Nov 21, 2024

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.

For more information about German, Teaching Emphasis, please see the Languages, Philosophy & Communication Studies website.
Please make sure to consult regularly with your departmental advisor to confirm what courses will be available and to work out your plan of study.
Admitted and current students must meet with an academic advisor.
Log on to Degree Works to check student-specific program progress.
The highest math requirement for this degree is Quantitative Literacy (QL) course of the student’s choice.

Minimum University Requirements

Total Credits: 120
Credits of C- or better: 100
Total credits taken through USU: 30
Total major required credits taken at USU: 10
Minimum Grade Point Average (many majors require a higher GPA): 2.0 GPA
Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above): 40
Upper-division credits taken at USU: 20
General Education Requirements
University Studies Requirements
Undergraduate Degree 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)

LING 4100 - The Study of Language 3 credit(s) ²
GERM 3000 - Introduction to German Studies (DHA) 3 credit(s)
GERM 3040 - Advanced German Grammar and Composition (CI) 3 credit(s)
GERM 3300 - Contemporary German Speaking Cultures (DHA) 3 credit(s) or
GERM 3550 - Cultural History of German Speaking Peoples (DHA) 3 credit(s)
GERM 4200 - Applied German Linguistics and Phonetics 3 credit(s) ³
GERM 4920 - German Language Tutoring 1 credit(s) ¹
SCED 4300 - Clinical Experience II 1 credit(s) ⁴(This course is only required for STEP and Licensure and a student must be admitted to the STEP program to enroll.)
LING 5400 - Teaching Modern Languages 3 credit(s) ⁴(SCED 4300 and LING 5400 are also listed within STEP program courses.)

B. Elective Courses (15 credits)

Select 15 credits from the following courses:

CMST 3330 - Intercultural Communication (DSS) 3 credit(s)
GERM 3300 - Contemporary German Speaking Cultures (DHA) 3 credit(s)
GERM 3510 - Business German (CI) 3 credit(s)
GERM 3540 - Techniques in Translating German Texts (CI) 3 credit(s)
GERM 3550 - Cultural History of German Speaking Peoples (DHA) 3 credit(s)
GERM 3600 - Survey of German Literature I (DHA) 3 credit(s)
GERM 3610 - Survey of German Literature II (DHA) 3 credit(s)
GERM 3800 - German III Study Abroad 1-4 credit(s) ^5,6
GERM 3880 - Individual Readings 1-4 credit(s) ⁶
GERM 4600 - Faust’s Legacy 3 credit(s)
GERM 4610 - German Narratives 3 credit(s)
GERM 4650 - Trends in Modern Germany (DHA) 3 credit(s)
GERM 4800 - German IV Study Abroad 1-4 credit(s) ^5,6
GERM 4880 - Individual Readings 1-4 credit(s) ⁶
GERM 4900 - Special Topics 3 credit(s) ⁶
GERM 4910 - German for Special Purposes 3 credit(s)

Notes:

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

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

³GERM 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.

⁴SCED 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.

⁵Students desiring to apply study abroad credits toward these degrees must obtain approval from the LPCS office prior to participating.

⁶This 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

SCED 3210 - Educational and Multicultural Foundations (CI/DSS) 3 credit(s)
ITLS 5500 - Integration and Innovation of Technology in Education 3 credit(s)
LING 5400 - Teaching Modern Languages 3 credit(s) ^2,3 (SCED 4300 and LING 5400 are also listed within major program courses.)
SCED 4300 - Clinical Experience II 1 credit(s) ^1,3(This course is only required for STEP and Licensure and a student must be admitted to the STEP program to enroll.)
SPED 4000 - Education of Students with Disabilities 3 credit(s)
SCED 5100 - Motivation and Classroom Management 3 credit(s)
SCED 5200 - Language, Literacy and Learning in the Content Areas (CI) 3 credit(s)
SCED 5210 - Learning Theory, Curriculum, and Assessment 3 credit(s)
Because student teaching requires a major commitment of time and energy, students should take only the courses listed below during this last semester. Students are also urged to forgo outside employment, if possible, during the student teaching experience.
LING 5500 - Student Teaching Seminar 2 credit(s)
SCED 5630 - Student Teaching in Secondary Schools 10 credit(s)

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:

Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language by successful completion of one course at the 2020-level or higher (or its equivalent).
OR
Demonstration of proficiency in American Sign Language by successful completion of COMD 4920 and COMD 4780 , and by passing an exit interview.
OR
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
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.

Successful completion of the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) program for international students.
OR
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

German: Teaching Emphasis BA - 4 Year Degree Map