Undergraduate German Studies

Studying German at the University of Adelaide
First-Year German
After First-Year
Constructing a Major in German
Extended Major
Diploma in Languages
The Major for students who commenced German before 2008
Constructing a Minor in German
German Special Topic II & III
Study in Germany
Summary of Courses

Studying German at the University of Adelaide

German at the University of Adelaide offers two main sequences of courses, running from first year through to third year. The beginners' stream (German I - German II - German III) is for students who have little or no previous knowledge of German; the continuers' stream (German IS - German IIS - German IIIS) is for students who have passed Year 12 German (or equivalent). All courses in both streams aim to develop proficiency in the German language and to give students the opportunity to explore various aspects of German culture, past and present, with particular emphasis on the last 250 years, from the eighteenth century Enlightenment to the present. In first year, the study of language and culture is combined, but in second and third years, separate language and culture courses are offered in order to allow more in-depth study (see the table of courses below).

Students may study German within the normal requirements of the Bachelor of Arts or as part of another degree program, such as the Bachelor of International Studies or the Bachelor of European Studies. Students can study German as an elective for just one semester or one year, but in order to develop their language skills, most students will choose to complete a major (24 units) or a minor (18 units) in German. For maximum benefit, students should consider taking all of the language and culture courses on offer, thereby completing an extended major (30 units). Students who choose to enrol in the Diploma in Languages will need to complete a major (24 units) in their chosen language. More information on compiling a minor or a major in German can be found below. Anyone wishing to study German as part of a Diploma in Languages or as part of a degree program other than the Bachelor of Arts should consult the HUMSS Faculty Office in order to plan their course choices before proceeding to second year.

Note that all courses are semesterised, so students will receive a result at the end of each semester. As is the case with all language courses at university, the progression requirements for German are such that students must normally successfully complete one semester of language work before proceeding to the next semester course. From semester to semester and year to year, students build on their knowledge and skills as they become more confident in understanding, speaking and writing the language.
Students who wish to pursue their interest in German beyond third year can do so by enrolling in Honours, provided they have a major in German with a Credit average. It is also possible to combine Honours in German with Honours in another discipline in the Faculty. After Honours, research degrees at both Masters and PhD levels can be undertaken in areas of German Studies that correspond to the research interests of staff (see the German Studies Handbook for a list).

First-Year German

German courses at first-year level are organised in two streams: the beginners' stream and the continuers' stream.

The beginners' stream comprises the following courses in first year:
GERM 1002: German IA (Semester 1) and GERM 1003: German IB (Semester 2)
This stream is designed for students who have no previous knowledge of German, but also caters for students who have done some German at school but not to Year 12 level.

The continuers' stream comprises the following courses in first year:
GERM 1011: German Studies ISA (Semester 1) and GERM 1012: German ISB (Semester 2)
This stream is designed for students who have completed Year 12 German (or equivalent) with a scaled pass mark of 14/20 or higher.

If you are unsure about your eligibility for either of the above streams, or simply want further information, you should contact the Discipline Advisor, Judith Wilson, via email (judith.wilson@adelaide.edu.au), telephone (8313 5642) or in person (Napier room 811).

In both streams, the focus is on the acquisition and development of language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. The study of German culture is also incorporated into the study of first-year German in both streams.

After First-Year

In second year and third year (in both streams), there are separate language and culture courses in each semester, as follows (note that the "S" indicates the continuers' stream while "A" corresponds to first semester and "B" to second semester):

All courses are of 3 units in value. The content of the culture courses will vary from year to year. Consult the German Studies handbook for more detailed information about the courses on offer.

The study of language and the study of culture are interconnected. The study of language provides access to another culture; the study of another culture will not only provide you with a knowledge and understanding of that culture but also improve your language skills (classes at second and third year level are mostly conducted in German).

Constructing a Major in German

As for all other disciplines or interdisciplinary areas within the Faculty, a major in German comprises 24 units, or 8 x 3 unit courses. Unlike most other subject areas, however, there are specific progression requirements in German.

Firstly, you normally need to pass each language course before moving on to the next semester of language study. Secondly, you need to pass a minimum of 9 units at second year (e.g. two language semesters plus one culture course or two culture courses and one language course) before enrolling in any of the third-year courses.

The standard way of constructing a major in German is:

6 units in first year
9 units in second year (2 language courses + 1 culture course or 1 language course + 2 culture courses)
9 units in third year (2 language courses + 1 culture course or 1 language course + 2 culture courses)

Extended Major

To derive maximum benefit for your German skills, you can choose to complete an extended major of 30 units by taking all 10 courses, as follows:

6 units in first year
12 units in second year (2 language courses + 2 culture courses)
12 units in third year (2 language courses + 2 culture courses)

This is particularly important for anyone considering enrolling in Honours German in their fourth year.

Diploma in Languages

Any student who has accepted or who holds a place in an undergraduate Bachelor degree at the University of Adelaide, and who has obtained the consent of their relevant faculty to study the two awards concurrently, can apply for admission to the Diploma in Languages. 

The course is not available to students from universities other than Adelaide. Languages currently available to University of Adelaide students through the Language Outreach program are included in the Diploma of languages. If you are a Flinders student you can do German in a Flinders Diploma of Languages.

You cannot do the Diploma of Languages by itself. You can only do it if you are enrolled concurrently with full - or part-time study in another undergraduate degree. You can begin the Diploma in Languages at any point in your undergraduate degree, but you must remember that the Diploma in Languages requires a three-year sequence of German.

If you are enrolled in the Diploma in Languages, you need to complete a major in your chosen language (ie 24 units). If you choose to do German for your Diploma, simply follow the instructions for completing a major in German. In order to accommodate these additional language courses, students will add one year to their undergraduate degree program.

For further information refer to the Faculty's Graduate Coursework Degrees leaflet or visit the Faculty website.

The major for students who commenced German before 2008

Students who commenced German before 2008 and who completed second-year German under the previous curriculum structure will have passed 14 units, as follows:

First year: 6 units
Second year: 8 units

This leaves a total of 10 units to complete in order to fulfil the current requirements for a major (or for a Diploma in Languages). As all courses are now of 3 units in value, the Faculty has determined that students in this situation will qualify for a major (or Diploma) if the number of units they complete falls 1 or 2 units above or below the 24 units required for the new major. This means you have two options:

Either
Complete 4 courses at third year (2 language + 2 culture courses)
Total units: 14 + 12 (4 x 3) = 26 units

or

Complete 3 courses at third year (2 language + 1 culture or 1 language + 2 culture courses)
Total units: 14 + 9 (3 x 3) = 23 units

Note that when you commenced (i.e., before the introduction of the new curriculum), the major (and Diploma) in German corresponded to 26 units, which is one of the options indicated above.

Constructing a Minor in German

As for all other disciplines or interdisciplinary areas within the Faculty, a minor in German comprises 18 units, or 6 x 3 unit courses. Unlike most other subject areas, however, there are progression requirements in German. You normally need to pass each language course before moving on to the next semester of language study.
This means you have two ways of constructing a minor in German:

Either
6 units in first year
12 units in second year (2 language courses + 2 culture courses)

or

6 units in first year
6 units in second year (2 language courses or 2 culture courses or 1 language course and 1 culture course)
6 units in third year (2 language courses or 2 culture courses or I language course and 1 culture course)

German Special Topic II & III

This course (GERM 2030 & 3030) offers the opportunity for students in second year or third year to complete a first level German language course. It is particularly appropriate for prospective postgraduates or Honours students who need to develop a reading ability of the German language for research purposes. Students intending to do Semester 2 of this topic must normally have completed Semester 1.

Study in Germany

Exchange

The University has established exchange agreements with a number of German universities to enable students to spend a semester (or two) in a German-speaking country as part of their studies. If you are interested in study abroad programmes, you should contact the University's International Office in the first instance. For course advice, you should contact either the Head of German or the German Course Advisor to discuss options (especially if you want to gain credit towards your major or Diploma in German).

NB. The Law School has a long-standing exchange agreement with Mannheim University - Law students should consult that School for further information on this exchange scheme.

Intensive 'Summer' Course in Germany

Students can earn 3 units of credit by completing the intensive "summer" course conducted in January - February by the University of Stuttgart. This summer course has been running for a number of years and involves a combination of formal language study and cultural studies courses, with excursions to places of interest in the area. Students are accommodated with families. Information on this intensive course can be obtained from the International Office, Level 5, Oliphant Building, North Terrace.

Further details are available in our German Studies Handbook.

Summary of courses