Fields of Concentration

Concentration Requirements

REQUIREMENTS
Germanic Languages and Literatures | Basic Requirements for All Options

  1. Required courses: See Specific Requirements for each option.
  2. Tutorials:
    1. Sophomore year: Optional; see Specific Requirements.
    2. Junior year: Optional; see Specific Requirements.
    3. Senior year: GERMAN 99A and GERMAN 99B (two terms) or SCAND 99A and SCAND 99B (two terms) required of honors candidates. Graded SAT/UNSAT.
  3. Senior thesis: Required of honors candidates only.
  4. General examination: Required of all honors and joint concentrators.
  5. Other information:
    1. Pass/fail: None of the courses counted for the concentration may be taken pass/fail except for 200-level courses. b
    2. Courses counted for concentration credit must be passed with a grade of B- or above.
    3. One First-Year Seminar may, upon approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, count toward concentration credit.
    4. The degree of honors recommended is based on the results of the general examination, the grade-point average, and the thesis evaluation.



German Studies | Requirements: 9 courses (36 credits)

  1. Basic required courses: Nine courses.
    1. Up to two courses in German at the 60-level.
    2. GERMAN 100.
    3. Four additional courses in German at the 100-level or above.
    4. An additional three courses either in German or in related fields with sufficient focus on the German aspect of the field. In consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, students coordinate these courses into a coherent but flexible program of study. Courses may be selected from such fields as English; Folklore and Mythology; Government; History; History of Art and Architecture; History of Science; Linguistics; Literature; Music; Philosophy; Psychology; Comparative Study of Religion; Visual and Environmental Studies; Women, Gender, and Sexuality; and others, including German itself.
    5. Up to three courses (combined from 1c and 1d) may be courses in which the instruction and readings are entirely in English. Together, these courses should address a wide spectrum of topics of German culture from the medieval period to the present, and at least one should address a literary genre.
  2. Courses required for honors eligibility: Same as item 1, plus two terms of GERMAN 99 (Thesis Tutorial) and the General Examination.
  3. Other information:
    1. The concentration is designed to make it possible to begin with elementary
      German (GERMAN 10 or GERMAN 10AB) in the first year and to complete the
      concentration without difficulty.
    2. One First-Year Seminar may, upon approval of the Director of Undergraduate
      Studies, count toward concentration credit.
For more information, please see the Harvard College Handbook and navigate to the Germanic Languages and Literatures section.

Summary

The concentration in Scandinavian Studies consists of ten courses, including:

  • 6 courses in a Scandinavian language

  • 4 courses in related subjects

To graduate with honors, students complete:

  • 12 courses

  • Scand 99 (two terms); senior thesis

Concentration Requirements

This option is intended for students who wish to combine the study of Scandinavian literature and culture with the study of some aspect of Western civilization closely related to a special area of the larger field of Scandinavian Languages and Literatures. Programs in Scandinavian and other literatures (including German), drama, folklore, history, linguistics, or an aspect of the social sciences may be submitted for approval by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Note that this is not considered a joint concentration and that the level of honors will be determined solely by the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures.

  1. Basic required courses: ten courses (40 credits)

    1. Six courses in Scandinavian (may include Scandinavian 91r and Scandinavian 97 and 98)

    2. Four courses in related subjects

  2. Courses required for honors eligibility: same as Item 1, plus two terms of Scandinavian 99 (Thesis Tutorial)

  3. Other information: For a list of approved related courses, see the Director of Undergraduate Studies, who must also approve each concentrator's courses. One of the Frameworks courses in the Humanities (Hum 11a-c) may count toward concentration credit.

Summary

The joint concentration consists of seven courses in German, including:

  • German 20a & 20b (or place out)
  • 5 courses in German, which should include German 101 or 102
  • Senior thesis

Concentration Requirements

This option is intended for students who wish to combine the study of German culture and literature with the study of one other field significantly related to some aspect of the larger field of Germanic languages and literatures. Programs in German and history of art and architecture, German and music, German and government, German and TDM, German and Classics, German and philosophy have been approved by the departments concerned. Programs in German and another literature, or German and another field may be submitted for approval of the departments concerned. For information about other possible combinations, consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Required courses: seven courses (28 credits)

  1. German 20a and 20b (or may be waived on basis of equivalent preparation).

  2. Five numbered courses in German beyond German 20, which should include German 101 or 102.

  3. For German primary: German 99 (two terms). Thesis.