Sample Courses
- German conversation provides a thorough grammatical foundation and
an elementary reading knowledge of German as well as an understanding of the spoken language. - Second-year German promotes the active practice of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in German. Students also learn about the cultures
of German-speaking countries and the changes taking place in unified Germany.
- Genres in German literature explores genres such as Novelle, twentieth century drama, and political poetry.
- Postwar Germany: nation divided explores the history of Germany and the lives of Germans from the Weimar Republic (1918) to the present, including the historical background that set the stage for Germany’s tragic course in the twentieth century, life during the Third Reich from 1933 to 1945, and issues critical to Germany today.
Hands On Learning
The department encourages students of German to enhance their studies through one of the three University of Oregon–sponsored exchange programs: the year-long Baden-Württemberg program, the spring intensive German-language program in Tübingen, or the new year-long program in Vienna. Another possibility is the five-week, total-immersion summer program at the Deutsche Sommerschule am Pazifik in Portland.
Interdisciplinary Opportunities
German studies can enhance any course of study as a minor or as a double major. Students have found it compatible with history, geography, business administration, philosophy, religious studies, linguistics, folklore, classics, economics, sociology, anthropology, political science, Russian, Spanish, French, English, theater arts, art, biology, mathematics, humanities, music, and educational studies.