Department of German and Russian Studies
German and Russian Studies @ the MU logo University of Missouri
451 Strickland Hall (formerly GCB) | Columbia, MO 65211-4170
email: grs@missouri.edu | phone: 573-882-4328 | fax: 573-884-8456

Undergraduate Programs: German Language and Studies

Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies in German
for students whose last names begin A - H
Professor Stefani Engelstein
engelsteins@missouri.edu
573-882-9450
428B Strickland Hall

Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies in German
for students whose last names begin I - Z
Professor Brad Prager
pragerb@missouri.edu
573-882-9453
453 Strickland Hall

Why study German | German Faculty | BA in German | German Minor | Elementary German Language Sequence | Study Abroad

B.A. in German

NEW: Requirements for students entering university Fall 2008 or later.

The major in German consists of 27 credit hours in German Studies beyond those courses needed to fulfill the language requirement of the College of Arts and Science. Up to 6 of these credit hours may be earned by taking German culture courses in English. The remaining 21 hours must be earned in courses where the language of instruction is German.

Specific requirements for the major:

  1. German 2260: Intermediate German II: Language & Culture, or the equivalent [previously called 2160: Conversation and Composition I]
  2. At least one of the following:

    • - German 2310: German Civilization, Beginnings – 1850

    • - German 2320: German Civilization: 1850-Present
  3. At least one of the following:

    • - German 3160: Conversation & Composition
      [previously 3160: Conversation and Composition II]

    • - German 3190: Contemporary German Culture
  4. German 3230: Introduction to German Literature [previously 3130: Advanced German Reading]
  5. At least one literature course at the 4200 level. [previously 3600 or above]
  6. German 4980: Capstone Seminar

The German program has recently changed the numbers and names of several courses so that it will be easier to see the content and level of a course before you sign up. You can look up the courses to find out their new names and/or numbers: Old - New Course Numbers (Word)

B.A. in German

OLD: Requirements for students entering university BEFORE Fall 2008.

Although the program below will enable you to graduate as a German major, we recommend the new program listed above as a guideline that will help you get the most out of your degree. Following the new program above will also fulfill the old requirements below.

The major in German consists of 27 credit hours in German Studies beyond those courses needed to fulfill the language requirement of the College of Arts and Science. Up to 6 of these credit hours may be earned by taking German culture courses in English. The remaining 21 hours must be earned in courses where the language of instruction is German.

Specific requirements for the major:

  1. German 2260: Intermediate German II: Language & Culture, or the equivalent [previously called 2160: Conversation and Composition I]
  2. At least one of the following:
    - German 2310: German Civilization, Beginnings – 1850
    - German 2320: German Civilization: 1850 - Present
  3. At least one of the following:
    - German 3160: Conversation & Composition [previously 3160: Conversation and Composition II]
    - German 3190: Contemporary German Culture
    - German 3230: Introduction to German Literature [previously 3130: Advanced German Reading]
  4. At least one literature course at the 4200 level. [previously 3600 or above]
  5. German 4980: Capstone Seminar

The German program has recently changed the numbers and names of several courses so that it will be easier to see the content and level of a course before you sign up. You can look up the courses to find out their new names and/or numbers: Old - New Course Numbers (Word)

Departmental Honors

Departmental Honors are available for students majoring in German with the following criteria, in addition to the minimum of 3.3 GPA:

At least two literature courses at the 4000-level, with no grades below "B". The equivalent of one of the courses may be completed in Study Abroad. Alternately, at the discretion of the department, a paper written within the capstone course.

German Minor

The minor in German consists of 15 credit hours in German Studies beyond the courses needed to fulfill the language requirement of the College of Arts and Science. Up to 3 of these credit hours may be earned by taking German culture courses in English. The remaining 12 hours must be earned in courses where the language of instruction is German.

The German Language Sequence

The German I, II, and III sequence fulfills the foreign language requirement of the University and the College of Arts and Science. German I and II are 5-hour courses, while German III is a 3-hour course. German I and II use the textbook Access to German Jägerbuch Band I-III, which focuses on communicating in German and on German culture today. At the end of German II, you will be able to read short texts and express yourself in simple German, orally and in writing. German III reviews grammar and expands your capacity to produce and understand German using texts from various sources as well as the book Stationen. Ein Kursbuch für die Mittelstufe. Students who continue on to German 2260: Intermediate German II: Language & Culture will be able to have more complex conversations in German and understand more sophisticated German texts and films. With German 2260, you begin to earn credit towards the major or minor.

Application for Advanced Standing in Foreign Language:
in Word | in PDF

Study Abroad

Working in conjunction with the International Center, the department has established a number of programs for study abroad in Germany.