German

The Department of German offers undergraduates the opportunity to obtain a broad background in the field of German language, literature, and culture and introduces them to the principles of literary analysis and criticism.

The Program
The German language instruction ranges from the elementary courses to advanced courses in German style. Upper division courses cover aspects of German literature and culture from the earliest times to the present, as well as the linguistic study of the German language. The major consists of a mixture of advanced language courses, literature, and/or linguistics courses. Each student is required to have completed four semesters of lower division German or the equivalent before admission to the major. The student must then take 30 units of upper division course work, including German 100 (Introduction to the Reading of Culture), 101 (Language and Text I), and 102 (Language and Text II). There are no other specific requirements although the student is encouraged to enroll in courses that will provide an extensive coverage of the central authors and movements in German literature. A minor in German, consisting of five upper division courses, is also available. See the Berkeley General Catalog for details.

Careers
Students graduating with a degree in German have pursued a number of careers in recent years. Many attend either a professional or graduate school in fields from international relations and business to German or philosophy. Other graduates have found employment in a variety of positions in the private and public sectors of the economy, both here and abroad. For special counseling on job opportunities, students are encouraged to consult with the Career and Graduate School Services.

Employment
Employment prospects for German majors in the coming years are due for a positive turn. As our economy finds it necessary to challenge foreign competition and to adjust to new economic realities, training in a foreign language and culture will become increasingly important for both private and public employment. This tendency should in turn help create job opportunities in educating people in the language and culture of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Contrary to the belief that humanities and social science majors are unemployable, the number of liberal arts students being interviewed through on-campus recruiting at the University of California, Berkeley has increased significantly in recent years. Liberal arts majors often find that they have many career options because their backgrounds are so broad.  In addition, they develop writing, critical thinking and interpersonal skills that are highly valued by employers and that apply to a wide variety of professional jobs.

Job market demand should not be the primary determinant of academic and career choices, because market demand moves in unpredictable cycles influenced by such variables as changes in technology, public policy and economic trends. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the average person will change careers three times in the course of a lifetime. Further, the College Placement Council found in a recent study that the majority of college graduates are successfully employed in fields not directly related to their academic majors.

Departmental Contact:
Department of German
University of California, Berkeley
5319 Dwinelle Hall # 3243
Berkeley, CA 94720-3243
(510) 643-2004
http://german.berkeley.edu

California Community College Students:  Please see www.assist.org for comprehensive information on transferable course work.