German

Wilbert Roget, Department Chair
532 Anderson Hall
215-204-8266
wilbert.roget@temple.edu

Margaret Devinney, Faculty Advisor
215-204–3356
devinney@temple.edu

Michelle Robinson, Administrator

mirobins@temple.edu

532 Anderson Hall
215-204-1760
www.temple.edu/fgis/Home/

German is a major world language spoken in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as in some communities in the United States. Whether you are interested in literature, music, theater, film, or art, German culture is a rich and exciting tradition. Temple’s German program provides broad linguistic, cultural, and practical experiences to prepare students to participate meaningfully in the German-speaking world.

The German major and minor help students achieve their learning goals, whether they want to go on to use German to communicate with friends in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland; to engage in business with German partners; to work in government or in the media; or to participate in German culture.  They develop skills in reading, writing, and oral communication while acquiring a rich understanding of the literature, cinema, history and culture of the German-speaking world.

Students who study German at Temple find that the program prepares them to do well in whatever they choose upon graduation; the German major is a good preparation for a career that requires analytical thinking and communication skills in general, which includes the domains of education, business, government service, travel, and tourism. It s a good major or second major for students planning to attend law school or medical school. Studies have shown that learning a foreign language helps raise scores on the LSAT, GRE, and MCAT examinations. This course of study also proves valuable to anyone who plans to work for a multinational corporation.

The German courses are often small, allowing students to get to know one another and their professors well. The program helps prepare students enrolled in the Fox School of Business to acquire a special language certificate including a special course on German in the business world. Outside of class, students can share conversations and activities informally or with the University German Society. In addition, they can publish their creative work in Temple’s annual literary magazine for world languages, In Other Words.

Requirements for the Major

• Prerequisites: German 1001, 1002, with a minimum grade of C or equivalent placement.
• Course levels are incremental in skills and content. Courses must be taken sequentially or in some instances may be taken concurrently. Students who initially place beyond German 1003 may begin with German 2001 or at the 2000-level, as appropriate.
• All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses. The specific writing-intensive courses required for this major are listed below and are identified by "WI" in the RCI column.

Distinction in Major

To be considered for Distinction in the German Major, students must:
(1) Complete the requirements for the concentration in German with a GPA of at least 3.50;
(2) Have an overall GPA of at least 3.25;
(3) Be recommended to the chair of the department by the German faculty advisor after consultation with the German department faculty.

Requirements for the Minor

Prerequisites: German 1001 or equivalent placement with a minimum grade of C.

Requirements for the Special Foreign Language Certificate in German

Study Abroad

Students declaring a major or minor in the department are strongly encouraged to study abroad. Temple University has programs at the universities of Hamburg, Tübingen, and Leipzig in Germany. Courses completed in these programs may be credited toward the German major or minor and in partial satisfaction of the International Studies requirement.

Students interested in Study Abroad should discuss their plans with the faculty advisor in German early in their academic program.

Suggested Semester-by-Semester Plan

Please note that this is a suggested academic plan. Depending on your situation, your academic plan may look different.