German, minor
German is closely related to English. Both belong to the Germanic family of language, a group consisting of 38 languages, including Afrikaans, Danish, Dutch, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, and Yiddish. It is the most widely spoken language in the Europe Union with over 120 million native speakers worldwide. Not only do the residents of Germany speak German, but it is also an official language of Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein. In addition, German plays a role as the native language of a significant portion of the population in northern Italy, eastern Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, eastern France, parts of Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia, and Romania, as well as in other parts of Europe. German is the third most popular language taught worldwide and the second most popular language taught in Europe and Japan, after English. Knowledge of German grants access not only to rich literary, philosophical, and artistic traditions, but also to many other kinds of contemporary cultural, economic, political, and scientific developments. It increases the job opportunities with German and foreign companies in one’s own country and abroad. Proficiency in German helps students to function productively for an employer with global business connections. No matter what future career students pursue, studying German, as part of a liberal education, can enrich their professional and personal lives.
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A German minor might be right for you if you:
- Are interested in the German-speaking world
- Are interested in Germany’s rich literary, philosophical, artistic, and scientific traditions
- Enjoy German culture
- Plan on working or traveling in German-speaking countries
- Would like to explore your German American heritage
- Are interested in a Fulbright year in Germany or Austria
- Want to be eligible for a substantial German scholarship
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Students minoring in German will know:
- The principal aspects of the German language
- The principal aspects of the history of German literature and film
- The principal aspects of the history and culture of German-speaking countries;
Students minoring in German will be able to:
- Speak, understand, read, and write German in meaningful contexts
- Use the latest relevant applications in educational technology
- Read literary texts in German and discuss their content, techniques, and social significance
- Prove their advanced proficiency through an internationally recognized proficiency test;
Students minoring in German will value:
- German language, literature, and culture
- Expressing independent critical opinions
- Increasing intercultural awareness.
German courses at LMU foster communication with an understanding of other people as essential aspects of the education of the whole person. Students thus embark on a road of lifelong learning that will take them into a richer future.
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The German minor consists of 20 semester hours beyond GRMN 2102:
- GRMN 2103 German 3 4 semester hours
- GRMN 2104 German 4 4 semester hours
- GRMN 3105 Mastery of German 4 semester hours
- Two (2) other GRMN 3000-4000 level courses 8 semester hours
Within this minor a professional German emphasis is possible with GRMN 3716 Business German offered as an upper division course option for the business-oriented student.
The German GRMN 2101, GRMN 2102, GRMN 2103, and GRMN 2104 series is recommended for those who seek basic speaking, writing, and reading knowledge of the language.
Students of German are encouraged to take advantage of LMU’s semester abroad in Bonn, Germany, (business, arts, and communication track), to improve their language skills. Lower division elementary, intermediate, and advanced German language courses are available in Bonn on a regular basis.
German minors with a minimum GPA of 3.5 are eligible to apply once per year for the Conrad Lester merit-based scholarship.
Students who need more semester hours to complete the German minor because of their language placement must take additional courses in the language. In the event that there are no courses in the language, students may take MDLG 3400, MDLG 4400, or FNLT 4200 (provided it is related to language concentration). If additional classes are not available in the Modern Languages and Literatures Department, students may fulfill those credits with courses in the appropriate cultural studies areas, with pre-approval from the German coordinator and the Department Chair.
See the LMU Bulletin for more information on minoring in German.
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Course offerings for German Spring 2025
See all German courses offered in the LMU Bulletin.