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Fall 2014 Graduate Courses

Students who have completed the equivalent of 101-102 begin with 131; those who have completed the equivalent of 131-132 (2nd-year German) begin with 231; those who have completed the equivalent of 231-232 (3rd-year German) are eligible to take any 300- or 400-level undergraduate course taught in German. Students who are performing well may also enroll simultaneously in 231-232 and 301-302.

Advanced undergraduates in their third or fourth year of study may, with the permission of the Undergraduate Director, Professor Behrmann and the Graduate School, enroll in a graduate seminar as a route toward earning departmental honors.

Questions? Contact Undergraduate Director Professor Nicola Behrmann at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For an explanation of the School of Arts & Sciences learning codes indicated on syllabi, please see the Summary of New Core Curriculum Learning Goals.

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Language Courses
Literature and Culture Courses

Language Courses

This course is designed for beginners (students without previous knowledge of German), and offers a fast-paced, thorough introduction to the basics of the German language, with an emphasis on conversation. The course covers the basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing; study of grammar; vocabulary building; supplementary work in the language laboratory. We will also examine German culture past and present. Assignments will vary, encompassing speech and written practice. Students of 101 are strongly encouraged to enroll in Elementary German Lab 103.

This lab course is an instructor-guided laboratory practicum based on intensive use of media. Designed for the improvement of aural/oral skills. Practice involves use of text related audiotapes and videotapes, individual and group work, and recordings of student speech for evaluation of pronunciation and fluency.

An intermediate reinforcement course. Practice in speaking, reading, and writing German; extensive grammar review; cultural topics. Prepares students to take German 131.

Emphasis on conversation and composition, based on everyday situations, aspects of culture, and contemporary German short stories, review of major grammatical points.

Reading and discussion of advanced text material based on contemporary German culture. Intensive practice in word formation, sentence structure, and expository writing.

Reading and discussion of advanced text material based on contemporary German culture. Intensive practice in word formation, sentence structure, and expository writing

Literature and Culture Courses

Prerequisite: 470:102.
In German. If taken twice, 470:299 may be counted for three literature/civilization/film credits toward the major and minor.

Development of active language skills and cultural awareness through study of the role of various media (including print, Internet, film, and the other arts) in informing contemporary German politics and society. Special attention to cultural differences between Germany and the United States. Texts and presentations chosen to accommodate language level of students enrolled. In cooperation with the Rutgers College Housing German Special Interest Section, it is an ample opportunity to take advantage of their numerous events and activities, which enable students to learn even more about German culture today. Successful completion of at least German 102 or comparable linguistic ability is highly recommended. Class will be held in German. May be repeated. Three credits from 470:299 may be counted toward the major and minor.

In Introduction to Literary and Cultural Analysis we will look at a variety of short prose texts, ranging from comic books to murder mysteries and longer newspaper articles. We will explore the various stylistic features that characterize different subgenres within the category of "short prose" and discuss texts that seem to strain against their generic parameters. We will also look at short films, ranging from ads to avant-garde experiments. Our focus will be on writing, speaking, and building vocabulary. The class is taught entirely in German.

Introduction to Literary and Cultural Analysis will introduce students to central concepts in literary and film studies, using recent artworks (literature, film, theater, dance) as examples. This course is designed for students with a solid grasp of basic German grammar and vocabulary who wish to expand their knowledge of the language and culture through reading, discussion, and writing. Using short stories, excerpts from novels, poetry, videos, and films as our basis of discussion, we will focus on critical terms such as metaphor, realism, fiction, documentary, narrator, narrative development, montage, point of view, mimesis, connotation and denotation, rhyme. This is a writing-intensive course, in which we will also be using our texts to hone our grammatical and translation skills. The reading assignments are short to allow time for a thorough analysis.

This course serves as an introduction into the methodology and techniques of translating German to English, and English to German. The course will have the form of a workshop in which students learn and develop strategies and techniques to translate a variety of texts from different subject areas. We will practice on typical problems that a translator encounters when faced with texts relating to technology, natural and social sciences, anthropology, history, commerce, advertising, and literature.  Through practice exercises and assigned tasks, students will learn how to use a variety of dictionaries, glossaries, and handbooks that are useful for translators. We will also look at the history of translation studies and discuss the practical applications and typical tasks that a translator faces today.

This course introduces students to films of the Weimar, Nazi and post-war period. We will explore issues of social class, gender, historical memory, and conflict by means of close analysis. The class seeks to sensitize students to the cultural context of these films and the changing socio-political climates in which they were made. Special attention will be paid to the issue of style. Directors include Wiene, Lang, Murnau, Sternberg, Pabst, Riefenstahl, Staudte, Fassbinder, Herzog, Schroeter, Petzold, Hausner, Haneke, and Seidl. In English. May count for credit toward the German major or minor, depending on student's area of concentration.

In English.

What distinguishes "high" and "low" culture? How do they inform each other? In what way can pop culture alter and challenge the established canon? This seminar explores canonical works of (mostly German writers, in English) literature and film in regard to popular culture. We will investigate Nietzsche's Übermensch (Overman) and its gradual translation into the American Superman hero, explore the role of dreams in Kafka short prose as well as in Kubrick's movie Eyes Wide Shut, compare 1920s cabaret culture and gender performance with the "material girl" of contemporary culture, study the influence of Hermann Hesse's famous novel Steppenwolf on American rock music, listen to the ways in which revolution is presented in the lyrics of Bertolt Brecht and Bob Dylan and discuss the boundary between illusion and reality as shown in the science fiction movie The Matrix and the difficult distinction between human and non-human in the movie Blade Runner.