German Studies

Associate Professors Katz (SC), Vennemann (SC)

German Studies is the interdisciplinary study of the contemporary cultural, social, economic, and political life of German speakers in their historical and international contexts. The German Studies Program offers as degree options both a major and a minor in German Studies.

Co-Curricular Activities

Scripps has a German Corridor where students speak German with the resident native German assistant and with each other. The members of the corridor form the core of the German Club, which organizes activities for German students throughout the year. Any student of The Claremont Colleges is welcome to join the German Club by signing up with the German assistant. In addition, a weekly German language table meets in the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Commons.

Study Abroad

Study Abroad is considered an integral part of the German Studies curriculum at Scripps, and all students of German are strongly encouraged to complement their Claremont curriculum with a semester or year in Germany or Austria. Course work completed abroad in German–except for most language acquisition courses–may satisfy the requirements for the Scripps major or minor in German Studies. To receive credit, all course work to be completed abroad must be pre-approved by the German faculty at Scripps. Students must also complete at least German 44 prior to going abroad. It is recommended that students also take two courses from the 100-series at Scripps College and a German course every semester prior to leaving, regardless of their incoming level. Currently, students may study abroad at the IES Language and Culture program in Berlin, at IES Vienna or in consultation with the Scripps faculty, on one of several approved programs in a German-speaking country.

German Across the Curriculum (GAC)

In addition to its major and minor programs of study, the German Studies Program offers students who have successfully completed German 44 (or its equivalent) the option to maintain and further develop their language proficiency in German courses in translation. Students enrolling in such courses co-enroll in German 189, the accompanying German language section. They receive one-half course credit for meeting with the German faculty member to read and discuss, in German, German texts related to the subject course.

Learning Outcomes of the Program in German Studies

Department Goals and/or Objectives

Goals are broad statements that describe what the program wants to accomplish

1. Students will gain a basic understanding of German grammar and knowledge of vocabulary.
2. Students will gain facility in speaking and understanding German and proficiency and clarity in expressing themselves in oral and written form.
3. Students will gain knowledge, past and present, of: major authors, issues, and trends associated with German society, culture, and literature.
4. Students will gain the ability to analyze, think critically, and express themselves articulately, about primary texts and visual materials, and to use secondary sources to deepen their understanding, in discussions, presentations and written essays and exams.

Student Learning Outcomes

Outcomes describe specific knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes students should demonstrate

SLO1: Students competently demonstrate a basic understanding of German grammar and knowledge of vocabulary.
SLO2: Students demonstrate proficiency, clarity and fluency in written expression. Students will exhibit knowledge of and the ability to think critically about the historical, cultural, and literary content of the course.
SLO3: Students demonstrate knowledge, past and present, of major authors, issues and trends associated with German society, culture, and literature.
SLO4: Students are able to analyze, think critically, and express themselves articulately, about primary texts and visual materials, and to use secondary sources to deepen their understanding, in discussions, presentations, and written essays and exams.