German

About the Department

The German department offers courses in the language, literature, and cultures of the German-speaking countries to help students reach high levels of linguistic and cultural proficiency and excel in the field of German studies.

The language and literature curriculum is designed to guide students in a professional, research-based manner from their current levels in the language through well defined stages of proficiency in speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension so that they will reach college-level literacy in German.

Students who complete the elementary and intermediate course sequence (language requirement) can expect to reach a real ability to function in standard situations in a German-speaking environment and to have a solid base for the further study of German.

Students who complete advanced language, literature, and culture courses will gain an understanding and appreciation of German literature and civilization, past and present, will comprehend spoken and written German to a level that they can understand major works of German prose, drama, and poetry and will be well on their way towards the linguistic and cultural capacity for intellectual discourse in written and spoken German.

In teaching and scholarship, faculty serve as mediators between the American and German-language cultures. They have a broad firsthand knowledge of German cultural texts, traditions, issues and trends so that they can support students with diverse interests relating to the German language and cultures and thus help Hunter students in all their endeavors pertaining to things German.

The German Department also offers courses in German literature in English translation for students who have no knowledge of the German language. These courses cannot be applied to the foreign language requirement, nor to the regular German major.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students who begin German as a new language will fulfill the foreign language requirement by taking 12 credits in the elementary/intermediate language sequence: GERMN 10100 -GERMN 10200 (or GERMN 10300 ), GERMN 20100 -GERMN 20200 (or GERMN 20300 ).
Students who enter with one or more years of high school German must take all the credits they need so that they can pass GERMN 20200 (or GERMN 20300 ).
Students who enter with four years of high school German may be exempted from the foreign language requirement (see the General Education Requirement section of this catalog).

Placement

Students who have some knowledge of German should consult with one of the departmental advisers or the chair for placement in a class that is appropriate for them.

Programs and Courses

Programs and Courses in German

Administration and Faculty

Department Office:

1405 West
(212) 772-4980
fax: (212) 772-5746
Web site: http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/german

Chair:

Elke Nicolai
1406 West
(212) 772-4985
enicolai@hunter.cuny.edu

Faculty

German Faculty

HEGIS Code: 1103