Modern Languages - BA, German Option
The department offers a wide range of courses in Modern Languages at all levels of the undergraduate curriculum as part of its mission to support and advance the international and global competencies of university students. At present, students can earn a BA in Modern Languages with options in French, German or Russian. Courses are designed to offer students extended study of the language, literatures, and cultures of these language communities. The department insists on a high competence in the language, which is the basis for all other options. Students will be required to complete, by coursework or placement test, all 100- and 200-level courses in sequence (except FREN 221/FREN 222, GERM 221/GERM 222 and RUSS 221/RUSS 222, which are taken concurrently) before taking any upper-level course, unless an upper-level course permits co-registration or skipping a lower course in the sequence (see inventory of courses for prerequisites). Once a student has received credit for a higher-level language course, the student is no longer eligible to receive credit for prerequisite courses. In addition to classes at the College Station campus, the department offers summer study abroad programs for credit. Departmental faculty and advising staff also work closely with students to match their interests with semester and full-year programs abroad.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
| ENGL 104 | Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
| Government/Political science | 3 | |
| Mathematics 1 | 3 | |
| General elective 2 | 4 | |
| General elective 2 | 1 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| American history | 3 | |
| Creative arts | 3 | |
| Life and physical sciences | 3 | |
| Literature directed elective | 3 | |
| General elective 2 | 4 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Select one of the following: 2,3 | 3 | |
| Intermediate German I | ||
| Intensive Intermediate German | ||
| Field Studies I | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Public Speaking | ||
| Communication for Technical Professions | ||
| Argumentation and Debate | ||
| Writing about Literature | ||
| Technical and Business Writing | ||
| Language, philosophy and culture | 3 | |
| Social and behavioral sciences | 3 | |
| Literature directed elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: 2,3 | 3 | |
| Intermediate German II | ||
| Field Studies II | ||
| Intensive Intermediate German | ||
| American history | 3 | |
| Government/Political science | 3 | |
| Life and physical sciences | 3 | |
| General elective or minor 4 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Study Abroad 5 | ||
| GERM 300-499 | 3 | |
| GERM 300-499 | 3 | |
| GERM 300-499 | 3 | |
| GERM 300-499 | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| GERM 310 | Composition | 3 |
| Life and physical sciences | 3 | |
| Social and behavioral sciences | 3 | |
| Minor 4 | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GERM 315 | Literary Investigations: German Short Fiction | 3 |
| GERM 400-499 | 3 | |
| Mathematics 1 | 3 | |
| Minor 4 | 3 | |
| Minor 4 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| GERM 300-499 | 3 | |
| GERM 400-499 | 3 | |
| Minor 4 | 3 | |
| Minor 4 | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | At least three hours must be in MATH. Three hours may be PHIL 240. |
| 2 | GERM 101 and GERM 102 are prerequisites for intermediate GERM courses and will count as general electives in the degree plan. If you choose to enroll in a language you have studied previously without receiving college credit, you must first take a placement test. See the Foreign Language paragraph. |
| 3 | Two-semester or one-semester sequence of Intermediate German is required. Select from GERM 201 & GERM 202, GERM 221 & GERM 222, GERM 204 |
| 4 | See the Minor Field of Study paragraph. |
| 5 | See the Study Abroad Requirement paragraph. |
Graduation requirements include 3 hours of International and Cultural Diversity courses and 3 hours of Cultural Discourse courses. A course satisfying a core category, a college/department requirement, or a free elective can be used to satisfy this requirement. The required 6 hours may be met by courses satisfying other areas of a degree program. See your academic advisor for further information.
Foreign Language Requirement
Students entering Modern Languages - German take a placement exam to determine the level of and number of required German courses. Exam results may fulfill a maximum of 14 semester credit hours.
- Students placed in 101 will take 101, 102, 201 and 202 and 27 semester credit hours at the 300- or 400-level.
- Students placed in 102 will take 102, 201 and 202 and 27 semester credit hours at the 300- or 400-level.
- Students placed in 201 will take 201 and 202 and 27 semester credit hours at the 300- or 400-level.
- Students placed in 202 will take 202 and 27 semester credit hours at the 300- or 400-level.
- Students placing out of 101, 102, 201 and 202 will take 27 semester credit hours at the 300- or 400-level.
Minor Field of Study
All Modern Language majors must select a minor field of study from departments or divisions within or outside of the College of Liberal Arts or in a particular area of interest (as in the case of interdisciplinary minors). The minor will consist of a minimum of 15 hours of coursework, as defined by the minor department. No more than 9 credit hours may be at the 100-299 level. Interdisciplinary minors such as women’s and gender studies, classical studies, religious studies, and business have specific requirements; students should consult undergraduate advisors in these areas of study. A second major may substitute for the minor. Courses used to meet the minor requirements may not be used in the major. See also the statement on "Minor Field of Study" under the general requirements of the College of Liberal Arts. In general, the careful combination of foreign language skills with other major curricula enhances preparation for careers in business, industry and government. Teaching certification is available to majors through the College of Education and Human Development. Consult the College of Education and Human Development section under secondary teacher certification for additional information.
Study Abroad Requirement
All German majors are required to study for one semester or summer in a German-speaking country approved by the department.
Any departmental major must earn a C or better in all major and minor coursework.
Other courses may qualify for the college and university requirements categories. Students should consult the approved list of courses available in the Undergraduate Student Services Office in the College of Liberal Arts. The lists incorporate University Core Curriculum requirements. No course can be counted in more than one category.