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BA in German

Degree Program Description

The German degree is the exploration of the language, literature and culture of German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). Many of the greatest thinkers and artists of the modern era—e.g. Einstein, Freud, and Beethoven—came from these regions, and almost every discipline in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences has a strong German tradition. In addition, Germany plays a crucial role in the European Union, on the world political stage, and in economic dealings with the United States and around the world. The BA in German offers you the possibility of participating in this vibrant cultural tradition first hand. MU German majors have successfully pursued careers in business, engineering, finance, law, journalism, government service, teaching, medicine, and the sciences, as well as in art, literature, philosophy, music, and film.

Major Program Requirements

The major in German consists of 27 credits in German beyond GERMAN 2100. The German faculty strongly encourages all majors to spend at least one semester studying abroad at a German university. Equivalents to all the required courses for the major are available through study abroad. In addition, students must meet all degree, college and university graduation requirements including university general education.

Major core requirements (beyond the A&S language requirement)
The following courses or their equivalents must be included:
GERMAN 2260Intermediate German II: Language and Culture3
GERMAN 3160German Conversation and Composition3
or GERMAN 3190 Contemporary German Culture
GERMAN 3230Introduction to German Literature3
GERMAN 4160Advanced Language Proficiency3
GERMAN 4980German Capstone Seminar3
One GERMAN 4200-level literature course3
GERMAN 2310German Civilization I: Barbarians, Valkyries, Knights, Poets *3
or GERMAN 2320 German Civilization: 1850 to Present
Electives
Elective courses and equivalents to replace the required courses above should be selected in consultation with the advisor.
Total Credits21
*

GERMAN 2310 and GERMAN 2320 are Writing Intensive German civilization courses. Versions of both GERMAN 2310 and GERMAN 2320 taken online do NOT count towards the major or minor requirements.

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Semester Plan

Below is a sample plan of study, semester by semester.  A student's actual plan may vary based on course choices where options are available.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
GERMAN 22603GERMAN 31603
HIST 11003Course for Second Major3
ENGLSH 10003MATH 1050, 1100, or STAT 12003
Course for Second Major3Foundation Requirements (Sciences with Lab)5
Foundation Requirements (Humanities)3Foundation Requirements (Social Sciences)3
 15 17
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
GERMAN 32303GERMAN 31903
Course for Second Major3GERMAN 23203
Course for Second Major3Course for Second Major3
Foundation Requirements (Sciences-Math Reasoning Proficiency)3Course for Second Major (WI)3
Foundation Requirements (Behavioral Sciences)3Foundation Requirements (Science)3
 15 15
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
GERMAN 30053GERMAN 42303
GERMAN 41603Course for Second Major3
Elective in German3Foundation Requirements (Behavioral Sciences)3
Elective in German3Elective Course3
Foundation Requirements (Social Sciences)3Elective Course3
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
GERMAN 42403GERMAN 49803
Course for Second Major3Capstone Course for Second Major3
Course for Second Major3Foundation Requirements (Humanities)3
Foundation Requirements (Social Sciences)3Elective3
Elective Course3Elective3
 15 15
Total Credits: 122

NOTE: Third Year - Study Abroad at German University

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Degree Audit

The degree audit is an automated report reflecting a student’s academic progress toward the completion of a degree. 

MU students can request a degree audit by logging in to myDegreePlanner. Students may also access myDegreePlanner via myZou, in the Student Center, click on the Academic Progress Tile, then select Request Degree Audit. The audit automatically pulls in the student’s MU course work, transfer courses and courses in progress. This is available to current students, admitted students, and those who last attended less than three terms ago.

Past MU students can request a degree audit by contacting the Academic Advising Unit of the division in which they were last enrolled at MU. For contact information, go to https://advising.missouri.edu/contact/.

Prospective students, can access a preliminary MU degree audit via https://www.transferology.com. Information on the college credits already earned will have to be manually entered before it can be evaluated against current degree requirements.

For additional details on degree audits, go to https://registrar.missouri.edu/degrees-audits/degree-audits/.

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Major and Career Exploration

The University of Missouri has many resources to assist you in exploring majors and career possibilities. For guidance, visit the Majors and Careers website or view specific resources below.

  • If you are considering a change of major or are exploring multiple majors, schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Discovery Center by calling (573)884-9700 or through MU Connect Discovery Center service in you success network.

  • If you have decided on a major, visit an academic advisor in the School or College that you are interested in to discuss the process of declaring the major

  • If you would like to learn more about your career interests, abilities, values and talents, visit the MU Career Center. No Appointment is necessary to explore career options with one of our staff members.

For additional major and career exploration resources, visit Major & Career Exploration in the catalog.

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