May 09, 2024  
2024-2025 General Catalog 
  
2024-2025 General Catalog

German: Teaching Emphasis - BA


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College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of World Languages and Cultures

About This Degree

The goal of the German program at USU is to prepare students for a high level of proficiency in professional and academic contexts.

Majors take language courses in which they develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills; culture and literature courses where they learn about the traditions and perspectives of German-speaking communities; and business and translation courses, which offer practice-oriented preparation for the job market.  They also have the option to participate in study abroad programs in Germany where they gain proficiency in German and experience exciting travel opportunities.

The faculty members in the German program have culturally diverse expertise in language, literature, and culture which helps majors gain a solid grounding in German language and culture and prepares them to function effectively in a variety of careers and as members of the international community.

German Teaching Emphasis: This emphasis is for students who wish to obtain licensure to teach in secondary schools. It includes courses in language history, the interaction of language and society, and teaching methodologies.

Minimum University Requirements


Admission Requirements For This Program


  • New freshmen must be admitted to USU in Good Standing.
  • Transfer students from other institutions or other programs at USU must have a 2.50 GPA.

Additional Information


  • Total Credits: 64 (35 credits + 29 STEP credits)
  • Grade Point Average to Declare Major: 2.5 Career GPA
  • Grade Point Average to Graduate with Major: 2.5 GPA in major coursework
  • USU Credit Requirement: At least half (50 percent) of the credits earned for this degree must be completed in upper-division USU courses having prefixes of GERM or LING. All other credits (including transfer and study abroad credits) must be approved by the program’s academic advisor to be counted toward the major. Students who have completed Bridge Program Language courses should contact their advisor as these courses may count toward elective credits and credits toward major requirements.
  • Minimum Grade Requirement: All courses for the major and for STEP require a minimum grade of C or better. Courses for the major may not be taken on a pass/fail basis, except SCED 4300  and SCED 5630 .
  • Note: Students with prior language credit or language experience should take the department placement test before admission to the German major or minor.  Credits obtained in lower-division German courses cannot be applied toward the German major or minor programs.
  • The following requirements only specify courses offered by the Department of Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies. To be licensed to teach in the Utah public secondary school system, students with a teaching emphasis must also complete additional courses (approximately 29 credits) required by the Secondary Education Program. Courses may be subject to change, and students should contact the Secondary Education Advising Office for a current course list of STEP requirements.
  • For a teaching major or minor, there is a minimum “C” grade requirement in all STEP, major and minor content required courses.

German Major - Teaching Emphasis with Secondary School Licensure Requirements (64 credits)


l. German and Linguistics Courses (35 credits)


A. Required Courses (20 credits)


Notes:


1 While this course is repeatable for up to three credits, only two credits of GERM 4920  may count toward the German major.

2 LING 4100  should be taken at the beginning of the student’s coursework.

3 GERM 4200  should be taken near the end of the student’s coursework. However, GERM 4200  is not offered every year. Therefore, students should check to see when the course will be offered.

SCED 4300  and LING 5400  must be taken during the same semester, and should be the last courses taken for the major. These courses should be taken the fall semester before student teaching. SCED 4300  and LING 5400  are listed in both the STEP and major requirements for those seeking the German Teaching major/non-licensure so the non-licensure majors understand the complete list of requirements. See additional non-licensure information at bottom of page.

Students desiring to apply study abroad credits toward these degrees must obtain approval from the LPCS office prior to participating.

This course is repeatable for credit.

Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP) - Language, Philosophy, and Communication Studies (29 credits)


Most of the courses listed below count for both teaching major emphasis and the teaching minor. Courses may be subject to change, and students should contact the Secondary Education Advising Office for a current course list of STEP requirements.

STEP Requirements


Most of the courses listed below count for both teaching major emphasis and the teaching minor. Courses may be subject to change, and students should contact the Secondary Education Advising Office for a current course list of STEP requirements.

Notes:

1 The Clinical Experience II course is taught under course number 4300 in various departments. Course title varies among departments.

2 The Special Methods II course is taught under course number 5400.

3 SCED 4300  and LING 5400  must be taken during the same semester, and should be the last courses taken for the major or minor. These courses should be taken the fall semester before student teaching. SCED 4300  and LING 5400  are listed in both the STEP and major requirements for those seeking the French/German/Spanish Teaching major/non-licensure so the non-licensure majors understand the complete list of requirements. See additional non-licensure information below.  

German Major - Teaching Emphasis without Secondary School Licensure (Major 34 credits)


(2.5 GPA required in major classes)

It is possible to have a teaching emphasis within a major or minor in German without receiving secondary school teaching licensure. However, unless the student is an elementary education major, he or she would not be able to teach in Utah public schools (nor at many private ones). Graduating without licensure may allow employment at community colleges and universities.

In order to complete the German Major—Teaching Emphasis without Secondary School Licensure, students must fulfill all of the requirements listed under Section I (German and Linguistics Courses) of the German Major—Teaching Emphasis with Secondary School Licensure (35 credits), except for SCED 4300 , for a total of 34 credits (SCED 4300  is no longer required if doing non-licensure program).

Bachelor of Arts Degree Language Requirement


A Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree signifies proficiency in one or more foreign languages. Specifically, the BA requirement may be completed in one of the following ways:

  1. Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language by successful completion of one course at the 2020-level or higher (or its equivalent). 
    OR
  2. Demonstration of proficiency in American Sign Language by successful completion of COMD 4920  and COMD 4780 , and by passing an exit interview.
    OR 
  3. Demonstration of proficiency in two foreign languages by successful completion of the 1020 course level in one language and the 2010 course level in the second language (or its equivalent).
    OR
  4. Completion of an upper-division (3000-level or higher) foreign language grammar or literature course requiring the 2020 course level (or its equivalent) as a prerequisite. Conversation courses cannot be considered for satisfying this requirement.

For nonnative English-speaking students only, the following options are available.

  1. Successful completion of the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) program for international students. 
    OR
  2. TOEFL, Michigan, or IELI placement scores high enough to meet the University admission criteria.

Related Programs


  • German Major: 33 credits
  • German Minor: 12 credits
  • German Minor, Teaching Emphasis: 20 credits + 29 STEP credits
  • German Major, Teaching Emphasis without Licensure: 34 credits
  • German Minor, Teaching Emphasis without Licensure: 19 credits​

Licensure Notification


This program typically leads to licensure and was designed to meet licensing qualifications in the state of Utah. If students wish to work in another state within the United States, they should review the qualifications for that state and the Education Licensure Compliance Table provided by School of Teacher Education and Leadership.

For more information, please contact the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at https://cehs.usu.edu/teal/

Open Electives


Total elective credit is determined by General Education courses taken, degree type selected, additional credits earned, and any additional math or other prerequisite courses needed. Please consult your  Academic Advisor for details.

Total Credits: 120


Suggested Degree Map - German: Teaching Emphasis BA


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