For more information on GER 230, GER 271, and GER 272, contact the instructor.
For information on GER 101, GER 102, GER 201, and GER 202 and general registration questions, please contact Katja Czarnecki.
Register on Quest.
We welcome students from other Canadian universities into our online courses on a Letter of Permission (LoP) basis.
Important update from April 21, 2020 for students from other Canadian universities for Spring 2020:
Students enrolled in degree programs at Canadian universities are still able to submit a Letter of Permission application to take one or more of our German online courses in Spring 2020 if they submit their application on the OUAC website by April 25, 2020 (sorry, further extensions cannot be granted).
If you would like to take GER 102, GER 201, or GER 202, please contact gssugrad@uwaterloo.ca with details about your previous experience with German through study, work, and/or heritage before you submit the below Letter of Permission application.
Please go to the following link to complete Waterloo's Letter of Permission application by Saturday, April 25th . You will need to choose the Fall 2020 term as our spring term applications are closed. If you need any help completing this application, please email applicant.help@uwaterloo.ca.
Once this has been submitted with payment you will receive an email from the OUAC with a reference # which you need to email along with the course you wish to take to applicant.help@uwaterloo.ca. If you have your letter of permission or approval from your academic advisor, please also attach to this email or have it sent once received (no later than May 5th) and include your OUAC reference #. Please note that the application fee $55.00 is a non-refundable fee.
Once your application, letter of permission/approval from your home school has been received we will arrange to enroll you in the course and email confirmation and further details regarding next steps and paying fees.
If you currently cannot get a Letter of Permission from your home institution, our Registrar’s Office will also accept a signed letter from your academic advisor confirming that you are in good standing at your home institution. It is your responsibility to ensure that your home institution will accept the course you take at UWaterloo as transfer credit. The University of Waterloo cannot guarantee that.
Germanic & Slavic Studies at UWaterloo would appreciate if you please would inform gssugrad@uwaterloo.ca if you have submitted a late Letter of Permission application to take GER 101, GER 230, GER 271, and/or GER 272 with us in Spring 2020.Please note that the LoP application deadline has now passed. However, if you have taken a course at UWaterloo in the past and already have a UWaterloo student ID, please contact the Germanic & Slavic Studies Undergraduate Office and we still will try to get you in the Spring 2020 online course you would like to take with us.
The LoP application deadline for Fall 2020 is June 29, 2020. For information on LoP applications, please see the Admission website.
We will announce our Fall 2020 online course offerings on this website as soon as they have been finalized (currently planned, but subject to change: GER 101, GER 102, GER 201, GER 202, GER 230, GER 271, GER 272, DUTCH 101, DUTCH 102).
All Spring 2020 courses will be taught online. Spring 2020 courses begin on May 11, 2020 and end on August 5, 2020, with a final (online) assessment period to follow from August 7 to 15, 2020. For all academic deadlines see the Undergraduate Calendar.
No pre-requisites.
GER 230: Vikings! examines the Viking Age cultures, which flourished in Northern Europe and beyond from c. 800 to 1100 CE, and deepens students' understanding of the processes through which peoples in the present give meaning to the past. Taught in English by Prof. Grit Liebscher.
GER 271: German Thought and Culture: Objects explores human-made objects that open up perspectives on German-speaking society and culture. Objects to be studied might include the Berlin Wall, the swastika, Luther's Bible, donairs, and Volkswagens. Students acquire skills in cultural analysis and learn about major developments in literature, philosophy, religion, art, architecture, and music. Taught in English by Prof. Andrea Speltz.
GER 272: German Thought and Culture: People explores key figures whose contributions to the arts and intellectual life have shaped German-speaking society and culture. Persons to be studied might include Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Leni Riefenstahl, and Hannah Arendt. Students acquire skills in cultural analysis and learn about major developments in literature, philosophy, religion, art, architecture, and music. Taught in English by Prof. Paul Malone.
GER 101: Elementary German I aims to bring German language, culture, and everyday life into the online classroom. Students with little or no prior knowledge are introduced to the structure of German and develop their listening/comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills.
GER 101 is not open to students with native, near-native, or similar advanced ability. If you have any prior knowledge of German, please contact the Germanic & Slavic Studies Undergraduate Office for enrollment advice. We do offer GER 102, GER 201, and GER 202 online in Spring 2020 as well.