Students who entered Johns Hopkins in the current academic year should refer to the Academic Catalog for a current list of major requirements. Students who entered Johns Hopkins University in a previous academic year should refer to the catalog of that academic year.
German Major Requirements
Students are encouraged to declare their intent to major in German in their sophomore year and to make an advising appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to discuss their academic plans, including options for a study abroad semester or year.
Majors must complete a minimum of nine courses (at least 3 credits each) in German beyond AS.210.262 Intermediate German II.
Majors are required to complete the Advanced German sequence (AS.210.361 Advanced German I: Cultural Topics of the Modern German-speaking World and AS.210.362 Advanced German II: Contemporary Issues in the German Speaking World, which counts for 6 credits (2 courses) and is a prerequisite for upper level 213.xxx seminars taught in German. Of the remaining seven courses, majors choose courses designated as 210.3xx (German language); 211.xxx (with POS-TAG GRLL-GERM) and 213.xxx. No more than 6 credit hours of translation courses may be used to fulfill major requirements and five of the nine courses for the major must be taken at Hopkins. All major requirements must be completed with a grade of C- or better and may not be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
The department strongly advises its majors to gain a knowledge of a second foreign language.
- AS.210.361 Advanced German I: Cultural Topics of the Modern German-speaking World
- AS.210.362 Advanced German II: Contemporary Issues in the German Speaking World
- 21 credits of additional German courses
German Minor Requirements
Students are encouraged to declare their intent to minor in German in their sophomore year and to make an advising appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to discuss their academic plans, including options for a study abroad semester or year.
Students must complete a minimum of 6 courses (with each course counting for at least 3 credits) in German beyond Elementary German (AS.210.161 German Elements I–AS.210.162 German Elements II) and Intermediate German (AS.210.261 Intermediate German I–AS.210.262 Intermediate German II).
Minors are required to complete the Advanced German sequence (AS.210.361 Advanced German I: Cultural Topics of the Modern German-speaking World–AS.210.362 Advanced German II: Contemporary Issues in the German Speaking World), which counts for 6 credits (2 courses) and is a prerequisite for upper-level 213.xxx seminars taught in German. Students with previous proficiency exempting them from taking Advanced German I or II are required to take a course(s) from the 213.2xx-213.4xx series to reach the required 6 courses. Of the remaining four courses, minors choose courses designated as 210.3xx; 211.xxx (with approval) and 213.xxx. No more than three (3) credits of translation courses may be used to fulfill minor requirements. All minor requirements must be completed with a grade of C- or better and may not be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
- AS.210.361 Advanced German I: Cultural Topics of the Modern German-speaking World
- AS.210.362 Advanced German II: Contemporary Issues in the German Speaking World
- 3 credits in German literature, culture, and thought (course number prefix 213)
- 9 credits of additional German courses
International Studies and German Double Major: Germany in a Globalized World
Germany in a Globalized World is offered in collaboration with the Program in International Studies. It allows International studies majors to concentrate in German language, literature, and culture with a special emphasis on (trans)cultural analysis and critical thought. Students who declare either the track or the focus area will receive a double major in international studies and German, or a major in international studies and a minor in German.
German Honors Program
The German program offers an Honors program for highly qualified undergraduates. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 to qualify for the program. In addition, they must have a faculty sponsor who advises the thesis as well as a second reader. The second reader can come from outside the German program.
Students interested in the Honors Program should meet with a faculty member in the German program no later than the spring semester of their junior year to outline a research project to be conducted the following year. By April 1 of their junior year, they should submit to the Director of Undergraduate Studies an honors thesis title and a one-page proposal to review. The Director of Undergraduate Studies will then notify students if they have been accepted for the honors program. In the fall semester of their senior year, students will work closely with their faculty sponsor and the second reader familiarizing themselves with their topic and the secondary literature available on it. At the end of the fall semester, honors students will submit a complete bibliography and a 4-5 page summary of the progress of their research. In the spring semester, they will then write their honors thesis, which should be 25-30 pages in length. In both the fall and spring semester of their senior year, students will sign up for a two-credit independent study with their principal advisor. Honors theses should be submitted no later than the week following the spring break. A student earning a B+ or better on the thesis will graduate with honors in German.
BA/MA Program
The department offers highly qualified students the option to complete a combined degree in five years. To receive the BA/MA degree, the student must complete advanced courses in German literature and pass the departmental written and oral master’s examinations.
Students interested in this option should make an appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Studies no later than the spring of their junior year to discuss the options available to them.