GERST-BA - German Studies (BA)

• 60 units minimum.

• Majors must demonstrate basic language skills by completing GERLANG 1, 2, 3, First-Year German, or the equivalent such as an appropriate course of study at the Stanford in Berlin Center.

• All courses are taken for a letter grade unless only offered for a faculty-elected S/NC (no more than ten units)

• Courses may not be used towards any other major or minor.

• A maximum of 10 Advanced Placement (AP) units may be counted towards the major with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

• All courses from the Bing Overseas Studies Center OSPBER in Berlin taken for a letter grade have been pre-approved.

• Except for the required GERMAN 191 and GERMAN 116, all courses listed below are recommended, and substitutes are permitted with the approval of the Chair of Undergraduate Studies. Students may combine a major in German Studies with a major in any other field. Relevant courses in different fields may count towards the German Studies major with approval.

• Students declare a major in German Studies through Axess. Students meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies and undergraduate student services officer to discuss appropriate courses and options within the major and to plan a course of study.

Students majoring in any DLCL department (i.e., Comparative Literature, French and Italian, German Studies, Iberian and Latin American Cultures, and Slavic Languages and Literatures) who have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or above and who maintain a 3.5 (GPA) in their major courses, are eligible to participate in the DLCL’s honors program.

Declaring Honors

Prospective honors students must select a senior thesis advisor from among their home department's regular faculty by May 1 of junior year. During the Spring Quarter, they should also meet with their department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies. 

By the end of Spring Quarter, students must submit the Honors application form. This includes a unit distribution plan to accommodate the program, thesis outline or summary, preliminary reading list, unofficial transcript confirming they meet GPA requirements, and confirmed approval from both their primary advisor and second reader. Once a student submits their application, a notice will be sent to the advisor and reader listed in the application. They will confirm their acceptance of the responsibilities of the committee through an approval process workflow. The completed application is submitted to the DLCL Undergraduate Student Services Officer. 

Once approved by both the department and the DLCL Undergraduate Student Services Officer, students will formally request honors through Axess. 

Honors theses vary in length and approach depending on topic, historical scope, and methodology. They may build on work begun in coursework but must show enhanced comparative or theoretical depth. Quality, not length, is the primary criterion. Most honors theses range from 40 to 90 pages, excluding bibliography and notes. 

Honors students are strongly encouraged to apply to Bing HonorsCollege (BHC), a two-week summer program, helps students develop their projects before senior year. Applications must be submitted through the Bing Honors College program website. Please note: the DLCL does not have a specific College, so reach out to the DLCL SSO for additional instructions for enrolling in the program.

Program Requirements

To earn honors, students must complete a minimum of 9 units (as outlined below) and submit a thesis. Honors theses are due to the primary advisor no later than 5:00 PM on May 15 of the senior year. A thesis that receives a grade of A- or higher qualifies the student for honors at graduation. 

1. Autumn Quarter of the senior year (required): DLCL189A Honors Thesis Seminar (3-4 units S/NC) Taught by a DLCL appointed faculty member, this course focuses on researching and writing the honors thesis. 

2. Winter Quarter of the senior year (required): DLCL189B Honors Thesis Seminar (3-4 units S/NC) Conducted under the primary thesis advisor, the focus is on writing and revising the thesis draft. Each Independent Study course requires a minimum of two meetings with your primary advisor. 

3. Spring Quarter of the senior year (required): DLCL189C Honors Thesis Seminar (3-4 units, letter grade) Each Independent Study course requires a minimum of two meetings with your primary advisor. Students enroll with your primary thesis advisor and present their thesis at the annual Honors Colloquium, held between May 15 and May 30th. The grade for 189C reflects the grade for the thesis and is assigned by the primary advisor, with input from the second reader.  Students finalize and submit the thesis to their thesis advisor and the Student Services Officer by May 15 at 5:00 p.m.

The honors thesis in the DLCL embodies Stanford's commitment to excellence in coursework and research. It serves both as a student’s intellectual legacy and as part of the University's scholarly record. Far more than a final paper, the honors thesis reflects original, rigorous research that contributes to broader academic conversations and showcases the intellectual vitality of the discipline. 

For these reasons, DLCL honors theses will be visible to future scholars researching similar questions through full online access through the Stanford Digital Repository (SDR) and may be used as course materials for future Stanford honors preparatory courses. A printed copy may also be kept in DLCL spaces. Students who wish to limit the access or sharing formats may do so by submitting a restriction request form to the DLCL Student Services Officer.