The following areas of knowledge are central to the undergraduate degree in German Studies:

• an awareness of the fundamental outlines of German history and culture;
• familiarity with the history of modern German literature from 1750 to the present;
• familiarity with developments in modern German-speaking Central Europe in art, cinema, architecture, law, science, and technology and
• the ability to critically examine such issues as the Nazi era and the Holocaust, migration, gender, disability, racial and ethnic difference, and Germany’s place in the European Union.

In addition, students completing the degree in German Studies are expected to acquire:

• the ability to read German at a level at which critical literary and cultural analyses can be performed;
• the ability to write and speak German sufficiently to participate in critical discussions and write critical essays;
• the ability to speak and comprehend German well enough to participate in all situations in daily life, including cultural, educational, business, and professional sectors of German life.