German Studies

... looks into questions such as ...

How does the German language evolve and change?
How can medieval German language and literature be analysed and described within their specific cultural and medial context?
How does one communicate findings in a manner adequate for a specific target group, especially in view of a future teaching career?
How does one develop and conduct individual projects within the framework of research-focused studies?

„
I was pleasantly surprised about the degree programme being subdivided into Germanic linguistic, Medieval studies, and modern German literary studies.
“

Malte Gerhardt, Bachelor's degree read more ...

Malte Gerhardt is a third-year student of German Studies. He is pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree. Malte's other discipline is Linguistics.

What made you choose this degree programme?

I was looking for a second degree to complement my Linguistics studies, and I had always enjoyed German as a subject and was interested in studying the German language from different perspectives.

In which respect have or haven’t your expectations been fulfilled?

I didn't really know what German Studies would entail, but I was pleasantly surprised about the degree programme being subdivided into Germanic Linguistic (the German language systematically, from sound production through to the meaning of sentence elements), Medieval Studies (language and life in the Middle Ages) and Modern German Literary Studies. Thus, I was able to find several interesting linguistics courses. Modern German Literary Studies was somewhat trickier, because it didn't offer many seminars that interested me personally. Moreover, the number of places was limited so that participants were drawn by lot. With several hundred fellow students, luck wasn't always on your side!

Which aspect of your degree programme do you enjoy most?

Germanic Linguistic: studying words with regard to the aspect of word formation (and subsequently representing it in a tree diagram); analysing sentences and their actual meaning (“Please tidy your room!” is a demand rather than a request).

What has been your biggest challenge to date?

In the first semester of Modern German Literary Studies: having to read one book a week and preparing for the relevant lecture.

What would you like to become after completing your degree?

I consider German Studies to be my Minor degree course. Since I don't want to work as a teacher, I will probably end up working in media/broadcasting – if a career in linguistic doesn't work out.

Which advice would you like to give to students who consider enrolling in this degree programme?

Do not despair if, in your first semester, if the sheer mass of to-dos is too overwhelming! They will become fewer in the second semester, and then, you will be able to choose your courses and arrange your own schedule – provided you can accommodate your second subject, too. With only one semester delay in German Studies, I was even able to accommodate a 19-hour job by working three days a week.

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