Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies
The Department of Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies administers undergraduate majors in German, Linguistics, Russian, and Slavic Studies, as well as minors in Arabic Studies, Chinese, German, Linguistics, Russian, and East European Studies. Students may also participate in an interdisciplinary minor in interdisciplinary programs in Asian Studies, German Studies, Jewish Studies, International Studies, and Islamic Civilization and Societies. A German business concentration within the German major and minors is also available. Departmental honors require successful completion of honors requirements. For information, contact the Department.
The Department maintains listings of related courses from other departments that satisfy various program requirements. Substitutions and exemptions from specific program requirements, as well as the application of courses from other institutions, require express permission from the Chairperson or the Undergraduate Program Director.
Students fulfilling the undergraduate Core requirements in Literature, Arts, and Cultural Diversity should consider Core offerings taught by members of the Department.
References to the number of credits required correlate with the number of full one-semester courses.
Majors
The Department of Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies offers majors in German, Linguistics, Russian, and Slavic Studies.
Major in German (30 Credits)
The major in German is designed to help students achieve linguistic, literary, and cultural competence and to foster and develop transferable skills of critical thinking, textual analysis, effective writing and communication, and international cultural discernment. Training in German Studies includes advanced language courses combined with upper-level seminars on topical areas of literature, film, history, music, and culture. Majors complete the program with strong German-language proficiency, expertise in the analysis of texts and cultural artifacts in their historical and cultural context, the ability to produce texts of various genres in German, and the intellectual background for graduate study in German and many other fields, including business, law, political science, international studies, and medicine. German majors are eligible to apply for popular internships, which place Boston College students with companies in Germany or Austria every summer.
The German major requires ten 3-credit courses (30 credits):
- GERM2001–2002 German Composition and Conversation I and II (6 credits)
- One topics course numbered between GERM2010 and 2020 (3 credits)
- GERM2200 The German Literary Legacy (3 credits)
- One 3000-level course (3 credits)
- Five elective courses in German Studies, which may be taught in English (15 credits)
Students with a minimum 3.5 GPA may apply for the Honors program.
Freshmen and sophomores should consult with the German Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies concerning opportunities for study abroad during their junior year at a German or Austrian university, in which case up to 12 credits (four 3-credit courses) may be applied to the major.
Students are encouraged to double-count Core requirements by taking courses in German Studies that also fulfill the Core. One course for the German major may be double-counted toward another major or minor.
To declare your major in German Studies, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Daniel Bowles, Lyons 201F, bowlesd@bc.edu, or the department administrator.
Major in Linguistics (31 Credits)
The focus of the Linguistics program is not on the acquisition of language skills, but rather, on learning how to analyze linguistic phenomena with a view toward making significant generalizations about the nature of language. Although we encourage students to pursue coursework in one or more languages, the Linguistics major focuses on what human languages have in common, how they differ, how they might be related to each other—and how that information informs human cognition as well as public life.
By majoring in Linguistics, students develop strong skills in reasoning, abstraction, argumentation, problem-solving, and the intellectual flexibility to accommodate and evaluate divergent ideas. In consultation with the faculty, students design a program of study tailored to their individual interests and goals from an annually shifting array of courses.
A typical program for this major requires the following:
- LING1201 General Linguistics (3 credits)
- LING2432 Syntax and Semantics (3 credits)
- LING2433 Phonetics and Phonology (3 credits)
- LING3103 Language and Language Types (3 credits) or LING3104 Formalism and Functionalism in Linguistics (3 credits)
- 3 credits in the linguistic structure of a specific language or language family
- 15 additional credits drawn from departmental offerings
- LING4391 AB Comprehensive: Linguistics (1 credit)
It is advantageous for students of Linguistics to acquire foreign language competence beyond the level that satisfies the foreign language requirement of the Morrissey College. In addition, we encourage—but do not require—Linguistics majors to study one or more other modern or ancient languages and to gain experience with a non-Indo-European language such as Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese or Korean, all of which are taught in the Department of Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies.
For more information contact Professor Margaret Thomas (Lyons 210i; thomasm@bc.edu).
Major in Russian (30 Credits)
The major in Russian provides rigorous training in Russian language, literature, and culture. The major concentrates on acquiring advanced proficiency in Russian language and on comprehending important aspects of the literature, culture, and civilization of Russia and the former USSR.
The requirements for the major in Russian are as follows:
- 9 credits (normally, three one-semester courses) in Russian grammar, composition, and stylistics beyond the intermediate level
- 9 credits (normally, three one-semester courses) in Russian literature and culture, including two survey courses for classical and modern Russian literature (SLAV2162 and SLAV2173)
- 3 credits in Introduction to Slavic Peoples and Cultures (formerly Slavic Civilizations)
- 6 credits (normally, two one-semester courses) in Russian literature, culture, advanced grammar and stylistics, history or politics, of which at least 3 credits must be in Russian literature and culture
- 3 credits (normally, a one-semester course) in Russian and Slavic linguistics (The Structure of Russian, Old Church Slavonic, or Old Russian)
Major in Slavic Studies (30 Credits)
The major in Slavic Studies provides broadly based training about the nations of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, including Russia.
The normal program for this major requires the following:
- 6 credits (normally, two one-semester courses) in a Slavic language at or above the intermediate level
- 6 more credits (normally, two one-semester courses), in the same Slavic language at a higher level or 6 more credits (normally, two one-semester courses) in another Slavic language
- 3 credits in Introduction to Slavic Peoples and Cultures (formerly Slavic Civilizations)
- 6 credits (normally, two one-semester courses) in Slavic or Eastern European literatures, which must include at least one survey in Russian literature, either Classics of Russian Literature or Twentieth-Century Russian Literature
- 9 credits (normally, three one-semester courses) in Slavic or East European history, politics, culture, or linguistics
Minors
The Department offers departmental minors in Arabic Studies, Chinese, German, Linguistics, and Russian, as well as interdisciplinary minors in Asian Studies, East European Studies, German Studies, and Jewish Studies.
Minor in Arabic Studies (Departmental)
The Department of Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies at Boston College offers an undergraduate minor in Arabic Studies, focusing on the acquisition of Modern Standard Arabic and related languages, Modern Hebrew, Modern Middle Eastern literature and other areas relevant to Near Eastern literature, culture, civilization, and intellectual history. The Arabic Studies minor requires a minimum of 18 credits, to include:
Four Courses (12 credits) in Modern Standard Arabic above NELC2121 Intermediate Arabic I:
- NELC 2122 Intermediate Arabic II (3 credits; co-requisite NELC 2123)
- NELC 4121 Advanced Arabic I (3 credits)
- NELC 4122 Advanced Arabic II (3 credits)
- NELC 2131 Advanced Readings in Arabic Texts I (3 credits)
- NELC 2132 Advanced Readings in Arabic Texts II (3 credits)
- NELC 4190 Advanced Arabic Tutorial (3 credits)
- NECL 3162 Business Arabic (3 credits)
- NELC 3163 Newspaper Arabic (3 credits)
Two Courses (6 Credits) in Middle Eastern Languages, Cultures, Literatures, and Civilizations, which may include courses in Modern Hebrew and other Middle Eastern Languages, and Courses taught in translation:
- NELC 2066 Edifying Books on the Arab-Israeli Conflict (3 credits)
- NELC 2061 Language Memory and Identity in the Middle East (3 credits)
- NELC 2062 States and Minorities in the Middle East (3 credits)
- NELC 2063 Near Eastern Civilizations (3 credits)
- NELC 2161 Modern Levantine and Arabic Literature (3 credits)
- NELC 1211 Beginning Modern Hebrew I (3 credits)
- NELC 1212 Beginning Modern Hebrew II (3 credits)
- NELC 2211 Continuing Modern Hebrew I (3 credits)
- NELC 2212 Continuing Modern Hebrew II (3 credits)
- NELC 4114 Al-Lahja ash-Shamiyya/Levantine Vernacular (3 credits)
For more information, please contact Professors Franck Salameh (salameh@bc.edu) or Atef Ghobrial (ghobrial@bc.edu) and visit the Department’s webpage http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/slavic-eastern/
Minor in Chinese (Departmental)
The departmental minor in Chinese focuses on acquiring modern language proficiency and knowledge of aspects of Chinese culture, literature, and civilization. The minor requires a minimum of 18 credits:
- At least six credits in modern Mandarin Chinese at intermediate level or above:
- EALC 2121 Intermediate Chinese I (3 credits)
- EALC 2122 Intermediate Chinese II (3 credits)
- EALC 3111 Advanced Chinese I (3 credits)
- EALC 3112 Advanced Chinese II (3 credits)
- EALC 4161 Business Chinese (3 credits)
- EALC 4162 Newspaper and Media Chinese (3 credits)
- EALC 4163 Contemporary Chinese Literature (3 credits)
- At least six credits in Chinese culture and literature, which may include courses taught in translation and language courses in Classical Chinese:
- EALC 2062 Love and Nature in Far Eastern Literatures (3 credits)
- EALC 2063 Wisdom and Philosophy of East Asia (3 credits)
- EALC 2064 Far Eastern Literary Masterpieces (3 credits)
- EALC 2161 Ghosts and Strange Happenings in Chinese Literature (3 credits)
- EALC 2162 Gods and Heroes in Chinese Literature (3 credits)
- EALC 3165 Gender and Sexuality in Traditional Chinese Literature (3 credits)
- EALC 3166 Traditional Chinese Literature (3 credits)
- EALC 4151 Readings in Chinese Literature and Philosophy (3 credits)
- According to the A&S EPC “New Co-counting Limitations for Majors and Minors,” “in order to earn a departmental minor, students must have at least 15 credits in the minor program that are not used to fulfill requirements for another major or minor.” Please plan your studies accordingly.
For more information contact Professor Fang Lu (Lyons 201F; luf@bc.edu)
Minor in German (Departmental)
The minor in German is for students interested in learning the German language and creating ties with the German-speaking world while combining their interest in German with other academic and professional goals. The foremost goal of the program is to foster among students an international focus and the accompanying skills, whatever their major may be. Minors are strongly encouraged to study or work abroad. German minors are eligible to apply for popular internships, which place Boston College students with companies in Germany or Austria every summer.
The German minor requires six 3-credit courses (18 credits):
- Four language courses between Elementary and Composition and Conversation (GERM1001, 1002, 1050, 1051, 2001, 2002). More advanced students can substitute upper-level language courses (12 credits).
- GERM2200 The German Literary Legacy (3 credits)
- One elective course in German Studies, which may be taught in German or English (3 credits)
Freshmen and sophomores should consult with the German Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies concerning opportunities for study abroad during their junior year at a German or Austrian university, in which case up to 6 credits (two three-credit courses) may be applied to the minor.
Students are encouraged to double-count Core requirements by taking courses in German Studies that also fulfill the Core. One course for the German minor may be double-counted toward another major or minor.
To declare your minor in German Studies, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Daniel Bowles, Lyons 201F, bowlesd@bc.edu.
Minor in Linguistics (Departmental)
This departmental minor requires a minimum of six approved one-semester courses (18 credits)
- Two of the following three courses:
- LING1201 General Linguistics (3 credits)
- LING2432 Syntax and Semantics (3 credits)
- LING2433 Phonetics and Phonology (3 credits)
- 3 credits in the linguistic structure of a specific language or language family
- 9 additional credits drawn from departmental Linguistics offerings
For more information contact Professor Margaret Thomas (Lyons 210i;
thomasm@bc.edu)
Minor in Russian (Departmental)
The departmental minor in Russian requires a minimum of 18 credits (normally, six approved courses):
- 6 credits (normally, two one-semester courses) in Russian at or above the intermediate level
- 6 credits (two one-semester courses) in Russian literature: one pre-twentieth century and one post-nineteenth century (normally two survey courses for classical and modern Russian literature, SLAV2162 and SLAV2173)
- 6 additional credits (normally, two one-semester courses) in Russian literature, culture, advanced grammar and stylistics, history, or politics
Minor in Asian Studies (Interdisciplinary)
The Asian Studies program offers students a rich curriculum in the arts and literatures, history, philosophy, religion, and contemporary affairs of East Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia. It rests on three pillars:
- an emphasis on regional and transnational relations
- the integration of different disciplinary approaches
- language study
For more information concerning the Asian Studies minor:
- Visit the Interdisciplinary Programs and Minors (MCAS) page
- Contact the Director of the interdisciplinary minor in Asian Studies, Franziska Seraphim, franziska.seraphim@bc.edu, 617-552-2142
Minor in East European and Eurasian Studies (Interdisciplinary)
The interdisciplinary minor in East European and Eurasian Studies encompasses faculty and courses from across the University and spans the entire region east and southeast of western Europe, from central and eastern Europe to southeastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus, and Siberia. The minor in East European Studies concentrates on the multilingual, multicultural, and multireligious legacy of Slavic, Eastern and Central European, and Eurasian nations and countries. Students who complete the minor will work toward proficiency in a Slavic and/or East European language (e.g., Russian, Polish, etc.) related to the region and attain valuable knowledge, experience, and professional skills. The Program prepares students for careers in diplomacy, journalism, law, military, business, government, and social service, as well as graduate, academic, or professional study. Other relevant languages may be pursued for the minor.
Further information is available from the Director, Professor Maxim D. Shrayer, Department of Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies, Lyons 210, (shrayerm@bc.edu). Students may also consult the Program’s website at https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/mcas/departments/eastern-slavic-german/undergraduate/east-european-studies.html.
Minor in German Studies (Interdisciplinary)
The interdisciplinary minor in German Studies aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of German-speaking civilization and its place in today's world. Students choose the interdisciplinary minor for its flexibility in taking courses tailored to their interests across departments and may complete the entire minor with courses taught in English. German Studies minors are eligible to apply for popular internships, which place Boston College students with companies in Germany or Austria every summer.
The German Studies minor requires six 3-credit courses (18 credits):
- GERM2242/HIST2270 Germany Divided and Reunited (3 credits)
- Three elective courses in German Studies, taught in English or German (9 credits)
- Two courses on topics related to the German-speaking world from different departments in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences (6 credits)
Consult the German Studies website for a list of courses from across the campus suited to the interdisciplinary minor in German Studies.
Freshmen and sophomores should consult with the German Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies concerning opportunities for study abroad during their junior year at a German or Austrian university, in which case up to 6 credits (two 3-credit courses) may be applied to the minor.
One course for an interdisciplinary minor may be “double counted” toward another major, minor, or a Core requirement.
To declare your German Studies minor and plan your course of study, contact the Director of the Interdisciplinary Minor, Professor Nick Block, Lyons 210C, blockni@bc.edu.
Minor in Jewish Studies (Interdisciplinary)
The Boston College Jewish Studies program seeks to examine the multiple dimensions and complexities of Jewish culture throughout its broad chronological and geographical range. The interdisciplinary minor in Jewish Studies consists of a total of six 3-credit courses (18 credits), including one foundation course, four electives, and a concluding seminar/Capstone course.
For information concerning the interdisciplinary undergraduate minor in Jewish Studies, visit the Minor in Jewish Studies program web page.
German Studies Special Opportunities
Honors Program in German
Students with a minimum 3.5 GPA in German Studies courses are encouraged to apply for the Honors program in German. Honors students take an additional 6 credits in German Studies (either one additional 3-credit upper-level course and one semester of GERM6699, or two semesters of GERM6699). As part of GERM6699, students complete a bachelor’s thesis on a topic chosen in consultation with their proposed thesis advisor. To apply for the Honors program, please contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Daniel Bowles, Lyons 201F, bowlesd@bc.edu.
Business Concentration in German Studies
The business concentration allows German majors or minors to combine a dual interest in business and German with a program of study that prepares them for an international career. The business concentration has been developed in conjunction with the Boston College Carroll School of Management to take advantage of the thriving German economy that makes Central and Eastern Europe a strong market for American products and has enabled German companies to open branches in the United States.
The German business concentration requires two 3-credit courses (6 credits), counting simultaneously toward the German major or minors:
- GERM2004 German for Professional Purposes (3 credits)
- GERM2005 Germany in Europe Today (3 credits)
Students majoring or minoring in German Studies can apply in the fall semester for popular internships, which place Boston College students with companies in Germany or Austria every summer. Inquire about the internship, for which you may receive one course credit (GERM5501), by contacting Ursula Mangoubi in Lyons 201G, mangoubi@bc.edu.
Students are encouraged to spend a year or a semester at the Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (Vienna University of Economics and Business), the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, or the Ingolstadt School of Management affiliated with our partner university, the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt.
Study Abroad
The Department of Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies requires, in general, at least two years of language study, in addition to coursework (tailored to the individual student's program of study) that would provide cultural orientation. Since the Department offers a wide variety of majors and minors, courses taken abroad may be conferred major or minor credit (up to 12 credits to majors and 6 credits to minors) on a case-by-case basis. Please consult with the relevant departmental undergraduate studies coordinator.
Individual programs of study are arranged according to the types of instruction available and the student's goals and background.
Students interested in German Studies can study in a German-speaking country for a year, a semester, or a summer, with recommended programs in Eichstätt, Tübingen, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Vienna. Students majoring in Linguistics may profit from any number of study-abroad opportunities, depending on the specific language(s) they elect to focus on. Students of Near Eastern and East Asian languages have participated to great advantage in a variety of different study abroad opportunities in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Japan, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China, Korea, and other nations of Asia.
Junior year is the most popular time to study abroad, but seniors have done so successfully as well. All Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies majors must obtain department course approval before going abroad. Students should consult with the relevant faculty members, depending on their language and area of expertise.
Work Abroad in Germany
Only German majors and minors are eligible to apply for popular internships, which place Boston College students with companies in Germany every summer. Students are paid through their job and/or through Boston College internship grants and other fellowships.
The Fulbright Program for Germany and Austria
Students apply for the elite Fulbright program starting the spring before their senior year. For Fulbright information, contact Daniel Bowles, Lyons Hall 201F, bowlesd@bc.edu.
Office of International Programs
Students taking classes in the Department of Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies participate in Boston College's programs and international partnerships in China, Germany, Israel, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Morocco, Nepal, Philippines, Poland, Russia, and other countries.
For complete information on any of these programs and also on unofficial study abroad, visit bc.edu/international.
Teachers of English to Foreign Students
The Department of Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies offers a number of linguistics courses for training teachers of English to foreign students. The Department of English offers elective and Core-level undergraduate courses of English language and literature for foreign students enrolled at Boston College.