Certificate in German Language and Culture

The Certificate in German Language and Culture provides students with a broad knowledge and cultural foundation necessary for understanding the cultures and societies of the German speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxemburg and Liechtenstein). One cannot really understand the culture without being exposed to the languages that are shaping it, and one cannot understand the political and economic dynamics of a society without knowing its cultural foundations. The cornerstone of the Certificate is an expertise in German language and culture. The Certificate is designed with an interdisciplinary perspective exposing students to the world of German speaking countries through history, political science, philosophy, religion, music, cinema, arts and architecture.

The Certificate in German Language and Culture is available to degree-seeking students and it is awarded by the Department of Modern Languages at FIU.

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Around the world, German is the third most commonly taught foreign language and after English the second most popular in Europe and in Japan. It is a leading language of science, literature, arts, philosophy and history. The knowledge of German is very important for increased employment opportunities – Germany is a major player in the European Union; it has the largest economy in the European Union and the third largest in the world. A combination of German knowledge with other specialties such as business and economics, engineering, medicine, legal training or bio-chemistry, opens wide career opportunities for the young people today, both in Europe as well as in the USA, with the high presence of German companies in this country. The students at FIU realize that their studies of German language and culture complement many other fields such as: journalism, international relations, political science, as well as arts, literature, architecture, philosophy, religion, music and film. The courses in German language and culture leading towards the Certificate would also complement other certificates such as European Studies Certificate and Certificate in National Security Studies offered at FIU.

  • Required Credits

    The Certificate in German Language and Culture requires a total of 23 credits (for students with no prior knowledge of the selected language) or a minimum of 18 credits (for students with prior knowledge of the selected language) and includes the following:

    • Four semesters of German; fourteen credits of language courses will be applied to the certificate.
    • Two core courses.
    • One additional elective course.
  • Prescribed Required Courses and Other Requirements

    I. Core Language requirement: Four semester sequence of language: (14 credits maximum may count toward the Certificate). If students test out of some portion of this requirement then they must complete additional credits as approved by the Certificate Director.

    GER 1130German I5
    GER 1131German II5

    Any two courses out of the following three:

    GER 2200Intermediate German3
    GER 2240German Intermediate Conversation3
    GER 2243German Oral Communication Skills3

    II. Two additional core courses, chosen from among the following departmental offerings: (6 credits)

    GER 3420Review Grammar and Writing3
    GET 3003German Culture and Society3
    GET 4560Berlin Then and Now3

    Or

    Any other advanced German language or culture course offered by the Department of Modern Languages

    III. One additional elective course, offered by any of the following departments: (3 credits)

    • Art and Art History
    • International Relations
    • History
    • Humanities
    • Philosophy
    • Political Science
    • Religion
    • Architecture
    • Music

    The course must contain content strongly pertaining to German language and culture and be approved by the Certificate Director.

    Examples of courses approved for the certificate:

    CPO 3103Comparative West European Politics
    CPO 3104EU Politics
    INR 3214International Relations of Europe
    EUH 4033Nazism and the Holocaust