Lawrence University Course Catalog

Did you know:  

• German is the official language or co-language of 9 countries and that it is a minority language throughout the globe including in Poland, Namibia, Brazil, and Romania? It is the most spoken native language in the European Union.
• The U.S. poet Audre Lorde taught at the Free University in Berlin in the 1980s and 1990s, helping spur the Black German movement?
• In 2024, the Swiss-German performer Nemo was the first non-binary person to win the Eurovision Song Contest?
• Liechtenstein and Austria have the highest proportion of land dedicated to organic farming and other sustainability practices globally?
• Between 23% and 38% of the populations of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland have a migrant background?
• The world's first LGBTQ rights movement began in Berlin at the end of the 19th century?
• Germany is home to the largest Turkish population outside of Turkey?

Why study German? A relevant field for the 21st century, German Studies at Lawrence emphasizes the diversity and multiculturalism of the German-speaking world. German is an important language—not just in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, and the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland—but also globally. It has long been an important language of the arts, philosophy, and the social and natural sciences. The Germanophone world has produced some of the most interesting literature, music, art, film, and other forms of cultural expression. The German-speaking countries have played a significant role in world history, while united Germany is one of the driving forces behind European integration and economic development.

German Studies at Lawrence. Our innovative and engaging courses combine language learning with the exploration of the German-speaking cultures at all levels of the curriculum. In our classes, you learn the German language, of course, but you also engage with literature, film, television, history, comics, music, art and visual culture, politics, social media, fashion, and much more. Our department embraces cultural studies which means we view all of culture as “readable.” Certainly, you can read a book or a poem, but you can also read a music video or a piece of furniture. Lawrence's German Studies courses approach language as part of a larger context, so even our beginning classes are also courses in cultural studies.

As a German Studies student, you flex your critical thinking skills. Our courses draw on many intellectual traditions, including, literary studies, film studies, queer and trans studies, gender studies, history, critical ethnic and race studies, disability studies, and postcolonialism. This exciting mix provides you with access to the cultures and histories of a dynamic, diverse, and interdependent international community, a global community in which German continues to be important. You will find that German Studies can be a vital part of a liberal arts education and offers transformative learning experiences relevant to your life at Lawrence and beyond.  

Off-Campus Study. Take advantage of our affordable study abroad opportunities by participating in one of our affiliated programs in Berlin, Freiburg, or Vienna, or work with us to find a program that meets your specific needs. Most courses taken abroad meet major and minor requirements. On campus, maintain a connection to the German language and its cultures at our conversation tables and at departmental events.

Life after Lawrence. With a major or minor in German Studies from Lawrence, you are prepared for a variety of careers. Many of our students combine German Studies with another minor or major. Our graduates have pursued successful careers in education, the music industry, foreign service, the law, museum administration, healthcare, the business sector, non-profits, STEM fields, and many more. Our department consistently has at least one or two graduates teaching or conducting research in Austria or Germany on the prestigious Fulbright Program. 

The German Studies major requirements are structured to offer you the flexibility to select courses based on your interests. Attain proficiency in the language after completing the sequence GER101⇒GER102⇒GER201⇒GER202⇒GER285. If you have had previous experience in German, take the placement assessment.  The only required courses are GER312: Reading Texts and Contexts and the Senior Experience (either GER600: Senior Seminar or an independent study equivalent to the Senior Seminar). Completion of GER202 and GER285 count towards the major.

In completing the major in German Studies, you can expect to achieve the following:

• At least intermediate-high to advanced-low level proficiency in the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing);
• The ability to engage critically and analytically with a variety of literary and cultural texts (e.g., poetry, film, drama, material culture, visual art, historical documents, novels, popular music) by situating them in their aesthetic, historical, political, social, and (inter-)cultural contexts;
• Knowledge of Germanophone cultures as diverse, dynamic, multilingual, and global;
• At the culmination of the major, carry out an independent research or creative project in German Studies.

The major in German Studies requires:

1. 60 units beyond GER 201, including GER 312: Reading Texts and Contexts. At least 36 of these units must be taken at Lawrence. Up to twelve units taught in English may count toward the major.
2. A capstone project completed in the Senior Seminar (GER600) or equivalent. See Senior Experience below.
3. A portfolio submitted by the second week of your final term. Details about the portfolio will be provided in the Senior Seminar and will generally consist of the following materials:
   1. a reflection statement
   2. a list of courses taken for the major
   3. sample short writing assignments 
   4. sample papers
   5. the capstone project.
4. Courses taken in conjunction with a study abroad program in a German-speaking country will generally count toward major requirements unless their focus is primarily language instruction. IES courses automatically appear on your transcripts; unaffiliated programs are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Before planning to study abroad, it is advised that you meet both with your major advisor and the chair of German Studies. 

The German Studies Senior Experience consists of an independent research or creative project that explores a question of your own choosing germane to the discipline. You hone your research and writing skills in the Senior Seminar (GER600) or an equivalent independent study. Typically, you will develop and explore a research question during Fall Term and complete the writing of the project during Winter Term of your senior year. Beyond the completion of a capstone project, other important components of the Senior Experience are advanced instruction in academic research and writing, evaluation of primary and secondary resources, peer and instructor feedback, utilization of various theoretical perspectives, and extensive revision.

If you are undertaking a capstone in another discipline, consult with your faculty advisor in both departments/programs to explore the feasibility of an interdisciplinary capstone.

1. Thirty-six units beyond GER 202, including GER 312: Reading Texts and Contexts. At least 24 of these units must be taken at Lawrence. Up to six units taught in English may count toward the minor.
2. Courses taken in conjunction with a study abroad program in a German-speaking country will generally count toward minor requirements unless their focus is primarily language instruction. IES courses automatically appear on your transcripts; unaffiliated programs are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Before planning study abroad, it is advised that you meet with the chair of German Studies. 

German Studies majors can seek certification to teach German at the elementary and secondary levels. To be certified, you must spend at least one term studying in a German-speaking country. You must also pass an oral and writing proficiency test. You can add an endorsement in a second area (such as another language or English as a second language) by completing the appropriate minor. If you are planning to seek teacher certification, review the requirements in the Education Studies section of the catalog and meet with the director of teacher education, preferably before the end of your sophomore year.