Minor in German Studies

Why study German Studies?

Knowledge of the language and culture of German-speaking Europe provides students with linguistic and transcultural competence that will enable them to participate productively in a rapidly changing world. German is an official language in six central European countries and the most widely spoken language in the European Union. The United States maintains important economic, political, security, and cultural ties with the German-speaking countries. About 50 million people in the United States claim German ancestry.

Our students complete a diverse and challenging program that encompasses not only the German language but also courses that explore literature, the arts, history, business, and politics. Our program is characterized by interdisciplinary flexibility, a variety of co-curricular activities, and personalized academic advising and mentoring. German Studies majors and minors acquire research skills they need to study issues relevant to our field. Many German Studies majors and minors study abroad for a summer, semester, or year, often supported by departmental scholarships, and some complete internships in Germany. All German Studies students have opportunities to make use of the rich resources available at KU, including the Spencer Museum of Art, KU Libraries, Max Kade Center for German-American Studies, Office of Study Abroad, Center for Undergraduate Research, and Career Center. Our students tend to have a second major or a minor in fields such as Global & International Studies, History, Business, Environmental Studies, Music, Microbiology, and Linguistics.

Our graduates have pursued their passion for language and culture in many ways: working for a non-profit organization affiliated with the U.S. Department of State; translating for a medical software company; serving on the human resources team of a global German sporting goods company; teaching high school German; working as copy editor of a newspaper; and pursuing graduate work in Germanic Languages & Literatures, social welfare, law, and speech pathology.

Requirements for the Minor

The minor requires 18 hours in courses numbered 300 and above. The prerequisite is completion of the proficiency sequence in German (GERM 202 or equivalent).

German Studies Minor Course Requirements

Required Courses

After completion of GERM 202: Intermediate German II, students must complete the following two courses:

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
GERM 301	High Intermediate German I	3
GERM 302	High Intermediate German II	3

Elective Courses

12 additional hours at the 300, 400, and 500 levels. GERM 315 strongly recommended. Courses may be taught in English or German, and with permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, one course offered by another department with significant content related to German-speaking Europe (300-500 level) may be counted toward the German minor. Eligible courses include JWSH 343 and POLS 643.

Minor Hours & GPA

While completing required courses, minors must also meet each of the following hour and grade point average minimum standards:

Minor Hours
Satisfied by 18 hours of minor courses.

Minor Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 9 hours of junior/senior (300+) hours of KU resident credit in the minor.

Minor Junior/Senior Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 18 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the major.

Minor Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 GPA in all departmental courses in the minor. GPA calculations include all departmental courses in the field of study including Fs and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.

2024-25 Academic Catalog