In choosing first-year courses, students should read carefully the course descriptions, consult the Department Undergraduate Officer, and check the Department's program section.
Course titles followed by an asterisk ( * ) are Core German Courses, that is, language, literature or culture courses in which the readings are in German and the classroom languages are German and English, according to the needs and abilities of the students and the discretion of the instructor. Other courses are conducted in English.
All those entering German language courses are normally required to sit the language placement test at the beginning of the semester, the results of which will determine their appropriate level. The results of this test may override secondary school qualifications in German.
GER 101 4C 0.5
First Year German *
For students with little or no knowledge of German. The basic elements of German grammar with emphasis on group and individual oral practice. Development of skills in listening/comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. Introduction to aspects of German culture and everyday life. Tapes and computer exercises accompany each chapter of the textbook. Students are encouraged to use them in the language laboratory and at home.
GER 101 is for students with little or no knowledge of German. There are no prerequisites.
GER 102 3C,1L 0.5
First Year German *
As GER 101
Prereq: GER 101
GER 111/112 are beginners' courses for students with little or no knowledge of German. Not open to students who have credit for GER 101, 102, Grade 12 or equivalent.
GER 111 3C 0.5
First Year Scientific German
For students with little or no knowledge of German. The basic elements of German grammar and pronunciation with an emphasis on reading and translation of elementary scientific literature from various fields.
GER 112 3C 0.5
First Year Scientific German
As GER 111
Prereq: GER 111
GER200s
GER 201 3C 0.5
Second-Year German *
This course continues the work of GER 101/102, completing the first-year textbook. It offers practice in speaking, reading and writing, with vocabulary building, grammar, and exercises in comprehension.
Prereq: GER 102 or equivalent
GER 202 3C 0.5
Second-Year German *
Strengthening of communicative skills, grammar review, vocabulary building, written practice, conversation on issues of contemporary life in German-speaking countries.
Prereq: GER 201, OAC in German, or equivalent
GER 206 3C 0.5
Career German *
An introduction to the modern German business environment. This communicative and interactive language course covers occupation-oriented fundamentals of German language and culture.
Prereq: GER 201 or consent of instructor
GER 251A 3C 0.5
German Conversation and Grammar Review *
Conversation on topics of everyday life as well as on political, social and cultural aspects of the German-speaking countries. Comprehensive grammar review, vocabulary building, pronunciation and oral practice.
Prereq: OAC or Grade 13 German or equivalent
(Formerly GER 351)
GER 252A 3C 0.5
German Conversation and Grammar Review *
As GER 251A with an emphasis on written practice.
Prereq: GER 251A or equivalent
(Formerly GER 352)
GER 271 3C 0.5
German Thought and Culture
A survey of cultural currents to the 18th century. Lectures will focus on major developments in literature, philosophy, religion, art, architecture, and music as seen against the historical background of the German-speaking peoples.
Prereq: Second-year standing or higher
Taught in English
This course may be used toward the Aii requirement
GER 272 3C 0.5
German Thought and Culture
A survey of cultural events from the 18th century to the present. Lectures will focus on major developments in literature, philosophy, religion, art, architecture, and music as seen against the historical background of the German-speaking peoples.
Prereq: Second-year standing or higher
Taught in English.
This course may be used toward the Aii requirement
GER 281 3C 0.5
Post-War German Literature 1945-68 *
The physical and moral devastation that stigmatized Germany after 1945 confronted the young generation of authors with unique challenges. The Trümmerliteratur tried to come to terms with existential guilt and the lack of adequate language (Borchert, Böll). The swift restoration, however, raised doubts about the sincerity of the new beginnings and elicited satirical criticism (Grass, Dürrenmatt). More political concepts of literature resulted from the consolidation of the two German states and the student rebellion (Enzensberger).
Prereq: GER 252A or consent of instructor
GER 282 3C 0.5
Post-War German Literature 1970 to the Present *
The return to a "new inwardness" and the exploration of the self (Handke) are characteristic of the literature of the seventies. The quest for identity in a bureaucratic society (Walser) and the women's movement (Stefan) dominate the eighties. Political and ideological factors deeply influence the literature of the GDR (Christa Wolf). After the euphoria of reunification has vanished, the mental walls between the two German societies become so much more obvious (Delius).
Prereq: GER 252A or consent of instructor
GER 291 3C 0.5
Survey of German Literature and Culture *
Introduction to the major periods of German literature and culture.
Prereq: GER 202, 252A or equivalent
GER 292 3C 0.5
Survey of German Literature and Culture *
As GER 291
Prereq: GER 202, 252A or equivalent
GER300s
GER 305 3C 0.5
German for the Workplace I *
A third-year language course which concentrates on the language requirements for the modern workplace. Praxis-oriented language and inter-cultural training combined with discussion of different aspects of the German business world.
Prereq: GER 202 or equivalent
GER 306 3C 0.5
German for the Workplace II *
As GER 305.
Prereq: GER 305 or consent of instructor
GER 311 3C 0.5
Theory of Translation *
Theory, methodology, and techniques of translation. Patterns and problems in the translation of scholarly texts from the arts and sciences, with special emphasis on idiom and structure as compared with the target language.
Prereq: Second-year standing in German
GER 312 3C 0.5
Theory of Translation *
As GER 311
Prereq: GER 311
GER 321 3C 0.5
Film and Literature
In this course the common traditions in film and literature are examined. On the one hand, film adaptations of literary texts will be evaluated (e.g. Metropolis, The Blue Angel, The Tin Drum, Katharina Blum), as well as films that emulate literary structures and devices.
Taught in English. Open to all students.
Cross-listed as FINE 359A
GER 322 3C 0.5
Film and German History
In this course the emphasis is on films which reflect historical developments and concerns in Germany. Emphasis is on the 1920s and/or on the post World War II period. Exemplary films of this nature are: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, The Marriage of Maria Braun, and The Nasty Girl.
Taught in English. Open to all students.
Cross-listed as FINE 359B
GER 323 3C 0.5
Film and Culture
The cultural traditions of Germany, particularly Romanticism, Expressionism, and the more recent periods, are well illustrated in German films. This course pursues this relationship with a selection of representative films by outstanding directors such as Murnau, Lang, Fassbinder, and Schlöndorf.
Taught in English. Open to all students.
Cross-listed as FINE 359C
GER 351A 3C 0.5
Advanced Conversation, Composition and Stylistics *
This course provides intensive practice in spoken and written German on the advanced level.
Prereq: GER 252A or equivalent
(Formerly GER 451)
GER 352A 3C 0.5
Advanced Conversation, Composition and Stylistics *
As GER 351A
Prereq: GER 351A or equivalent
(Formerly GER 452)
GER 353/354 0.5/0.5
Intermediate Conversation and Composition on Topics in German Landeskunde*
Conversation and composition on topics in German Landeskunde with grammar review and study of German vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. This course is taught in Mannheim in conjunction with the "Waterloo in Germany" program.
GER 355 3C 0.5
The Stage as Forum: German Drama in Translation
Major German dramas will be studied from various points of view, including historical importance, themes, and technique. The course includes theory and selected dramas of such playwrights as Lessing, Goethe, Schiller, Büchner, Brecht and Dürrenmatt.
Prereq: Second-year standing or above
Taught in English.
This course is complemented in the Winter term by RUSS 356.
Cross-listed as DRAMA 383 (formerly DRAMA 355)
GER 371 3C 0.5
Revolt and Repression *
The struggle for individual rights and freedoms against the entrenched feudal and patriarchal structures as reflected in 19th-century literature. Major movements included: Biedermeier, Young Germany, Poetic Realism and Naturalism.
Prereq: GER 252A
GER 372 3C 0.5
Modern German Literature *
Reading, interpretation and critical analysis of prescribed texts from the turn of the 20th century to the end of World War II (Kafka, Brecht, etc.).
Prereq: GER 252A or equivalent
GER 381 3C 0.5
Fascism in Germany: Holocaust and Resistance in Literature
This course will focus on the literary rendering, including film versions, of the Holocaust experience by authors from the German-speaking countries, such as Jurek Becker, Paul Celan, Max Frisch, Edgar Hilsenrath, Peter Weiss and others. Also studied will be works dealing with anti-Nazi resistance by individuals and groups as described by Bert Brecht, Rolf Hochhuth and Anna Seghers.
This course is taught in English
Open to all students
GER 382 3C 0.5
National Socialism, Hitler, and the German People
This course introduces students to the effects of Nazi ideology on German language, art, and culture. It will also explore Nazi use of motion pictures and radio to influence public sentiment and the attempted redefinition of art to support a National Socialist "Weltanschauung". The Munich exhibition of "degenerate art", the Bayreuth Festival, Nazi architecture and Germany's attempts after 1945 to rehabilitate its language, art, and culture will be further topics for discussion.
Taught in English
Open to all students
GER 391 3C 0.5
Masterpieces of German Literature in Translation
A study of significant prose and drama from the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries.
GER 392 3C 0.5
Masterpieces of German Literature in Translation
As GER 391
GER 395Z 2.5
Waterloo in Germany Program *
Description in Arts program section.
GER 396Z 2.5
Waterloo in Germany Program *
As GER 395Z
GER400s
GER 441 3C 0.5
Humanism, Reformation and Baroque *
Reading, interpretation and critical analysis of prescribed texts (Erasmus, Luther, Sachs, Opitz, Gryphius, Grimmelshausen, etc.).
Prereq: Second-year standing in German
GER 442 3C 0.5
Enlightenment and Storm and Stress *
Reading, interpretation, and critical analysis of prescribed texts (Lessing, Wieland, Klopstock, Lenz, Klinger, etc.).
Prereq: Third-year standing in German
GER 460 3C 0.5
Applied Language Didactics *
A solid theoretical and practical background in language didactics. Students study various approaches to language teaching and learn how to use the newest technologies. In addition to classroom assignments, students participate in a project where they demonstrate teaching techniques acquired in the course.
Prereq: Fourth-year standing or permission of instructor
GER 461 3C 0.5
From Indo-European to the Modern German Idiom *
A survey of the development of the German language from its Indo-European beginnings to its current idiom. In addition to learning about what makes German distinct from other Indo-European languages, the effects of Latin, Celtic, French and English, and social institutions such as the monasteries, the chancellories, and modern pop culture on the development of German will be investigated.
Prereq: Third-year standing
GER 462 3C 0.5
Beyond Chivalry and the Holy Grail *
Readings (in modern German and English) drawn from the age of Charlemagne, from the "Golden Age" of German medieval literature, and from later, more ribald poetry that made light of the noble and ecclesiastic classes.
Prereq: Third-year standing
GER 463 3C 0.5
The Age of Goethe (Classicism) *
The great classical works of Goethe, Schiller and Hölderin emphasize the highest ideals of humankind and reflect well defined ethical and aesthetic values. They have left their mark on the German mentality and language, and have influenced other literatures. At the end of the twentieth century, however, they raise questions about the use and misuse of classical idealism and the meaning of humanistic values for our time.
Prereq: GER 351A or equivalent
(Formerly GER 361A)
GER 464 3C 0.5
The Age of Goethe (Romanticism) *
Reading, interpretation, and critical analysis of representative works (Novalis, Tieck, Brentano, etc.).
Prereq: GER 351A or equivalent
(Formerly GER 362A)
GER 490 R 0.5
Senior Honours Project *
German Honours students in their third or fourth year may complete, with departmental permission, a major project, the results of which must be presented in a substantial essay. The topic should reflect the student's field of interest. Requests for permission should be submitted to the undergraduate officer, in consultation with the intended faculty advisor, and should include an outline of the project and a bibliography. The project will be assessed and graded by two faculty members.
Prereq: Third-year standing, approval of the Department
GER 495-498 R 0.5 each
Reading Courses in Approved Topics
Prereq: Approval of the Department (granted only in exceptional cases)
DUTCH 102 3C 0.5
First-Year Dutch
As DUTCH 101
Prereq: DUTCH 101 or equivalent
DUTCH200s
DUTCH 201 3C 0.5
Intermediate Dutch
This course will be conducted partly in Dutch and offers advanced study in grammar, composition, and conversation. Special emphasis will be given to comprehension and practice in the spoken language.
Prereq: DUTCH 102 or equivalent
DUTCH 202 3C 0.5
Intermediate Dutch
As DUTCH 201
Prereq: DUTCH 201 or equivalent
Prereq: At least one year of Russian language at the University level or equivalent
Credits: 1.5 for completion of
RUSS 101B 0.5
Basic Russian for Business
This course is designed specifically for students interested in acquiring basic communication skills in Russian and learning aspects of the Russian business ethic. Vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and stylistic features will be oriented to the working environment.
Antireq: RUSS 101, 102
RUSS 102 3C,1L 0.5
First Year Russian
As RUSS 101
Prereq: RUSS 101 or equivalent
RUSS 102B 0.5
Basic Russian for Business
As RUSS 101B
Prereq: RUSS 101 or 101B or equivalent
RUSS200s
RUSS 251 3C 0.5
Conversation, Composition, Grammar and Phonetics
This course is basically a continuation of First-Year Russian. It provides intensive practice in spoken and written Russian. Vocabulary building, comprehension, pronunciation and intonation are stressed.
Prereq: RUSS 102
RUSS 252 3C 0.5
Conversation, Composition, Grammar and Phonetics
As RUSS 251
Prereq: RUSS 251 or equivalent
RUSS 261 3C 0.5
Introduction to Russian Literary Movements
Reading of representative works from Russian Classicism, Romanticism, 19th Century Realism, and various periods of 20th century Russian literature.
Prereq: RUSS 102 or equivalent
RUSS 262 3C 0.5
Introduction to Russian Literary Movements
As RUSS 261
Prereq: RUSS 102 or equivalent
RUSS 271 3C 0.5
Russian Thought and Culture
A survey of cultural history from the beginnings to 1861. Lectures will focus on major developments in literature, philosophy, art, architecture, and music as seen against the background of Russia's historical past. Discussion will be devoted primarily to works of Russian literature.
Taught in English
Open to all students
This course may be used toward the Aii requirement
RUSS 272 3C 0.5
Russian Thought and Culture
A survey of cultural history from 1861 to the present. Lectures will focus on major developments in literature, philosophy, art, and music as seen against the background of Russia's historical past. Discussion will be devoted primarily to works of Russian literature.
Taught in English
Open to all students
This course may be used toward the Aii requirement
RUSS300s
RUSS 311 3C 0.5
Theory of Translation
Theory, methodology, and techniques of translation. Patterns and problems in the translation of scholarly texts from the arts and sciences, with special emphasis on idiom and structure as compared with the target language.
Prereq: RUSS 252 or equivalent
RUSS 312 3C 0.5
Theory of Translation
As RUSS 311
Prereq: RUSS 311
RUSS 313 3C 0.5
Russian for Business
This Russian language course provides all the terms, vocabulary, and expressions needed for effective business communication in Russian. The course is designed to enable students to carry on standard business practices in spoken and written Russian.
Prereq: RUSS 252 or consent of instructor
RUSS 314 3C 0.5
Russian for Business
As RUSS 313 but special emphasis is given to compiling effective business letters in Russian.
Prereq: RUSS 313, 351 or consent of Instructor
RUSS 341 3C 0.5
Russian Drama
A study of the origins and development of Russian drama up to 1905. Reading and critical analysis of major works in various genres with emphasis on authors of the 19th century.
Taught in English.
Extra work in Russian required of Russian majors only
Cross-listed as DRAMA 381 (formerly DRAMA 352)
RUSS 342 3C 0.5
Russian Drama
As RUSS 341
Taught in English
Extra work in Russian required of Russian majors only
Cross-listed as DRAMA 382 (formerly DRAMA 353)
RUSS 351 3C 0.5
Intermediate Conversation and Composition
In principle, this course is a continuation of RUSS 251/252. In terms of vocabulary building, apart from the spoken language, the comprehension of the literary language is especially stressed.
Prereq: RUSS 252 or equivalent
RUSS 352 3C 0.5
Intermediate Conversation and Composition
As RUSS 351
Prereq: RUSS 351 or equivalent
RUSS 356 3C 0.5
The Stage as Forum: Russian Drama in Translation
Major Russian dramas will be studied from various points of view including historical importance, themes, and technique. The course includes theory and selected dramas of such playwrights as Gogol, Chekhov, Tolstoy, Gorky, Mayakovsky, and Pogodin.
Prereq: Second-year standing or above
Taught entirely in English
Fall term: See GER 355
Cross-listed as DRAMA 384 (formerly DRAMA 356)
RUSS 361 3C 0.5
Russian Short Story
A study of the form and a detailed examination of Russian short stories by major representative writers.
Taught in English
Extra work in Russian required of Russian majors only
RUSS 362 3C 0.5
Russian Short Story
As RUSS 361
RUSS 371 3C 0.5
Masterpieces of Russian Literature and Opera
This course, designed for students of literature and music, offers an interdisciplinary approach to the relationships between literary and musical culture in Russia during the 19th century. Central to the course is the comparative study of masterpieces of Russian opera and the classics of literature which inspired their musical intepretations. Among the works discussed as literary text, libretto and music are: Glinka's Ruslan and Ludmila, Borodin's Prince Igor, Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, Dargomyzhsky's The Stone Guest, Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, and Rimsky-Korsakov's Mozart and Salieri. This course is taught via the Waterloo-Guelph Education Link System.
Open to all students. Additional requirements apply to students majoring in Russian and Music Programs.
Cross-listed as MUSIC 365
RUSS 391 3C 0.5
Great Russian Novels
Reading and interpretation of 19th century novels selected from the works of Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy. Lectures on social and intellectual background.
Taught in English.
Extra work in Russian required of Russian majors only
RUSS 392 3C 0.5
Great Russian Novels
Reading and interpretation of 19th- and 20th-century novels selected from the works of Gorky, Zamyatin, Pasternak, and Solzhenitsyn. Lectures on social and intellectual background.
Taught in English
Extra work in Russian required of Russian majors only
RUSS400s
RUSS 441 3C 0.5
East Slavic Epic Tradition
A study of the origins and development of the Epic tradition in East Slavic Literature.
Taught in English
Extra work in Russian required of Russian majors only
RUSS 442 3C 0.5
Russian Epic Tradition
As RUSS 441
Taught in English
Extra work in Russian required of Russian majors only
RUSS 451 3C 0.5
Advanced Conversation, Grammar and Composition
This course is conducted in Russian and provides intensive practice in spoken and written Russian on the advanced level.
Prereq: RUSS 352 or equivalent
RUSS 452 3C 0.5
Advanced Conversation, Grammar and Composition
As RUSS 451
Prereq: RUSS 451 or equivalent
RUSS 461 3C 0.5
Twentieth-Century Russian Literature
Reading, interpretation, and critical analysis of selected fiction and drama (Andreev, Bunin, Gorky, Kataev, Sholokhov, A.N. Tolstoy).
Taught in English
Extra work in Russian required of Russian majors only
RUSS 462 3C 0.5
Twentieth-Century Russian Literature
Reading, interpretation, and critical analysis of selected fiction and drama (Arbuzov, Bulgakov, Erenburg, Nabokov, Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn).
Taught in English
Extra work in Russian required of Russian majors only
RUSS 481 3C 0.5
Russian Poetry
A study of themes and forms of representative authors of Classicism, Romanticism (Lomonosov, Derzhavin, Pushkin, Lermontov, Nerkrasov, Fet, Tiutchev, etc.).
Prereq: RUSS 102 or equivalent
RUSS 482 3C 0.5
Russian Poetry
A study of themes and forms of representative authors from Symbolism to the present (Blok, Esenin, Mayakovsky, Akhmatova, etc.).
Prereq: RUSS 102 or equivalent
RUSS 485 3C 0.5
History of Russian Literature
This course deals with the emergence of the Russian national literature, emphasizing the cultural and intellectual setting from the beginning to 1917. Literary movements and major representative works not studied in other courses will be discussed.
Taught in English
Extra work in Russian required of Russian majors only
RUSS 486 3C 0.5
History of Russian Literature
This second part deals with Russian literature up to the present. Literary movements and major representative works not studied in other courses will be discussed.
Taught in English
Extra work in Russian required of Russian majors only
RUSS 496-498 R 0.5
Reading Courses in Approved Topics
Prereq: Approval of the Department (granted only in exceptional cases)
POLSH 102 3C 0.5
First Year Polish
As POLSH 101
Prereq: POLSH 101 or equivalent
POLSH200s
POLSH 201 3C 0.5
Intermediate Polish
This course will be conducted largely in Polish and provides intensive practice in grammar, composition and conversation.
Prereq: POLSH 102 or equivalent
POLSH 202 3C 0.5
Intermediate Polish
As POLSH 201
Prereq: POLSH 201 or equivalent
UKRAN 102 3C,1L 0.5
Beginners' Ukrainian
As UKRAN 101
Prereq: UKRAN 101 or equivalent
UKRAN200s
UKRAN 201 3C,1L 0.5
Intermediate Ukrainian
This course will be conducted in Ukrainian and provides intensive practice in grammar, composition and conversation.
Prereq: UKRAN 102 or equivalent
UKRAN 202 3C,1L 0.5
Intermediate Ukrainian
As UKRAN 201
Prereq: UKRAN 201 or equivalent
UKRAN 271 3C 0.5
Ukrainian Civilization (From the Beginnings to 1800)
This course presents the evolution of Ukrainian civilization from its prehistoric origins to the period of national revival in the late 18th century. Developments in literature, art, architecture, music and the folk arts are examined against the background of Ukrainian history.
Taught in English
Open to all students
UKRAN 272 3C 0.5
Ukrainian Civilization (From 1800 to the Present)
This course examines the artistic, intellectual, spiritual, and material progress of the Ukrainian people in the 19th- and 20th-centuries. Integral to this course are the cultural aspects of Ukrainian settlement in Canada. Lectures are complemented by audio-visual presentations and readings from Ukrainian and Ukrainian-Canadian literature.
Taught in English
Open to all students
UKRAN300s
UKRAN 301 3C 0.5
Introduction to Ukrainian Literature
Reading and critical interpretation of texts chosen from the works of Skovoroda, Kotliarevsky, Shevchenko, Franko, L. Ukrainka and others.
Taught in English
UKRAN 302 3C 0.5
A Critical Survey of Literary Movements in 20th-Century Ukrainian Literature
With special attention to the rise of the new angry generation of poets of the Sixties (V. Symonenko, L. Kostenko, V. Korotych, and others).
Taught in English
CROAT 102 3C 0.5
Introductory Croatian
As CROAT 101
Prereq: CROAT 101 or equivalent
CROAT200s
CROAT 201 3C 0.5
Intermediate Croatian
This course is a continuation of first-year Croatian. It offers extensive practice in both the spoken and written language. Vocabulary building, comprehension and pronunciation are stressed.
Prereq: CROAT 102 or equivalent
CROAT 202 3C 0.5
Intermediate Croatian
As CROAT 201
Prereq: CROAT 201 or equivalent
CROAT300s
CROAT 301 3C 0.5
Advanced Croatian
This course is conducted in Croatian and provides intensive practice in spoken and written Croatian on the advanced level. Conversation on modern topics will be stressed.
Prereq: CROAT 202 or equivalent
CROAT 302 3C 0.5
Advanced Croatian
As CROAT 301
Prereq: CROAT 301 or equivalent
CROAT 371 3C 0.5
Croatian Culture and Literature
This course presents the evolution of Croatian culture from the beginnings to the present. Particular emphasis is placed on developments in literature; however, other significant manifestations of Croatian civilization (art, architecture, music) are also examined. Integral to this course are the cultural aspects of Croatian settlements in Canada.
Taught in English
Open to all students
CROAT 372 3C 0.5
Croatian Culture and Literature
As CROAT 371
Taught in English
Open to all students
CROAT 395Z 2.5
Waterloo in Zagreb Program
Description in Arts program section.
CROAT 396Z 2.5
Waterloo in Zagreb Program
As CROAT 395Z
CROAT400s
CROAT 496/497 0.5/0.5
Special Topics in Croatian Studies
Prereq: Approval of the Department