DegreeVenue Advance Your Career Today.

The Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures offers a rich and diverse program of literary and cultural studies. The major aim of the concentration program is to provide students with the enriching experience of studying a language, literature, and culture markedly different from their own, thus enabling them to gain new perspectives on their native heritages. By acquiring proficiency in reading, speaking, and writing German or a Scandinavian language, students will gain a lasting skill useful in many fields of endeavor. The program is designed not only for students who wish to pursue graduate studies in Germanic studies, but also for students who elect to follow careers in medicine, law, government, business, and other areas.

A distinguishing feature of the concentration program is the availability of several options, including German Cultural Studies, which introduce students to German literature in the larger context of German cultural history. A special attraction of the department itself is the highly favorable ratio of full-time faculty to concentrators, which enables the faculty to provide students with individual guidance and support. Much of the tutorial work is done by full-time faculty, and all seniors writing a thesis have the opportunity to work individually with a professor. The department actively supports both work and study abroad, and all concentration options are designed to accommodate them.

Students beginning the study of the German language can start either with German A (elementary German) or with German Bab (intensive), which is best suited for students who have had some previous instruction in foreign languages. Most concentrators in German take the sequence of German C or Dab (second year) and a 60-level course (third year) in order to acquire command of the language. A more limited sequence exists for Swedish, although students wishing to take a third year of the language may enroll in Scandinavian 91r with permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Before enrolling in 100-level courses, students normally take the literary survey courses German 71 and 72.

Concentrators desiring to be considered for honors write a thesis of 40 to 50 pages. In close consultation with the professor with whom the student has chosen to work, the student selects a topic for research. The thesis is designed to demonstrate that a candidate can read and interpret a literary text with authority, insight, and originality (or, in the case of German Cultural Studies, analyze a complex cultural or social phenomenon with equal skill), and that he or she is familiar with the major critical writings on the subject. All seniors are required to pass a one-hour oral or a three-hour written examination. The questions for this examination, designed to give students the opportunity to synthesize the knowledge they have gained from their studies, are based on individual reading lists submitted by each senior to a faculty committee.

The department offers an AB/AM degree option for Advanced Standing students. Information can be found on the department’s website, www.fas.harvard.edu/~german; students interested in this option are encouraged to consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies by the fall term of their third year.