Courses - Spring 2026
GERS
German Studies
GERS103
Intensive Elementary German
Credits:
4
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: Must have appropriate World Language Placement (WLP) score.
Restriction: Must not be a fluent/native speaker of German.
Credit only granted for: GERS103 or GERM103.
Formerly: GERM103.
Covers speaking, reading, writing, listening, and culture of German-speaking world.
GERS141
Yiddish I
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with: JWST281.
Credit only granted for: JWST281, GERM148Y or GERS141.
Introduction to the Yiddish language, with emphasis on speaking, reading, and writing skills. Students will also learn the history of the language, its significance to Jewish culture, its origins and basic structure.
Cross listed with JWST281. Credit only granted for GERS141 or JWST281.
GERS199A
Special Topics in German Studies; Marx, Nietzsche, Freud in the 21st Century
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
How does the modern world work? Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Sigmund Freud revolutionized how truth, history, and power are understood in the modern world. Writing against the dominant ideas of their day, all three thinkers developed strategies for uncovering what is really going on in people, societies, cultures, and political systems. Against the odds, their efforts had such an impact that some people continue to be upset by them. Come and see what all the fuss is about, hear out some of their ideas, and discuss their relevance for a wide variety of pressing contemporary issues. Where do ruling ideas come from? What generates wealth? Why are so many people so angry? Can human civilization survive, or even thrive, in the 21st century? Taught in English.
GERS203
Intensive Intermediate German
Credits:
4
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: GERS103; or must have appropriate World Language Placement (WLP) score.
Restriction: Must not be a fluent/native speaker of German.
Credit only granted for: GERM203 or GERS203.
Formerly: GERM203.
Covers speaking, reading, writing, listening, and culture of German-speaking world.
GERS204
German Grammar Review
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: GERS203; or Must have appropriate World Language Placement (WLP) score.
Restriction: Must not be a fluent/native speaker of German.
Credit only granted for: GERM204 or GERS204.
Formerly: GERM204.
An in-depth study and analysis of selected grammatical topics in a contextualized framework.
GERS299M
Special Topics in German Studies; Introduction to Yiddish Literature
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
This engagement with classic Yiddish texts offers the opportunity to reflect on the major social challenges, religious developments, and political complexities that colored the lives of Eastern European Jewry from the Middle Ages through the 20th century. Readings include texts by prominent writers such as Sholem Aleichem, S.Y. Abramovitsch, and I.L. Peretz, but also a mix of lesser-known authors in a variety of genres. Taught in English.
Cross-listed with ENGL278G and JWST219M. Credit granted only for GERS299M, JWST219M, or ENGL278G.
Cross-listed with ENGL278G and JWST219M. Credit granted only for GERS299M, JWST219M, or ENGL278G.
GERS303
Intermediate Conversation and Composition: Current Topics in German-speaking Society
Credits:
4
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: GERS 204; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
Restriction: Cannot take for GERS major/minor credit, if taken GERS301 or GERS302.
Credit only granted for: GERS301 and 302; or GERS 303.
Formerly: GERS301.
Practice in contemporary spoken and written German. Review of grammar, exercises in composition and conversational strategies with an emphasis on cultural contrasts in the German-speaking world. Addresses contemporary social, political, and cultural themes.
GERS320
Survey of German Studies
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: GERS301; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
Credit only granted for: GERM320 or GERS320.
Formerly: GERM320.
Approaches to analysis of German cultural products such as literature, film, poetry, architecture and works of art. Taught in German.
GERS320H
Survey of German Studies
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: GERS301; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
Credit only granted for: GERM320 or GERS320.
Formerly: GERM320.
Approaches to analysis of German cultural products such as literature, film, poetry, architecture and works of art. Taught in German.
GERS329C
Microcourse in German Studies; Reading and Transcribing German Script
Credits:
1
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Recommended for students who have taken at least GERS204. Credit only granted for GERS329C or GERS378C;
Focuses on developing skills for reading, deciphering, and transcribing older German scripts (Fraktur, Kurrent, Sutterlin). Project-based assignments involve transcribing historical print documents and handwritten manuscripts and letters. Taught in German and English.
Focuses on developing skills for reading, deciphering, and transcribing older German scripts (Fraktur, Kurrent, Sutterlin). Project-based assignments involve transcribing historical print documents and handwritten manuscripts and letters. Taught in German and English.
GERS329D
Microcourse in German Studies; Practicum in German Theater
Credits:
1
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Students will stage a brief one-act play of contemporary relevance, chosen in consultation with the instructor, for the One Stage, Many Languages: A Contemporary Global Theatre Festival hosted by the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures in late April 2026. Acting encouraged but not required. The play will be performed in German with English overtitles. Course taught in English, but students must have completed GERS103 to enroll.
GERS329E
Microcourse in German Studies; Famous Classical Music Composers from German-Speaking Countries
Credits:
1
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Explores the lives, works, and influences of some of the most renowned classical music composers originating from German-speaking countries. From the Baroque period to the Romantic era, students will delve into the rich musical traditions of Germany, Austria, and other German-speaking regions and gain an understanding of how composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,and others shaped the landscape of classical music. A highlight of this course includes attending live concerts at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at UMD and the Kennedy Center in DC. Course taught in English.
GERS386
Experiential Learning
Credits:
3 - 6
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F
Prerequisite: Permission of ARHU-School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures department.
Restriction: Junior standing or higher.
Credit only granted for: GERM386 or GERS386.
Formerly: GERM386.
Internship and practicum.
GERS397H
Honors Reading (Independent Study)
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Credit only granted for: GERM397 or GERS397.
Formerly: GERM397.
Supervised reading to be taken normally only by students admitted into honors program.
GERS402
Advanced Conversation and Composition
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: GERS302; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
Restriction: Must not have completed GERS401 or GERS403.
Credit only granted for: (GERM401 and GERM403), GERM402, or GERS402.
Formerly: GERM402.
Advanced instruction in and acquisition of written and oral communication skills in German
GERS436
The Usual Suspects: Criminals in German Literature and Film
Prerequisite: GERS320 or GERS322; or permission of instructor.
Credit only granted for: GERM436 or GERS436.
Formerly: GERM436.
An examination of how historical, cultural and political discourses in German-speaking countries influence social norms and criteria for judging what is considered socially acceptable or "deviant". Texts and films span from the 18th to 21st centuries. Taught in German.
GERS449M
Selected Topics in German Studies; Babylon Berlin and Global Media Culture
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with CINE419M. Credit granted only for GERS449M or CINE419M.
Examines the blockbuster German streaming series Babylon Berlin in the context of global media culture, with attention to the show's citational style; the role of digital media in its international distribution, reception, and fandom; and its transhistorical mode of representation. A key focus will be the show's intermedial engagement with the film theory, culture, and politics of Weimar Germany. Taught in English.
Examines the blockbuster German streaming series Babylon Berlin in the context of global media culture, with attention to the show's citational style; the role of digital media in its international distribution, reception, and fandom; and its transhistorical mode of representation. A key focus will be the show's intermedial engagement with the film theory, culture, and politics of Weimar Germany. Taught in English.
GERS489B
Social Issues in German Culture; Weimar Culture
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Provides an overview of the significant artistic and cultural movements of the Weimar Republic, focusing on debates about modernity, political change, and the social upheaval of the interwar period. Taught in German.
GERS499
Directed Study
Credits:
1 - 3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
GERS689J
Special Topics - M.A. Level; Ususal Suspects: Criminals in German Literature and Film
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
An examination of how historical, cultural and political discourses in German-speaking countries influence social norms and criteria for judging what is considered socially acceptable or "deviant". Texts and films span from the 18th to 21st centuries. Taught in German.
GERS689X
Special Topics - M.A. Level; Weimar Culture
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
Provides an overview of the significant artistic and cultural movements of the Weimar Republic, focusing on debates about modernity, political change, and the social upheaval of the interwar period. Taught in German.
GERS699
Colloquium in German Studies
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
S-F
GERS799
Master's Thesis Research
Credits:
1 - 6
Grad Meth:
S-F
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