Languages and Cultures

School of Languages and Cultures

ZürichWelcome - Willkommen - to German

Studying in the German programme can mean learning the language, but it can also mean studying the rich culture and history of German-speaking Europe in our cultural studies courses. These require no knowledge of the German language and are designed to acquaint students with the many significant artistic movements, intellectual developments and historical events which have put Germany and German-speaking countries at the centre of world affairs for much of the modern era. In these courses students work not just with texts, but also with films and other aspects of visual and spatial culture in order to gain a many-dimensioned insight into the sweep of German and European history.

The German language is a leading world language, mother tongue of almost 100 million speakers. The German speaking countries, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, form the largest language area in central Europe. It is an important language of trade, Germany being the third largest economy in the world. Germany's influence has been growing steadily since the fall of the iron curtain in 1989. German plays a role as a lingua franca in the Eastern European countries and its influence has increased ever since the enlargement of the EU. There are about 20 million learners of German in the world. You could be one of them.

Knowledge of German can be vital to international work in the areas of science, business and tourism. German also holds the key to a deeper understanding of where our modern world has come from and where it might be going. Through its authors, philosophers, composers, painters and scientists, German-speaking Europe has not only been at the crossroads of history for the past 800 years, but promises to remain one of the most important world cultures for the foreseeable future.

Qualifications offered

BA Major

(see full regulations)

 In order to qualify for the degree of B.A., a student must pass courses with a total value of at least 360 points. A minimum of 215 of the required 360 points must be for courses coded above the 100 level and at least 90 points must be for courses at 300 level.
Students intending to complete the BA with a major in German must be credited with at least 135 points in German, which must include at least 105 points at 200-level or above, and at least one non-language course (15 points) of 200-level German, and at least 60 points of 300-level German, including GRMN 352. A B average at 300-level is normally required for entry to honours.
Note: EULC 101, 104, 202, 203, 204, 302, 303, and 304 may be counted as German papers.

BA Minor

(see full regulations)

 Students intending to complete the BA with a minor in German must be credited with at least 75 points in German, which must include at least 45 points at 200-level or above, and must include at least GRMN 152.
Note: EULC 101, 104, 202, 203, 204, 302, 303, and 304 may be counted as German papers.

DipGrmnLang

(see full regulations)

Students who are intending to major in a different subject while continuing their language studies are strongly encouraged to consider enrolling for a Diploma in German Language. This will give them an added qualification without the need to take many extra courses.
Candidates must complete courses with a minimum total of 120 points, with at least 75 points for courses above 100-level. Prerequisites may be waived where this is appropriate to account for prior learning or experience. No credit is given towards the diploma for such prior learning.
The diploma normally includes courses at 100, 200 and 300-level in a single language. Courses selected will, however, be appropriate to the candidate’s previous learning and experience. Candidates may include up to 45 points in non-language courses from the German schedule (subject to the approval of the Programme Director and the Dean).

BA(Hons)
MA
PhD

 Please see the postgraduate pages on the German web site.

CertArts
GradDipArts

Please see the University CertArts and GradDipArts regulations.

Recommended background

The language courses cater for total beginners as well as those with some prior knowledge of the language.

Complete Beginners

Students without previous knowledge of the German language start in GRMN 151 in the first semester, which leads on to GRMN 152 in the second semester. If they have passed these two courses, they are eligible to enrol in GRMN 251, which leads on to GRMN 252 and then to the 300 level courses.

Students with NCEA Level 3

GRMN 251 is the entry level for students with NCEA level 3 German. Students with NCEA level 2 should apply to take an online placement test. Depending on the results, they may be approved to enrol in either GRMN 152 or GRMN 251.

Placement tests

Placement tests are available not only for students with NCEA level 2 German, but also for any students wishing to enrol in German language courses who do not fulfil the prerequisite for the course in question or who are unsure of their entry level.

Career opportunities

Those who major in German will find themselves well-equipped for positions in travel and tourism, diplomatic service, public service, journalism, librarianship and information services, as well as the traditional career of teaching. Many of our graduates combine German with other professional qualifications such as law, accounting or engineering, giving them enhanced opportunities on the world market.