http://www.uvm.edu/cas/germanrussian
The German, Russian, and Hebrew Program prepares students to become active and interculturally savvy multilingual citizens. From introductory through advanced coursework, students participate in a hands-on exploration of cultural products, practices, and perspectives from the historical and linguistic to the sociocultural and artistic. Across all classes, students build their interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational skills in the target language and engage in critical analysis of contemporary issues facing Western and Eastern European societies. The department offers a B.A. degree in German, a B.A. degree in Russian, and two years of Hebrew instruction.
Faculty in the German, Russian, and Hebrew Program are recipients of numerous teaching awards, in addition to receiving national and international recognition for outstanding scholarship and pedagogical innovation. Areas of exceptional strength include Russian- and German-language literature from the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries; exile and migration studies; contemporary film studies; and curricular design.
German Courses
GERM 1010. Topics In: First-Year Seminar. 3 Credits.
Intensive first-year seminar focused on specific themes and/or disciplinary perspectives. Emphasis on developing critical reading and writing skills, substantive revision, information literacy, and analytical thinking. First-year seminars are frequently organized to meet one of the disciplinary Catamount Core requirements. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Catamount Core: WIL1.
GERM 1020. Topics In: LASP Writing. 3 Credits.
Intensive course in a broad disciplinary area (humanities, social sciences, arts, or natural sciences). Part of an integrated first-year experience in which students take 2-4 classes exploring aesthetic, humanistic, social, linguistic, environmental, or scientific issues. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Co-requisite: Enrollment in the appropriate Liberal Arts Scholars Program. Catamount Core: WIL1.
GERM 1025. Topics In: LASP Seminar. 3 Credits.
Intensive course in a broad disciplinary area (humanities, social sciences, arts, or natural sciences). Part of an integrated first-year experience in which students take 2-4 classes exploring aesthetic, humanistic, social, linguistic, environmental, or scientific issues. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Co-requisite: Enrollment in the appropriate Liberal Arts Scholars Program.
GERM 1050. Experience German. 1 Credit.
Students will engage in a variety of events to enhance their understanding and appreciation of German language and culture. Provides an opportunity to experience German through a variety of interactive contexts.
GERM 1100. Elementary German I. 4 Credits.
An introduction to all aspects of contemporary standard German: Speaking, listening, reading, writing. Cultural components include topics such as: music, art, literature, and current events. Catamount Core: GC2, OC.
GERM 1200. Elementary German II. 4 Credits.
An introduction to all aspects of contemporary standard German: Speaking, listening, reading, writing. Cultural components include topics such as: music, art, literature, and current events. Prerequisite: GERM 1100 or equivalent. Catamount Core: GC2, OC.
GERM 1990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
GERM 2100. Intermediate German I. 3 Credits.
Comprehensive review of German grammar, vocabulary-building skills, development of reading strategies and compositional abilities, study of contemporary German culture through literary texts. Prerequisite: GERM 1200 or equivalent. Catamount Core: GC2, OC.
GERM 2200. Intermediate German II. 3 Credits.
Enhancement of language proficiency with focus on effective, contextually relevant communication; emphasis on personalized content, learning strategies, and reflection skills; exploration of a variety of current issues and standpoints in contemporary German speaking countries. Students may take 1 GERM course numbered between 2200 and 2209 for credit. Prerequisite: GERM 2100 or equivalent. Catamount Core: GC2, OC.
GERM 2202. Interm Germ II: Sustainability. 3 Credits.
Enhancement of language proficiency with focus on effective, contextually relevant communication; emphasis on personalized content, learning strategies, and reflection skills; exploration of a variety of current issues and standpoints in contemporary German speaking countries with an emphasis on sustainability. Students may take 1 German course numbered between 2200 and 2209 for credit. Prerequisite: GERM 2100 or equivalent. Catamount Core: GC2, OC, SU.
GERM 2990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
GERM 3010. Staging German. 3 Credits.
Opportunity to improve oral communication skills through the study and performance of different genres. Prerequisite: GERM 2100. Pre/Co-requisite: GERM 2202.
GERM 3510. Screening Berlin. 3 Credits.
Exploration of the history of German film production from the late 1800s through today via the lens of Berlin. Berlin is understood as an epicenter of filmmaking practices as well as an ever-present, symbolic cinematic space, representations of which reflect important cultural and subcultural currents, from concerns about industrialization to critiques of white-savior narratives. Prerequisites: GERM 2200 or GERM 2202. Catamount Core: AH1, GC2.
GERM 3600. Topics in German Literature. 3 Credits.
Literary movements and their major representatives, including relevant sociopolitical, intellectual, and cultural aspects. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisite: GERM 2200 or GERM 2202. Catamount Core: AH2, GC2.
GERM 3605. Im/Mobility in German Lit. 3 Credits.
Explores a range of significant German texts from 1812 to today, paying particular attention to the ways in which literary works from various eras grapple with issues of mobility (or, in some cases, the stark lack thereof) and problematize movement across boundaries, borders, and spaces. Prerequisites: GERM 2200 or GERM 2202. Catamount Core: AH2, GC2.
GERM 3620. Topics in 18th-19th Cen Lit. 3 Credits.
Thematically organized course focused on German literature of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with attention to political, philosophical, musical, and artistic developments. May be repeated for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisite: GERM 2200 or GERM 2202. Catamount Core: AH2, GC2.
GERM 3640. Topics in 20th-21st Cen Lit. 3 Credits.
Thematically organized course focused on twentieth- and twenty-first-century German literature in historical and cultural contexts. May be repeated for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisites: GERM 2200 or GERM 2202. Catamount Core: AH2, GC2.
GERM 3643. Guilt & Shame in German Lit. 3 Credits.
Focuses on representations of guilt and shame in contemporary German literary works, some of which deal with the Nazi past and many of which comment on the results of recent global events in the nation-from the Syrian refugee crisis to the legalization of gay marriage. Prerequisites: GERM 2200 or GERM 2202. Catamount Core: AH2, GC2.
GERM 3646. Exile and Migration. 3 Credits.
Examination of the historical contours, personal tales, and social memory surrounding experiences of exile, flight, and migration beginning with Jewish and political exile during National Socialism and ending with the so-called global refugee crisis of 2015. Prerequisites: GERM 2200 or GERM 2202. Catamount Core: AH2, GC2.
GERM 3649. POC in Germany and Austria. 3 Credits.
Examination of the experiences of People of Color in Germany and Austria reflected in autobiographical texts by Black children growing up in the Third Reich, the children of transnational marriage, the children of African American GIs and German/Austrian women, as well as in contemporary texts and films. Prerequisites: GERM 2200 or GERM 2202. Catamount Core: AH2, GC2.
GERM 3655. German Graphic Novel. 3 Credits.
Analysis of contemporary graphic novels and their main motifs to understand how the graphic novel functions formally at the intersection of word and image and culturally as an important mouthpiece for public discourse. Prerequisites: GERM 2200 or GERM 2202. Catamount Core: AH2, GC2.
GERM 3990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
GERM 3991. Internship. 1-18 Credits.
On-site supervised work experience combined with a structured academic learning plan directed by a faculty member or a faculty-staff team in which a faculty member is the instructor of record, for which academic credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
GERM 3993. Independent Study. 1-18 Credits.
A course which is tailored to fit the interests of a specific student, which occurs outside the traditional classroom/laboratory setting under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
GERM 3995. Undergraduate Research. 1-18 Credits.
Undergraduate student work on individual or small team research projects under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded Offered at department discretion.
GERM 4600. Topics in German Literature. 3 Credits.
Literary movements and their major representatives from 1945 to the present, including relevant sociopolitical, intellectual, and cultural aspects. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisite: One course in German at the 3000-level. Catamount Core: AH2, GC2.
GERM 4605. Fatal Attractions. 3 Credits.
Explores several famous fatal attractions in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century German literature in relation to pressing socio-historical changes and concerns that impact the relationship between individuals and society. Examines how these themes intersect with, become defined by, or contrast with prevailing notions of gender, social status, and morality. Prerequisite: One course in German at the 3000-level. Catamount Core: AH2, GC2.
GERM 4990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
GERM 4994. Teaching Assistantship. 1-3 Credits.
Undergraduate student service as a teaching assistant, usually in an introductory-level course in the discipline, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
GERM 4996. Honors. 1-6 Credits.
College honors thesis or other department/program honors, under the supervision of a faculty member. Offered at department discretion.
Hebrew Courses
HEBR 1100. Elementary Hebrew I. 4 Credits.
The spoken language of everyday use with oral, aural, and written practice in speaking, reading, and comprehension. Catamount Core: GC2, OC.
HEBR 1200. Elementary Hebrew II. 4 Credits.
The spoken language of everyday use with oral, aural, and written practice in speaking, reading, and comprehension. Prerequisite: HEBR 1100 or equivalent. Catamount Core: GC2, OC.
HEBR 1990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
HEBR 2100. Intermediate Hebrew I. 3 Credits.
Reading, translation, and discussion in Hebrew of texts selected to show the development of Hebrew culture from Biblical times to the present. Prerequisite: HEBR 1200 or equivalent. Catamount Core: GC2, OC.
HEBR 2200. Intermediate Hebrew II. 3 Credits.
Reading, translation, and discussion in Hebrew of texts selected to show the development of Hebrew culture from Biblical times to the present. Prerequisite: HEBR 2100 or equivalent. Catamount Core: GC2, OC.
HEBR 2990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
HEBR 3150. Topics in Advanced Hebrew. 3 Credits.
Opportunity to further develop communication skills in Hebrew. May be repeated for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisite: HEBR 2100.
HEBR 3990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
HEBR 3991. Internship. 1-18 Credits.
On-site supervised work experience combined with a structured academic learning plan directed by a faculty member or a faculty-staff team in which a faculty member is the instructor of record, for which academic credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
HEBR 3993. Independent Study. 1-18 Credits.
A course which is tailored to fit the interests of a specific student, which occurs outside the traditional classroom/laboratory setting under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
HEBR 3995. Undergraduate Research. 1-18 Credits.
Undergraduate student work on individual or small team research projects under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
HEBR 4990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
HEBR 4994. Teaching Assistantship. 1-3 Credits.
Undergraduate student service as a teaching assistant, usually in an introductory-level course in the discipline, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
Russian Courses
RUSS 1010. Topics In: First-Year Seminar. 3 Credits.
Intensive first-year seminar focused on specific themes and/or disciplinary perspectives. Emphasis on developing critical reading and writing skills, substantive revision, information literacy, and analytical thinking. First-year seminars are frequently organized to meet one of the disciplinary Catamount Core requirements. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Catamount Core: WIL1.
RUSS 1020. Topics In: LASP Writing. 3 Credits.
Intensive course in a broad disciplinary area (humanities, social sciences, arts, or natural sciences). Part of an integrated first-year experience in which students take 2-4 classes exploring aesthetic, humanistic, social, linguistic, environmental, or scientific issues. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Co-requisite: Enrollment in the appropriate Liberal Arts Scholars Program. Catamount Core: WIL1.
RUSS 1025. Topics In: LASP Seminar. 3 Credits.
Intensive course in a broad disciplinary area (humanities, social sciences, arts, or natural sciences). Part of an integrated first-year experience in which students take 2-4 classes exploring aesthetic, humanistic, social, linguistic, environmental, or scientific issues. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Co-requisite: Enrollment in the appropriate Liberal Arts Scholars Program.
RUSS 1050. Experience Russian. 1 Credit.
Students will engage in a variety of events that will enhance their understanding and appreciation of Russian language and culture. Provides opportunities to experience Russian through a variety of interactive contexts.
RUSS 1100. Elementary Russian I. 4 Credits.
An introduction to all aspects of contemporary standard Russian: speaking, listening, reading, writing. Cultural components include topics such as music, art, literature, and current events. No previous knowledge of Russian needed for RUSS 1100. Catamount Core: GC2, OC.
RUSS 1200. Elementary Russian II. 4 Credits.
An introduction to all aspects of contemporary standard Russian: speaking, listening, reading, writing. Cultural components include topics such as music, art, literature, and current events. Prerequisite: RUSS 1100 or equivalent. Catamount Core: GC2, OC.
RUSS 1990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
RUSS 2100. Intermediate Russian I. 4 Credits.
Continued practical work in all language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing), with more analysis of the structure of Russian. Continuation of cultural components. Prerequisite: RUSS 1200. Catamount Core: GC2, OC.
RUSS 2200. Intermediate Russian II. 4 Credits.
Continued practical work in all language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing), with more analysis of the structure of Russian. Continuation of cultural components. Prerequisite: RUSS 2100. Catamount Core: GC2, OC.
RUSS 2990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
RUSS 3990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See schedule of courses for specific titles.
RUSS 3991. Internship. 1-18 Credits.
On-site supervised work experience combined with a structured academic learning plan directed by a faculty member or a faculty-staff team in which a faculty member is the instructor of record, for which academic credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
RUSS 3993. Independent Study. 1-18 Credits.
A course which is tailored to fit the interests of a specific student, which occurs outside the traditional classroom/laboratory setting under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
RUSS 3995. Undergraduate Research. 1-18 Credits.
Undergraduate student work on individual or small team research projects under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
RUSS 4420. Culture/Civ to 1905 Revolution. 3 Credits.
Social, cultural, and political institutions from the time of Peter the Great to the 1905 revolution. Particular attention to Russian music, art, and literature. Prerequisite: RUSS 2200.
RUSS 4440. Culture/Civ 20/21st Centuries. 3 Credits.
Social, cultural, and political institutions from the 1905 revolution to the present. Particular attention to tensions between official and unofficial culture during the Soviet period. Prerequisite: RUSS 2200.
RUSS 4620. Literature to 1905 Revolution. 3 Credits.
Readings and discussions about Russian literature to the rise of modernism. Particular attention to the social and historical context of the nineteenth-century novel. WLIT 2250 recommended. Prerequisite: RUSS 2200.
RUSS 4640. Literature 20/21st Centuries. 3 Credits.
Readings and discussions about Russian literature from the rise of modernism to present. Particular attention to function of literature in Soviet society. WLIT 2250 recommended. Prerequisite: RUSS 2200.
RUSS 4990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
RUSS 4994. Teaching Assistantship. 1-3 Credits.
Undergraduate student service as a teaching assistant, usually in an introductory level course in the discipline, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
RUSS 4996. Honors. 1-6 Credits.
College honors thesis or other department/program honors, under the supervision of a faculty member. Offered at department discretion.