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

Students interested in pursuing joint honors in German and Linguistics should consult with the German department as well as with the director of undergraduate studies in Linguistics, in or before the second semester of their junior year.

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. 

Program Requirements

The joint major in German and Linguistics requires a total of nine 4-credit courses (36 credits) completed with a grade of C or better.

The German part of this major is satisfied by taking four 4-credit courses (16 credits) beyond the intermediate level, and the Linguistics part of this major is satisfied by taking five 4-credit courses (20 credits), as outlined below.

¹

The foreign language requirement is satisfied upon successful completion through the Intermediate level of a language. This may be accomplished in fewer than 16 credits, but those credits must then be completed as elective credit.

Sample Plan of Study

Note: Students may choose the "extensive" sequence of GERM-UA 1, 2, 3, and 4 in lieu of the "intensive" sequence of GERM-UA 10 and 20, and graduate with the minimum 128 credits. 

¹

Prerequisite for entering the major; does not count toward major requirements.

²

Advanced literature course conducted in German at the 300- or 400-level.

³

Chosen by advisement from a list of approved courses; each course much represent a distinct field of linguistics.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of program requirements, students are expected to have acquired:

1. Proficiency in German language skills, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing, at a level equivalent to at least B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
2. An understanding of German culture, literature, and history, including key movements and works in German literature and the cultural, social, and political factors that have shaped German history.
3. Critical thinking skills that enable students to analyze German-language texts and media, to identify and evaluate different perspectives, and to develop well-reasoned arguments and ideas in both oral and written communication.
4. An understanding of how to approach the study of human language scientifically.
5. The ability to analyze linguistic data in the subfields of phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, and sociolinguistics.

Policies

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

College of Arts and Science Policies

A full list of relevant academic policies can be found on the CAS Academic Policies page.