Department website: http://worldlang.wvu.edu/
Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Arts
Nature of the Program
The primary goal of the major in German Studies is to provide students with a solid liberal arts education that is the foundation for personal and professional success and growth over a lifetime. The curriculum is designed to provide students with well-developed cognitive and communication skills and with a broad knowledge base that will enable them to pursue additional studies at the graduate level or to enter the job market in positions that will demand knowledge of German language and culture. The skills provided by a Bachelor of Arts in German Studies complement and add value to a degree in any field.
Minors
All students have the possibility of earning one or more minors; view a list of all available minors and their requirements here. Please note that students may not earn a minor in their major field.
Faculty
Chair
- Amy S. Thompson - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
Applied Linguistics
Associate Chairs
- Pablo Garcia Loaeza - Ph.D. (Indiana University Bloomington)
Undergraduate Studies, Spanish, Latin American Literature and Culture - Sandra Stjepanović - Ph.D. (University of Connecticut)
Graduate Studies, Linguistics, Syntax, Psycholinguistics, Semantics
Professors
- Daniel Ferreras - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
French and Spanish, Comparative Romance Literature, French/Spanish 19th and 20th Century Novel, Theory of the Fantastic - Pablo García Loaeza - Ph.D. (Indiana University Bloomington)
Spanish, Latin American Literature and Culture - Valérie Lastinger - Ph.D. (University of Georgia)
French, 18th century French Literature, French Women Writers - Amy S. Thompson - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
Applied Linguistics
Associate Professors
- Manal AlNatour - Ph.D. (University of Arkansas)
Arabic Studies, Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies - Susan Braidi - Ph.D. (University of Delaware)
ESL/Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition, Syntax - Cynthia Chalupa - Ph.D. (Ohio State University)
German, Fin de siècle German and Austrian Literature, Poetry, Foreign Language Pedagogy - Deborah Janson - Ph.D. (University of California, Los Angeles)
German, 18th through 21st Century German Literature, Enlightenment, Romanticism, GDR and post-Wende Literature, Ecofeminism - Jonah Katz - Ph.D. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Phonetics, Phonology, Theoretical and Experimental Linguistics, Music Cognition - Tania de Miguel Magro - Ph.D. (The State University of New York, Stony Brook)
Spanish, Spanish Literature and Culture, Spanish Golden Age Literature - Sergio Robles-Puente - Ph.D. (University of Southern California)
Spanish Phonetics, Phonology, Sociolinguistics - Sandra Stjepanović - Ph.D. (University of Connecticut)
Linguistics, Syntax, Psycholinguistics, Semantics - Ching-Hsuan Wu - Ph.D. (The Ohio State University)
Chinese, Applied Linguistics
Assistant Professors
- William Justin Morgan - Ph.D. (University of Alabama)
Spanish, Applied Linguistics - Nicole Tracy-Ventura - Ph.D. (Northern Arizona University)
Applied Linguistics - Sonia Zarco-Real - Ph.D. (University of Connecticut)
Spanish, Peninsular Literature, and Hispanic Transatlantic Studies
Teaching Professors
- Lisa Di Bartolomeo - Ph.D. (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
Russian and Polish Language and Literature, Slavic Folklore, Culture and Cinema, Science Fiction, the Holocaust
Teaching Associate Professors
- Annastella Vester - Ph.D. (University of California, Los Angeles)
Italian, Contemporary Italian Literature, 18th and 19th Century Italian
Teaching Assistant Professors
- Heiko ter Haseborg - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
German, Education, Applied Linguistics - Yilin Liao-Carlson - Ph.D. (Purdue University)
Chinese Studies - Rafael Osuna Montanez - Ph.D. (University of Connecticut)
Spanish
Instructors
- Yumiko Adachi - M.A. (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Japanese Linguistics - Karen Allen - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL - Livia Cascao - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL - Lindsey DeBolt - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL - Tracy Dingess - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL - Beatrice Malvisi - M.A. (University of Pittsburgh)
Italian - Lindsei Pereira da Silva - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL - Jennifer Simpson - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL, Linguistics - Kristen Williams - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL
Lecturers
- Lisa Dunn - M.A. (West Virginia University)
Spanish - Veronica Evans - M.A. (West Virginia University)
Classics, Italian - Michael Mackert - Ph.D. (University of Delaware)
Linguistics - Irina Manukova - M.S. (Georgian Politechnial University)
Russian - Patricia Patton - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL
Professors Emeriti
- María Amores - Ph.D. (Penn State University)
Spanish, Foreign Language Acquisition - Sandra Dixon - Ph.D. (Brown University)
Spanish, Portuguese Literature, Spanish-American Literature, Brazilian Literature - Ahmed Fakhri - Ph.D. (University of Michigan)
ESL/Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition, Applied Linguistics, Discourse Analysis - Pablo González - Ph.D. (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)
Spanish Literature and Culture - Michael Lastinger - Ph.D. (University of Georgia)
French, 19th Century French Literature, Critical Theory - Kathleen McNerney - Ph.D. (University of New Mexico)
Spanish, Catalan Language and Literature, Spanish Literature and Culture, Women Writers - Janice Spleth - Ph.D. (Rice University)
French, Francophone Literature and Culture - Ángel Tuninetti - Ph.D. (Washington University)
Spanish, Latin American Literature and Culture
Admissions
- First Time freshmen are admitted directly into the major.
- Students transferring from another major within WVU must meet minimum requirements: 2.0 overall and a minimum of one foreign language course with at least a C- (foreign language courses do not include FCLT, FLIT, LANG, LING).
- Students transferring from another institution must meet minimum requirements: 2.0 overall and a minimum of one foreign language course with at least a C- (foreign language courses do not include FCLT, FLIT, LANG, LING).
Admission Requirements 2024-2025
The Admission Requirements above will be the same for the 2024-2025 Academic Year.
Major Codes: 14E4
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Departmental Requirements for the B.A. in German Studies
- Capstone Requirement: The university requires the successful completion of a Capstone course. German Studies majors complete GER 496.
- Writing and Communication Skills Requirement: The German Studies Bachelor of Arts is a SpeakWrite Certified ProgramTM. SpeakWrite Certified programs incorporate and develop students’ written, verbal, visual, and mediated communication skills across the curriculum.
- Calculation of Major GPA: A minimum GPA of a 2.0 is required in all courses applied to major requirements. If a course is repeated, all attempts will be included in the calculation of the GPA, unless the course is eligible for a D/F repeat.
- Residency Requirement: Students completing a major in German Studies at WVU must fulfill a residency requirement by completing at least fifteen credit hours on campus in their language/area of study, excluding courses numbered 100, 101, 102, 200, 203, 204, 493, and courses obtained through credit by examination.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 78 | |
| ECAS B.A. Requirements | 9 | |
| German Studies Major Requirements | 33 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 | 36 | |
| LANG 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 41 | |
| Total Hours | 78 | |
ECAS Bachelor of Arts Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fine Arts Requirement | ||
| Foreign Language | 9 | |
| Global Studies and Diversity Requirement | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
German Studies Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GERMAN-LANGUAGE CORE COURSES: | 21 | |
Select five courses from the following list: | ||
| Intermediate German 2: Life in Germany | ||
| German Pronunciation | ||
| Introduction to German Film | ||
| The German Experience 1 | ||
| Language and Society | ||
| Conversations in Context 2: Germany Today | ||
| Youth Culture in German-Speaking Countries | ||
| Culture and Science in German-speaking Countries | ||
Select three courses from the following list: | ||
| German for Professional Purposes | ||
| Professional Life in Germany | ||
| TurboDeutsch: Intensive German in Review | ||
| German Literature: Fables/Fairy Tales/Enlightenment -Romanticism | ||
| German Literature: Since Romanticism | ||
| German Cultural History: 350-1700 | ||
| German Cultural History Since 1945 | ||
| The German Experience 2 | ||
| Seminar | ||
| GERMAN STUDIES ELECTIVE COURSES | 9 | |
Select five courses from the following list, or alternate courses from the list above. 9 credits minimum in FCLT, FLIT, or GER. | ||
| German Fairy Tales: Nationalism and Supernaturalism during the Romantic Era | ||
| German Literature Since World War II | ||
| Norse Mythology | ||
| German Cinema | ||
| Weimar and the Third Reich in Literature and Film (Weimar and the Third Reich in Literature and Film) | ||
| Seminar | ||
| History of Modern Germany | ||
| German Central Europe, 1648-1900 | ||
| Twentieth Century German Central Europe | ||
| The Teaching of Foreign Languages | ||
| Introduction to Structural Linguistics | ||
| Themes in Continental Philosophy | ||
| CAPSTONE REQUIREMENT: | 3 | |
| Senior Thesis | ||
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| LANG 191 | 1 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| GEF 2 | 3 | GEF 2 | 3 |
| GEF 3 | 3 | GEF 5 | 3 |
| GEF 4 | 3 | GER 102 | 3 |
| GER 101 | 3 | German Studies Elective 1 | 3 |
| General Elective | 2 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | ECAS Global Studies and Diversity Requirement (GEF 7) | 3 |
| GER 203 | 3 | GER 204 | 3 |
| German Studies Elective 2 | 3 | German Studies Elective 3 | 3 |
| ECAS Fine Arts Requirement (GEF 6) | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEF 8* | 3 | GEF 8* | 3 |
| GEF 8* | 3 | GER 303 | 3 |
| GER 301 | 3 | Core Lit/Culture Course 2 | 3 |
| Core Lit/Culture Course 1 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GER 304 | 3 | GER 496 (Capstone) | 3 |
| Core Lit/Culture Course 3 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Degree Progress
- A progress review will be completed in the middle of the 3rd semester.
- By the end of the fourth semester in the major, students must have completed .
- Students must retain a 2.0 GPA in courses that count toward the major by their junior year.
- All majors must meet with a WLLL department adviser each semester.
Students who do not meet these benchmarks may be removed from their major.
Major Learning Outcomes
German Studies
Upon successful completion of the B.A. degree in World Language and Cultural Studies, students will meet the following outcomes:
1. Critical Thinking Outcome
Students will be able to:
- analyze the values, ideas, and belief systems of German;
- evaluate the relationship between the cultural forms, everyday life, and the power structures in historical and sociopolitical contexts;
- use their knowledge of German language and culture to analyze issues across a range of disciplines.
2. Cultural Knowledge Outcome
Students will be able to:
- describe key perspectives and practices of German culture as they are demonstrated in cultural products, including literature, film, and other print and audio-visual sources;
- identify fundamental differences between German culture and their own.
3. Intercultural Learning Outcome
Students will be able to:
- recognize that significant differences in behaviors exist among cultures;
- relate German products, practices, and perspectives to their own;
- demonstrate culturally appropriate behavior in a variety of situations to avoid major social blunders.
4. Interpretive Communication Outcome
Students will be able to:
- interpret accurately a variety of audio, print, and audio-visual texts on a wide range of topics related to German culture.
5. Interpersonal Communication Outcome
Students will be able to:
- interact and negotiate meaning appropriately using spoken language in a variety of contexts;
- exchange information appropriately using written language in a variety of contexts.
6. Presentational Communication Outcome
Students will be able to:
- present information orally to different audiences and for various purposes using appropriate language and conventions;
- present information in writing to different audiences and for various purposes using appropriate language and conventions.
7. Linguistic Knowledge Outcome
Students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the grammatical system of German;
- compare German structures with those in their own language.