German Studies

http://uoregon.edu/~gerscan/german/gerstudiesmajor.htm

Jeffrey S. Librett, Program Director
541-346-0649
541-346-4051
202 Friendly Hall
1250 University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon 97403-1250

The German Studies Program is supervised by the German Studies Committee, a group of scholars in the humanities, music, and social sciences who share a common interest in German culture, letters, history, and society.

The influence of German culture and letters on modern life is incalculable. In philosophy and religion; in sociology and psychology; in music, law, political science, and history—in every one of these fields and more, German-speaking thinkers have helped define our perception of the world. German and Scandinavian studies is an interdisciplinary program that offers undergraduates the opportunity to study these many influences in context with the society and cultures that produced them. It combines advanced language training with an interdisciplinary program of study that integrates courses in history, philosophy, political science, art history, music history, religious studies, and Judaic studies with the language and literature courses offered in the Department of German and Scandinavian. Students who choose the German and Scandinavian studies focus for the German major are encouraged to develop their language skills in German with an emphasis on reading and writing and to use these tools in all their course work.

Participating Faculty

Susan C. Anderson, German and Scandinavian

Corinne Bayerl, German and Scandinavian

Sonja Boos, German and Scandinavian

Jack Boss, music

Kenneth S. Calhoon, comparative literature

Joyce Cheng, history of art and architecture

James R. Crosswhite, English

Gantt Gurley, German and Scandinavian

Martin Klebes, German and Scandinavian

Lori Kruckenberg, music

Jeffrey Librett, German and Scandinavian

David M. Luebke, history

Alexander Mathas, German and Scandinavian

John McCole, history

Albert Narath, history of art and architecture

Dorothee Ostmeier, German and Scandinavian

Stephen Rodgers, music

Marian Smith, music

Michael Stern, German and Scandinavian

Bruce Harwood Tabb, UO Libraries

Daniela Vallega-Neu, philosophy

Matthias Vogel, German and Scandinavian

Peter Warnek, philosophy

Rocio Zambrana, philosophy

More information about courses applicable to the German and Scandinavian studies focus or the German and Scandinavian studies minor is available from the undergraduate advisor for German or the director of the German Studies Committee.

For students interested in combining such a major or minor with a European studies certificate, see the European Studies section of this catalog.

Bachelor of Arts in German: German and Scandinavian Studies Focus

German and Scandinavian studies is a focus for the German major offered by the Department of German and Scandinavian.

Requirements

The German and Scandinavian studies focus requires second-year language proficiency. Of the 48 credits beyond second-year language, at least 24 must be in courses taught by the UO Department of German and Scandinavian; at least 44 must be taken for a letter grade.

Approved Courses

• German (GER) and Scandinavian (SCAN) courses numbered 210–499
• Courses taken at a European university taught in German or a Scandinavian language above the second-year level
• Courses from the preapproved list, which count automatically toward the major and the minor: European Union History (EURO 415), German History: [Topic] (HIST 342), Europe in the 20th Century: [Topic] (HIST 428), Medieval Central Europe: [Topic] (HIST 436), 16th-Century European Reformations (HIST 441), Early Modern German History: [Topic] (HIST 442), Modern Germany: [Topic] (HIST 443), The Holocaust (HIST 444), The Jewish Encounter with Modernity (JDST 213), The Music of Bach and Handel (MUS 351), History of Philosophy: 19th Century (PHIL 312), 19th-Century Philosophers: [Topic] (PHIL 453), Shadows of Modernity (PS 312), European Politics (PS 324)
• Other courses taken as part of an approved thematic pathway

Thematic Pathways. These are recommended course lists that include a significant number of approved course options beyond those on the preapproved list. Students are strongly encouraged to follow a thematic pathway, culminating in a capstone project, in consultation with a faculty advisor. Details are posted on the department’s website and are also available from the director of undergraduate studies.

Capstone Project. This is a piece of guided independent scholarly or creative work integrating knowledge acquired in courses for the major, typically as the culmination of a thematic pathway. It must be preapproved and either supervised or cosupervised by a faculty member in the department. This requirement typically will be met by a research paper of at least 15 pages or by a comparable scholarly or creative project in a 400-level course in an appropriate department, or through at least one credit of GER 401, 403, or 405; SCAN 401, 403, or 405; or SWED 401, 403, or 405. Work with non-English materials is strongly encouraged.

Double-Counting. Majors who seek an additional minor in either German or Scandinavian may count all credits for both. The same rule applies to minors who seek an additional major in either German or Scandinavian. Majors may not seek an additional major in either German or Scandinavian. The department encourages, and imposes no restrictions on, major or minor combinations with other programs.

Minor in German and Scandinavian Studies

The German and Scandinavian studies minor requires second-year language proficiency. Of the 24 credits beyond second-year language, at least 12 must be in courses taught by the UO Department of German and Scandinavian; at least 20 must be taken for a letter grade.

Approved courses are described in the Bachelor of Arts in German: German and Scandinavian Studies Focus section above.