the state of Oregon that grants a PhD in German.
Scholarships
The Department of German and Scandinavian administers scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students majoring in German.
- The Herbert Merker Scholarship is awarded annually to the benefit of one or more undergraduate majors
- The Plant German Undergraduate Scholarship benefits at least one deserving undergraduate annually
- The Philip and Teresa Hansen Germanic Languages and Literatures Scholarship Fund award is given annually to two students nominated by members of the faculty
- The Beth Maveety Study Abroad Scholarship is awarded each year to a student for continued study in Germany; preference is given to students who intend to teach German
- The Anderson Scandinavian Studies Award is granted to promising undergraduate or graduate students for studying in Scandinavian countries
- The Leona M. Kail Scholarship is awarded every other year to one or two outstanding undergraduate students with financial need
- The Roger Nicholls Memorial Endowment Fund award is granted to an outstanding beginning graduate student in German
- The Philip Hansen Graduate Fellowship in German and Scandinavian is awarded annually to a graduate student nominated by the faculty
- The Astrid M. Williams Fellowship is awarded to advanced doctoral students of German nominated by the faculty
Please contact departmental advisors for more information.
European Studies Minor
Some courses may be applied to the European studies minor. See the European Studies section of this catalog for more information.
Study Abroad
Germany
The department encourages students of German to study in Germany on one of the University of Oregon–sponsored exchange programs—the yearlong Baden-Württemberg program or the spring intensive German-language program in Tübingen. Study for one or two months in summer is also available in Berlin. Students may also study for one or two terms in Vienna. We encourage all students to study abroad or to attend summer school programs such as the Deutsche Sommerschule am Pazifik in Portland.
Students in University of Oregon overseas study programs enroll in courses with subject codes that are unique to individual programs. Special course numbers are reserved for overseas study. See Study Abroad in the Supplementary Academic Programming section of this catalog.
For more information, students should consult departmental representatives and the International Affairs office. Students working toward a German major or minor must consult an undergraduate advisor before beginning any study abroad program in order to ensure that departmental requirements can be met.
German majors with a focus in language, literature, and culture must complete six courses on the UO campus, two of which must be 400-level courses with the GER subject code, unless they intend to graduate in absentia while enrolled through the Baden-Württemberg program. German majors with a focus on interdisciplinary German Studies must complete three courses on the UO campus, one of which must have a GER subject code.
Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden
Students in Scandinavian are strongly encouraged to spend a year studying in an exchange program at Denmark’s International Study Program in Copenhagen, at Copenhagen Business School, at Aalborg University in Denmark, at the University of Tampere in Finland, at the University of Bergen or the University of Oslo in Norway, or at the University of Uppsala in Sweden. For more information, consult departmental advisors in Scandinavian.
Faculty
Susan C. Anderson, professor (20th- and 21st-century German and Austrian literature, literary theory, gender and diversity). BA, 1978, North Carolina, Asheville; MA, 1981, PhD, 1985, North Carolina, Chapel Hill. (1986)
Corinne Bayerl, instructor (16th- to early 18th-century French and German literature and philosophy; gender questions; history of pedagogy). MA, 1996, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, PhD, 2014, Chicago. (2012)
Sonja Boos, associate professor (19th- through 21st-century German literature, culture, and film; critical thought). MA, 1997, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf; MA, 2004, PhD, 2008, Princeton. (2013)
Kenneth S. Calhoon, professor (Enlightenment, Romanticism, literary and film history and theory). See Comparative Literature.
Amanda E. Doxtater, instructor (cinema, Scandinavian literature and drama, Swedish language). BA, 1997, MA, 2003, Washington (Seattle); PhD, 2012, California, Berkeley. (2012)
D. Gantt Gurley, assistant professor (Scandinavian literature and folklore, Old Norse literature, Jewish studies). BA, 1994, Bard College; MA, 2002, PhD, 2007, California, Berkeley. (2009)
Martin Klebes, associate professor (18th- to 21st- century literature, philosophy, critical thought). PhD, 2003, Northwestern. (2007)
Jeffrey S. Librett, professor (literature since 1750, theoretical discourses, Jewish studies). BA, 1979, Yale; MA, 1981, Columbia; PhD, 1989, Cornell. (2004)
Katharina Loew, assistant professor (cinema, German studies). MA, 1999, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat München; PhD, 2011, Chicago. (2011)
Dawn A. Marlan, lecturer (German and European literature and culture from 1700 forward; modernist novel). BA, 1989, Bennington College; MA, 1991, PhD, 2000, Chicago. (2004)
Alexander Mathäs, professor (18th- to 20th-century German literature, literary theory, cultural theory). Staatsexamen, 1981, Tübingen; MA, 1984, Oregon; PhD, 1990, Texas, Austin. (1996)
Dorothee Ostmeier, professor (18th- and 20th-century literature, culture, philosophy). Staatsexamen, 1984, MA, 1985, Ruhr; PhD, 1993, Johns Hopkins. (2001)
Michael Stern, associate professor (Nietzsche, Kierkegaard,19th-century Scandinavian literature). BA, 1993, MA, 1995, PhD, 2000, California, Berkeley. (2001)
Matthias Vogel, senior instructor (second-language acquisition); language coordinator, German language programs; coordinator, German Global Scholars. BA, 1993, Johannes Gutenberg, Mainz; MA, 1996, Oregon. (2011)
Emeriti
Walther L. Hahn, professor emeritus. Dip., Teachers College, Berlin, 1949; MA, 1954, Rice; PhD, 1956, Texas, Austin. (1961)
James R. McWilliams, associate professor emeritus. BA, 1951, MA, 1957, PhD, 1963, California, Berkeley. (1960)
Helmut R. Plant, associate professor emeritus. BA, 1957, Fairmont; MA, 1961, PhD, 1964, Cincinnati. (1966)
Karla L. Schultz, professor emerita. BA, 1967, Alma; MA, 1968, Washington (Seattle); MA, 1980, PhD, 1984, Oregon. (1987)
Ingrid A. Weatherhead, senior instructor emerita. BA, 1950, MA, 1951, Puget Sound. (1962)
Virpi Zuck, professor emerita. BA, 1964, MA, 1965, University of Helsinki; PhD, 1977, Wisconsin, Madison. (1974)
The date in parentheses at the end of each entry is the first year on the University of Oregon faculty.
The Department of German and Scandinavian offers a bachelor of arts (BA) degree with a major in German. Students may focus their studies by emphasizing German language, literature, and culture; Scandinavian; or German studies. The Department of German and Scandinavian also offers a combined bachelor of arts–master of arts degree in German. In this program, students complete the requirements for both degrees in a total of five years. For further information, see the Graduate Studies section.
Preparation
German majors and minors must demonstrate German language proficiency through successful completion of second-year German or a placement examination. Incoming students with experience in German must take the placement examination during registration week to help with proper placement.
Careers
A bachelor’s degree in German enables students to pursue careers in college and secondary teaching, international business, government and foreign service, tourism, and translation and editorial work. Recent graduates of the department have been successful applicants to schools of law and business as well as graduate programs in German, Scandinavian, linguistics, history, comparative literature, and international studies. Majors planning to pursue graduate studies are encouraged to write an honors thesis.
Major Requirements
Students intending to major with a focus in German language, literature, and culture or interdisciplinary German studies must first acquire proficiency in the German language, typically demonstrated by satisfactory completion of the third term of Second-Year German (GER 203) or the second term of Intensive Second-Year German (GER 205), or a placement exam. Thereafter, students may begin to take upper-division courses taught in German.
The department does not accept a grade of C– or lower in any course used to fulfill requirements for a major in German.
German Language, Literature, and Culture Focus
Course List
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|
| 20 |
| 28 |
| 1 | 1 |
| Total Credits | 49 |
Of the requirements listed in the first two rows, the following must apply:
- Six courses must be taken in the UO Department of German and Scandinavian
- At least four courses must be 400-level courses with the GER subject code, two of which must be taken at the University of Oregon; one of the two must be in literature, culture, or theory
- One course may be taken pass/no pass
- Only one course taught in English may count toward the major
The following courses may not be used to satisfy major requirements:
Course List
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|
| GER 199 | Special Studies: [Topic] | NaN |
| GER 327–329 | German for Reading Knowledge | 12 |
| GER 405 | Reading and Conference: [Topic] | NaN |
| GER 406 | Special Problems: [Topic] | NaN |
| GER 408 | Workshop: [Topic] | NaN |
| GER 409 | Practicum: [Topic] 1 | NaN |
Since all courses are not offered every year, plans should be made well in advance so that students can take prerequisites for 400-level courses. Specific questions should be addressed to departmental undergraduate German advisors.
Scandinavian Focus
Due to a lack of funding, the department is currently unable to offer courses in Danish, Finnish, and Norwegian.
Course List
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|
| 4 |
| 1 | 12 |
| 2 | 32 |
| 3 | 1 |
| Total Credits | 49 |
Of the requirements listed above, the following must apply:
- Three courses must be taken in the UO Department of German and Scandinavian
- One course may be taken pass/no pass
Proficiency in a Scandinavian language is required, demonstrated either by evaluation by the Scandinavian advisor or by successful completion, with grades of mid-C or better, of the final terms of Second-Year Finnish, Second-Year Danish, Second-Year Norwegian, or Second-Year Swedish (SWED 203). Students who want to study in Denmark, Finland, Norway, or Sweden should plan their course work carefully in consultation with a departmental undergraduate advisor in Scandinavian.
German Studies Focus
The German studies focus combines advanced language training and German literature courses in an interdisciplinary program that includes courses in history, philosophy, political science, art history, music, religious studies, and Judaic studies. The focus is described in the German Studies section of this catalog.
Honors
To earn a bachelor of arts degree with departmental honors, a student must maintain at least a 3.50 grade point average (GPA) and write an honors essay or thesis approved by the departmental honors committee for 4 credits in Thesis (GER 403).
Minor in German
The German minor correlates well with studies that have an international or European concentration. It is particularly useful for students of international studies, international business, European history, medieval studies, sociology, political science, journalism, linguistics, art history, music history, other languages, theater, and related fields.
Course List
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|
| 1 | 28 |
| Total Credits | 28 |
The following courses may not be use to satisfy minor requirements:
Course List
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|
| GER 199 | Special Studies: [Topic] | NaN |
| GER 327–329 | German for Reading Knowledge | 12 |
| GER 405 | Reading and Conference: [Topic] | NaN |
| GER 406 | Special Problems: [Topic] | NaN |
| GER 408 | Workshop: [Topic] | NaN |
Minor in Scandinavian
The Scandinavian minor correlates well with studies that have an international or European concentration. It is particularly useful for students of international business, European history, sociology, political science, theater arts, and art history.
Course List
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|
| 12 |
| 1 | 12 |
| 4 |
| Total Credits | 28 |
Grades of at least mid-C or P (pass) must be earned to satisfy requirements for the minor. One course may be taken pass/no pass. At least three courses (12 credits) must be taken in the UO Department of German and Scandinavian.
The minor requires proficiency in a Scandinavian language, demonstrated either by evaluation by the Scandinavian advisor or by successful completion, with grades of mid-C or better, of the final terms of Second-Year Finnish, Second-Year Danish, Second-Year Norwegian, or Second-Year Swedish (SWED 203).
Specific questions about the Scandinavian minor should be addressed to departmental undergraduate advisors in Scandinavian.
Minor in German Studies
The minor in interdisciplinary German studies is described in in the German Studies section of of this catalog.
General-Education Requirements
The Department of German and Scandinavian offers many courses, including several taught in English, that satisfy university general-education requirements. See the Group Requirements and Multicultural Requirement sections of this catalog under Bachelor's Degree Requirements.
Kindergarten through Secondary Teaching Careers
Students who complete the BA degree with a major in German are eligible to apply for the College of Education’s fifth-year licensure program in middle-secondary teaching, or the fifth-year licensure program to become an elementary teacher. More information is available from the department’s education advisors; see also the College of Education section of this catalog.
Some German courses may be applied to requirements for the certificate in second-language acquisition and teaching. See the Linguistics section of this catalog for a description of the certificate. More information is available from department advisors.
Graduate Studies
The graduate program in German offers the master of arts (MA) in German, either through a regular two-year program or through a combined BA-MA program that enables students to complete the requirements for both the BA and the MA in German in five years. The program also offers the doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree in German, for which applicants may apply either with a BA or an MA already earned. The requirements for the PhD include one year of graded course work past the MA level and a written dissertation. The MA degree prepares students for teaching German language and culture up through the secondary-school level (in conjunction with teacher certification), while the PhD degree, as the highest degree in the field, is generally expected for an academic career involving both research and teaching.
The graduate curriculum acquaints students with the history of German letters (with a primary focus on modernity since the enlightenment), places this history in a European context, and provides tools for a critical analysis of the literary, theoretical, and cinematic discourses involved. The program encourages comparative, theoretically oriented work.
Core Curriculum
Students take one course each term. These courses are grouped according to common themes to give the program a topical and critical coherence. Core courses are paired with seminars of related or complementary content, and students are encouraged to explore connections between courses.
In the first year, core courses address a specific genre (narrative, drama, and lyric). While their content may vary with the instructor, they are intended to present in general terms the history of the genre itself and of critical thinking about that genre. In the second year, core courses have less traditional themes and present a broader concept of textuality.
Beyond course work, the program features close mentoring, including guidance for developing portfolio papers that expand on writing done for courses, and, at the PhD level, a dissertation-writing colloquium in which students and faculty members join in responding to ongoing dissertation work by students in the program.
Students should consult an appropriate advisor in the German and Scandinavian department for information about the MA degree program that emphasizes teaching German. Information and application materials are available on the department website.
Graduate Specialization in Translation Studies
Students may choose to complete a graduate specialization in translation studies. Translation studies examines the theory, description, and practice of translation, interpretation, and localization between languages and language-users. The specialization offers graduate students the opportunity to receive recognition for work in this complex academic discipline. For requirements, visit translationstudies.uoregon.edu/graduate-specialization.
