German Studies Minor

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The German Studies minor uses an interdisciplinary approach to learning language that also provides the opportunity to discover the culture of the speakers of German, which can include course work from outside the department. Students improve their German language skills as well as develop cultural knowledge in fields such as history, political science, philosophy, the arts and any of the multiple fields to which the German culture has so richly contributed.

Admission and Grade Requirements

Students minoring in German Studies must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.3, and a GPA of 2.5 in courses applied to the German Studies minor. The minimum grade acceptable in any course applied to the German Studies minor is a C (2.0). No courses taken on a pass/fail basis may be credited toward the German Studies minor.

Course Substitutions

With prior consent from a UCD German faculty advisor, students may apply substitute course work to fulfill the required areas of study. This would include, for example, courses taken outside the department, transfer credit, study abroad course work, etc. Please consult with a UCD German faculty advisor to receive permission for course substitution. GRMN 1010 and GRMN 1020 can NOT be applied toward this minor.

Residency Requirement

The German Studies minor requires 6 semester hours of upper-division course work. A minimum of 12 semester hours must be taken from German faculty at CU Denver. Courses taken at other institutions while a student is enrolled at CU Denver may be applied to the minor only with departmental approval before enrollment in those courses.

Students who have completed course work through an approved exchange program must also complete a residency requirement of a minimum of 6 credits of upper-division German courses. This residency requirement must include at least 3 semester hours of language skills courses at CU Denver.

Advising
Upon declaring a minor in German Studies, each student will be assigned to a faculty advisor with whom the student should consult at least once per semester thereafter. It is especially important that students have their transcripts reviewed by their advisor before enrolling in their final 30 credit hours at UC Denver. Failure to do so may result in delay of graduation.

Course Requirements for the Minor

Students must complete a minimum of 18 semester credit hours of course work pertinent to the study of German Language and Culture. No portion of these 18 credits may be applied to satisfy the requirement of any specific program outside the German Studies minor (such as satisfying core curriculum requirements) other than the total number of credits required for an undergraduate degree.

Required Courses in Language Proficiency

Students must complete at least 6 semester credits of upper division German skills courses. Skills courses are those taught in German with the goal of improving the student’s abilities in spoken and written German. Any courses taught in German at the 3000 level or higher may be applied toward language proficiency (example courses: GRMN 3030, GRMN 3050, GRMN 3060). Only courses taught in German may apply toward the language proficiency minimum.

Total: 6 Hours

Required Courses in German Culture

Students must complete a minimum of 3 credit hours pertaining to German culture. Culture courses are those whose primary content focuses on the aspects of German society, current and/or historical issues. Students may complete this component in any language of instruction. (Examples of such courses include GRMN 1000, GRMN 3200, and may include courses outside the department.)

Total: 3 Hours

Electives

In addition to the minimum 9 credits of required skills and culture courses, students must complete at least 9 additional credits of elective course work pertinent to the study of German language and/or culture. These credits may be chosen from any course offerings with a GRMN prefix (such as GRMN 3200) and may also include GRMN 1000, GRMN 2110 and GRMN 2150 with permission from a German faculty advisor. Please note that GRMN 1010 and GRMN 1020 can NOT be applied toward the German minor.

Students may apply up to 6 semester credits toward the German minor from UCD courses outside the department provided that the content of the course work is pertinent to the study of German language and/or culture (such as courses in history, political science, philosophy, etc.). Students must receive prior approval from a German faculty advisor to apply credits from outside the department toward the German minor.

Total: 9 Hours

Minor Total: 18 Hours

Study Abroad

Students learning German are highly encouraged to study abroad in a German-speaking country. Please consult a faculty member in German about including study abroad in your curriculum and about the application of course work completed abroad as it applies to your program.

German Language Certificate

Students enrolled in a degree program, and who complete the Certificate in Applied German Language Skills , satisfy the requirements for a German Studies minor and can earn both upon graduation.

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