Major/Minor Requirements And Recommendations

 

German Literature major consists of:

•  Completion of a minimum of 8 credits in courses numbered 003B and above.

•  One of the 8 credits may be taken in English from among the courses on German literature listed in the catalog under Literature in Translation (e.g., LITR 037G).

•  Seniors in course are required to (a) take GERM 091: Special Topics; (b) submit a bibliography of 20 works to form the basis of a discussion and an extended, integrative paper (approximately 15 double-spaced pages in length) on a general literary topic agreed to by the section. This paper, due before the date for the comprehensive examination, is complemented by a discussion of the paper with members of the section, in German.

•  Majors in course are encouraged to enroll for at least one seminar in the junior or senior year. (See the note on enrolling in seminars.)

•  After studying abroad, majors must take two additional German classes.

For a German Literature minor, students must complete

•  5 credits in courses and seminars numbered 004 or above. Of these courses, GERM 091: Special Topics, is required.

•  Students are strongly encouraged to spend a semester in Germany or at least participate in a summer program in a German-speaking country. Of the classes taken abroad, a maximum of 2 credits will count toward the minor.

Honors Program in German Literature

Majors and minors in the Honors Program are expected to be sufficiently proficient in spoken and written German to complete all their work in German. All majors and minors in honors are strongly advised to spend at least one semester of study in a German-speaking country. Candidates are expected to have a B average in course work both in the department and at the College.

Prerequisites

Majors: GERM 013.

Minors: GERM 013 and one course numbered 050 or above.

Preparations

Majors will prepare for exams by taking three seminars . With the approval of the department, it is possible to combine advanced 1-credit courses or attachments, taken either at Swarthmore or elsewhere, to form a preparation.

Minors will prepare for exams by taking one seminar .

Senior Honors Study (SHS) and Mode of Examination

For SHS, students are required to present an annotated bibliography of criticism--articles or books--concerning at least five of the texts in e ach seminar offered for external exam. Students are required to meet with the respective instructor(s) of the seminar(s) being examined by Feb. 15 to discuss their planned bibliography and to meet with the instructor(s) for a second time when the approved bibliography is handed in by May 1. The annotated bibliography, which carries no credit, will be added to course syllabi in the honors portfolio. The honors examination will take the form of a three-hour written exam based on each seminar and its SHS preparation as well as a one-hour oral panel exam based on the three written exams for majors or a 30- to 45-minute oral exam for minors.

German Studies Honors Minor Requirements

1. 5 credits from designated courses in German studies, 3 of which must be outside the student's major department. To ensure a common groundwork for all minors, students must take the core course, GERM 014: Introduction to German Studies. To ensure work in depth, at least 1 credit must be a thesis on an interdisciplinary topic, normally to be proposed at the end of the junior year and written in the fall semester of the senior year. An interdisciplinary thesis for the student's major department may fulfill this requirement.

2. Students in the Honors Program are expected to be sufficiently proficient in spoken and written German to complete all their work in German and are strongly advised to spend at least one semester of study in a German-speaking country. Candidates are expected to have a B average in course work both in the department and at the College. After studying abroad, minors must take at least one additional class in German studies.

3. Honors Preparation: The German studies concentration offers only a minor in the Honors Program.

Prerequisites : GERM 014 and an advanced course in German studies.

Preparations . A seminar in German studies (or, in lieu of the seminar, two advanced courses in German studies).

Senior Honors Study : Honors preparation will include a revised version of a seminar paper (approximately 3,000 words) from the seminar for which the student is being examined. Otherwise, preparation for the examination will be discussed with the director of German studies on a case-by-case basis to ensure adequate preparation for the honors examination. No credit will be given for the revised paper.

Honors examination : a three-hour written examination based on a German studies seminar or, in lieu of the seminar, two advanced courses in German studies and a 30- to 45-minute oral examination based on all previous work in the field.

German Studies Course Minor

Requirements : Substantial work in the German language (GERM 004 or the equivalent). The requirements for the German studies course minor are identical to the honors requirements (5 credits, including the core course GERM 014) except that students need not write an interdisciplinary thesis or take honors preparations. Course students who do not take an advanced literature course must either use original German sources in the thesis or add an attachment in German to one course in the concentration.

Special Major in German Studies

A student can accomplish a special major in German studies by taking 5 additional credits from the courses listed under "Courses eligible for German Studies". Students planning a special major in German Studies need to consult with the program chair and write a proposal to be submitted for approval.