German and Linguistics (BA)
Program Description
German
The Department of German offers a broad range of courses in the language, cultures, and literatures of German-speaking countries. Along with its German language program, the department offers interdisciplinary courses taught in English that address issues of German culture, history, philosophy, art, and literature for students not yet proficient in the German language. The department places high priority on fostering personal contact between faculty and students, maintains small class sizes (15 or fewer students, on average), and offers comfortable spaces for socializing, studying, and holding informal meetings. Advanced courses and some basic language courses are taught by full-time faculty members, all of whom are also involved in student advising.
Linguistics
Linguistics is the science of human language. It seeks to determine that which is necessary in human language, that which is possible, and that which is impossible. While linguists work to determine the unique qualities of individual languages, they are constantly searching for linguistic universals—properties whose explanatory power reaches across languages. The discipline of linguistics is organized around syntax (the principles by which sentences are organized), morphology (the principles by which words are constructed), semantics (the study of meaning), phonetics (the study of speech sounds), phonology (the sound patterns of language), historical linguistics (the ways in which languages change over time), sociolinguistics (the interaction of language with society), psycholinguistics, and neurolinguistics (the representation of language in the brain). Current research by faculty members extends across the field, including topics in the interaction of syntax and semantics, phonetics and phonology, languages in contact, pidgin and creole languages, urban sociolinguistics, and computer analogies of syntactic processes.
Joint Honors
Joint majors with a minimum major and overall GPA of 3.65 are encouraged to complete their honors thesis in either German or Linguistics. This choice should be outlined in a 2-page proposal submitted by April 15 of junior year via this form. All prospective honors students in German and Linguistics must consult with both departments' directors of undergraduate studies to confirm eligibility.
German Honors Track
For students whose primary adviser and thesis research is in German:
Majors in German can be admitted to the program on the basis of superior work after at least two semesters of study in German at the advanced level. The minimum eligibility requirements are cumulative and major GPAs of 3.65. Both the director of undergraduate studies and the director of the honors program review all applications, which are due no later than spring of junior year and must include an unmarked copy of a paper submitted for a German major course.
In the senior year, students accepted to the honors program complete a two-course, 8-credit sequence, consisting of GERM-UA 999 Senior Honors Seminar in the fall semester and GERM-UA 500 Honors Thesis in the spring semester.
The Senior Honors Seminar is a small workshop with a primary focus on research, methodology, and academic writing. Students also learn strategies for grant writing and presentation. Honors majors define a thesis topic, develop a bibliography, read broadly in their area, and begin their research and writing. A substantial portion of the research, usually including a rough draft of one-third to one-half of the thesis, should be completed by semester’s end.
During the spring semester of senior year, students enroll in GERM-UA 500 Honors Thesis. In close consultation with the thesis adviser, students work on completing research, a final draft, and revisions of the thesis. Students also choose a second reader, typically another faculty member from the department. In cases of an interdisciplinary thesis, the second reader may be from another department.
The finished thesis must be a work of scholarship and/or criticism in the field of German studies and should be between 40 and 60 double-spaced pages in length. If it is written in English, the student must also write an abstract of five to seven pages in German. There will also be an oral presentation of the senior thesis with the student’s two readers. In consultation with the second reader, the student’s adviser determines whether or not to recommend them for honors. A grade of at least A-minus is required for the award of honors in German. Students receiving a lower grade will simply be awarded 8 credits of coursework towards the major.
Linguistics Honors Track
Honors students whose primary adviser and thesis research is in Linguistics must complete an honors thesis, which is an original research project of 40 to 50 pages conducted over two semesters. The thesis is due on April 1st of the student’s senior year. Additionally, students must take two advanced courses: LING-UA 102 Senior Honors Thesis Seminar (4 credits) in the fall semester, and one other advanced undergraduate course, graduate course, or independent study, chosen in consultation with the thesis adviser (totaling 8 credits). The Senior Honors Thesis Seminar and the additional course chosen with the student's adviser may be counted as advanced electives. The thesis must be presented either at an oral conference presentation or in a private defense/discussion with the thesis adviser and a second reader.
Students who excel in Linguistics are encouraged to begin developing their honors project as early as the second semester of their sophomore year. To pursue honors, students should have a strong background in linguistics, typically gained through high-level coursework. This is especially important for students in joint majors with French, German, Italian, or Spanish, as they may not have as extensive a foundation in linguistics.
Admission to the honors program is by application in the second semester of the student's junior year. To be eligible, students must have a GPA of 3.65 or higher both overall and in Linguistics. Applications are due by April 15th and must include a one- to two-page description of the proposed thesis topic. The student must select faculty members from both departments to serve as co-advisors. The thesis topic must reflect contributions to both disciplines.
Admissions
New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU. For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply.