• Syllabus (printable PDF incl. day-to-day schedule)

Student Profile

This course is designed for the beginner student with no previous knowledge of German.

Course Objectives

Within three weeks, this course will help you to develop basic competences in listening, speaking, reading and writing as well as a basic knowledge of the German culture.

• By the end of the course, you will be able to deal with everyday situations in a German-speaking environment and to conduct simple conversations.
• You will have developed reading strategies that allow you to understand simple newspaper and magazine articles as well as short literary texts.
• In addition, you will learn to write, revise and proofread short texts in German.
• Finally, you will be able to understand discussions on familiar topics.

Textbook

studio [21] Grundstufe A1: Gesamtband. Das Deutschbuch, Hermann Funk, Christina Kuhn, Laura Nielsen, Kerstin Rische, Cornelsen Verlag, 2015.

Literary texts and supplemental materials in consultation with the course instructor.

Daily Lesson and Excursion

In the first week, the course takes place from Tuesday to Friday. In week 2 and 3, lessons take place Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On two class days during the term, you will go on a course-related excursion.

Attendance

Each class consists of six teaching modules (45 minutes each). If you miss 8 modules (unexcused), your entire course grade will drop by one grade. Coming more than 20 minutes late counts as missing a module (this also applies to excursion days). If you come late to class six times (up to 20 minutes) your entire course grade will also drop by one grade. If you miss 20 modules, you will fail the class.

Active Participation

We expect committed and consistent interest in the acquisition of the German language. You will prove this by participating constructively and productively in the lessons and excursions, completing homework assignments and being prepared for every class. Every student is expected to respect the ideas and comments of his/her peers.

Oral Presentation

You will prepare a three-minute oral presentation. It is important that you speak freely rather than reading the oral presentation and that you keep to the time allowed.

Essay

In this course, you will write one essay (font size 12, double-spaced, 100 – 150 words). Your teacher will mark potential errors as such and you are required to correct your essay and hand in a second corrected version. For the first version of your essay, you can obtain a maximum of 100 points; for the second version, you will receive up to 50% of the missing points.

When writing your essay, you will strive first and foremost for clarity (organization and style) and accuracy (grammar and syntax).

Reflective Journal

Throughout the term you will write various journal entries – independently or on given topics – to reflect on certain aspects of your stay in Berlin. Your instructor will collect these creative exercises and comment the content. However, no corrections will be made. The aim of the journal is that you develop awareness of the language(s) surrounding you.

Midterm and Final Exam

You will take a midterm and a final exam consisting of the following sections: listening comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and composition based on course themes.

Group Project

Together with two or three peers, you will prepare a creative and linguistically demanding oral presentation of approximately 10 minutes about your impressions of Berlin (funny, bizarre, interesting facts etc.). The projects (sketches, parodies, PowerPoint presentations, movies, songs, poems etc.) will be presented on the last day of class. Most importantly, every group member should play an active role in the presentation, i.e. should receive an equal amount of speaking time during the presentation.

Evaluation

• Active participation and homework 300 points
• Oral presentation 100 points
• Essay 100 points
• Reflective Journal 100 points
• Midterm exam 150 points
• Final exam 150 points
• Group project 100 points

Maximum Score 1,000 points

• Syllabus (printable PDF incl. day-to-day schedule)

Student Profile

This course is designed for beginners with basic knowledge of German.

Course Objectives

This course will help you to expand your competences in listening, speaking, reading and writing within three weeks, deepen your knowledge of grammar as well as your knowledge of the German culture.

• By the end of the three-week course, you will be able to deal with everyday situations in a German-speaking environment and to conduct simple conversations.
• You will have developed reading strategies that allow you to understand simple newspaper and magazine articles as well as short literary texts more detailed.
• In addition, you will improve your essay writing skills, which means you will be able to write short texts on different topics, revise and proofread them.
• Finally, you will be able to understand discussions on familiar topics more detailed.

Textbook

studio [21] Grundstufe A2: Gesamtband. Das Deutschbuch, Hermann Funk, Christina Kuhn, Laura Nielsen, Kerstin Rische, Cornelsen Verlag, 2015.

Literary texts and supplemental materials in consultation with the course instructor.

Daily Lesson and Excursion

In the first week, the course takes place from Tuesday to Friday. In week 2 and 3, lessons take place Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On two class days during the term, you will go on a course-related excursion.

Attendance

Each class consists of six teaching modules (45 minutes each). If you miss 8 modules (unexcused), your entire course grade will drop by one grade. Coming more than 20 minutes late counts as missing a module (this also applies to excursion days). If you come late to class six times (up to 20 minutes) your entire course grade will also drop by one grade. If you miss 20 modules, you will fail the class.

Active Participation

We expect committed and consistent interest in the acquisition of the German language. You will prove this by participating constructively and productively in the lessons and excursions, completing homework assignments and being prepared for every class. Every student is expected to respect the ideas and comments of his/her peers.

Oral Presentation

You will prepare a five-minute oral presentation. It is important that you speak freely rather than reading the oral presentation and that you keep to the time allowed.

Essay

In this course, you will write one essay (font size 12, double-spaced, 150 – 200 words). Your teacher will mark potential errors as such and you are required to correct your essay and hand in a second corrected version. For the first version of your essay, you can obtain a maximum of 100 points; for the second version, you will receive up to 50% of the missing points.

When writing your essay, you will strive first and foremost for clarity (organization and style) and accuracy (grammar and syntax).

Reflective Journal

Throughout the term you will write various journal entries – independently or on given topics – to reflect on certain aspects of your stay in Berlin. Your instructor will collect these creative exercises and comment the content. However, no corrections will be made. The aim of the journal is that you develop awareness of the language(s) surrounding you.

Midterm and Final Exam

You will take a midterm and a final exam consisting of the following sections: listening comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and composition based on course themes.

Group Project

Together with two or three peers, you will prepare a creative and linguistically demanding oral presentation of approximately 10 minutes about your impressions of Berlin (funny, bizarre, interesting facts etc.). The projects (sketches, parodies, PowerPoint presentations, movies, songs, poems etc.) will be presented on the last day of class. Most importantly, every group member should play an active role in the presentation, i.e. should receive an equal amount of speaking time during the presentation.

Evaluation

• Active participation and homework 300 points
• Oral presentation 100 points
• Essay 100 points
• Reflective Journal 100 points
• Midterm exam 150 points
• Final exam 150 points
• Group project 100 points

Maximum Score 1,000 points

• Syllabus (printable PDF incl. day-to-day schedule)

Student Profile

This course is designed for students who have successfully completed the basic level of German and who have a sound knowledge of German at the A2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Course Objectives

Within three weeks, this course will help you to expand your competences in listening, speaking, reading and writing and strengthen your knowledge of grammar, while emphasizing self-correction, as well as deepen your knowledge of the German culture.

Furthermore, you will analyze and interpret cultural, political, and historical topics in German-speaking countries and compare them with your own cultural background.

• By the end of the three-week course you will have developed and regularly use new strategies for language acquisition.
• You will be able to engage in detailed discussions on above-mentioned topics.
• Furthermore, you will have developed reading strategies that will allow you to understand different text types in detail.
• In addition, you will improve your essay writing skills, i.e. you will be able to write short texts on different topics, revise and proofread them.

Textbook

studio [21] Grundstufe B1: Gesamtband. Das Deutschbuch, Hermann Funk, Christina Kuhn, Laura Nielsen, Kerstin Rische, Cornelsen Verlag, 2015.

Literary texts and supplemental materials in consultation with the course instructor.

Daily Lesson and Excursion

In the first week, the course takes place from Tuesday to Friday. In week 2 and 3, lessons take place Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On two class days during the term, you will go on a course-related excursion.

Attendance

Each class consists of six teaching modules (45 minutes each). If you miss 8 modules (unexcused), your entire course grade will drop by one grade. Coming more than 20 minutes late counts as missing a module (this also applies to excursion days). If you come late to class six times (up to 20 minutes) your entire course grade will also drop by one grade. If you miss 20 modules, you will fail the class.

Active Participation

We expect committed and consistent interest in the acquisition of the German language. You will prove this by participating constructively and productively in the lessons and excursions, completing homework assignments and being prepared for every class. Every student is expected to respect the ideas and comments of his/her peers.

Oral Presentation

You will prepare a ten-minute oral presentation. It is important that you prepare and explain relevant vocabulary for your presentation beforehand (max. 5 – 7) and that you give your peers a specific assignment. Furthermore, it is important that you speak freely rather than reading the oral presentation and that you keep to the time allowed.

Essay

In this course, you will write one essay (font size 12, double-spaced, 200 – 250 words). Your teacher will mark potential errors as such and you are required to correct your essay and hand in a second corrected version. For the first version of your essay, you can obtain a maximum of 100 points; for the second version, you will receive up to 50% of the missing points.

When writing your essay, you will strive first and foremost for clarity (organization and style) and accuracy (grammar and syntax). You are encouraged to incorporate complex constructions, but please concentrate on syntactic and grammatical accuracy.

Reflective Journal

Throughout the term you will write various journal entries – independently or on given topics – to reflect on certain aspects of your stay in Berlin. Your instructor will collect these creative exercises and comment the content. However, no corrections will be made. The aim of the journal is that you learn how to express a critical and self-reflective position in a linguistically creative way.

Midterm and Final Exam

You will take a midterm and a final exam consisting of the following sections: listening comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and composition based on course themes.

Group Project

Together with two or three peers, you will prepare a creative and linguistically demanding oral presentation of approximately 10 minutes about your impressions of Berlin (funny, bizarre, interesting facts etc.). The projects (sketches, parodies, PowerPoint presentations, movies, songs, poems etc.) will be presented on the last day of class. Most importantly, every group member should play an active role in the presentation, i.e. should receive an equal amount of speaking time during the presentation.

Evaluation

• Active participation and homework 300 points
• Oral presentation 100 points
• Essay 100 points
• Reflective Journal 100 points
• Midterm exam 150 points
• Final exam 150 points
• Group project 100 points

Maximum Score 1,000 points

• Syllabus (printable PDF incl. day-to-day schedule)

Student Profile

This course is designed for students who have successfully completed the basic level and the first part of the intermediate level of German and who have a sound knowledge of German at the B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Course Objectives

Within three weeks, this course will help you to expand your competences in speaking and writing while emphasizing self-correction. Furthermore, it will help you to increase your vocabulary, to deepen grammar usage, and develop effective reading and listening strategies.

In addition, you will analyze and interpret cultural, political, and historical topics in German-speaking countries and compare them with your own cultural background.

• By the end of the three-week course you will have developed and regularly use new strategies for language acquisition.
• You will be able to engage in detailed discussions on above-mentioned topics.
• Furthermore, you will have developed reading strategies that will allow you to understand different text types in detail.
• In addition, you will improve your essay writing skills, i.e. you will be able to write short texts on different topics, revise and proofread them.

Textbook

Sicher! B2-Kursbuch, Dr. Michaela Perlmann-Balme, Susanne Schwalb, Hueber Verlag, 2014.

Literary texts and supplemental materials in consultation with the course instructor.

Daily Lesson and Excursion

In the first week, the course takes place from Tuesday to Friday. In week 2 and 3, lessons take place Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On two class days during the term, you will go on a course-related excursion.

Attendance

Each class consists of six teaching modules (45 minutes each). If you miss 8 modules (unexcused), your entire course grade will drop by one grade. Coming more than 20 minutes late counts as missing a module (this also applies to excursion days). If you come late to class six times (up to 20 minutes) your entire course grade will also drop by one grade. If you miss 20 modules, you will fail the class.

Active Participation

We expect committed and consistent interest in the acquisition of the German language. You will prove this by participating constructively and productively in the lessons and excursions, completing homework assignments and being prepared for every class. Every student is expected to respect the ideas and comments of his/her peers.

Oral Presentation

You will prepare a ten-minute oral presentation. It is important that you prepare and explain relevant vocabulary for your presentation beforehand (max. 10) and that you give your peers a specific assignment. Furthermore, it is important that you speak freely rather than reading the oral presentation and that you keep to the time allowed.

Essay

In this course, you will write one essay (font size 12, double-spaced, 250 – 300 words). Your teacher will mark potential errors as such and you are required to correct your essay and hand in a second corrected version. For the first version of your essay, you can obtain a maximum of 100 points; for the second version, you will receive up to 50% of the missing points. When writing your essay, you will strive first and foremost for clarity (organization and style) and accuracy (grammar and syntax). You are encouraged to incorporate complex constructions, but please concentrate on syntactic and grammatical accuracy.

Reflective Journal

Throughout the term you will write various journal entries – independently or on given topics – to reflect on certain aspects of your stay in Berlin. Your instructor will collect these creative exercises and comment the content. However, no corrections will be made. The aim of the journal is that you learn how to express a critical and self-reflective position in a linguistically creative way.

Midterm and Final Exam

You will take a midterm and a final exam consisting of the following sections: listening comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and composition based on course themes.

Group Project

Together with two or three peers, you will prepare a creative and linguistically demanding oral presentation of approximately 10 minutes about your impressions of Berlin (funny, bizarre, interesting facts etc.). The projects (sketches, parodies, PowerPoint presentations, movies, songs, poems etc.) will be presented on the last day of class. Most importantly, every group member should play an active role in the presentation, i.e. should receive an equal amount of speaking time during the presentation.

Evaluation

• Active participation and homework 300 points
• Oral presentation 100 points
• Essay 100 points
• Reflective Journal 100 points
• Midterm exam 150 points
• Final exam 150 points
• Group project 100 points

Maximum Score 1,000 points

• Syllabus (printable PDF incl. day-to-day schedule)

Student Profile

This course is designed for students who have successfully completed the intermediate level of German and who have a sound knowledge of German at the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Course Objectives

The course aims to deepen your competence in speaking and writing and to expand and refine your vocabulary usage, so that you are able to express and discuss ideas, opinions and information at the academic level. Special attention is given to the consistent use of self-correction. Furthermore, the course helps you to develop effective reading and listening strategies and deepen your knowledge of grammar structures.

In addition, you will analyze and interpret cultural, political, and historical topics in German-speaking countries and compare them with your own cultural background.

• By the end of the three-week course you will have developed and regularly use new strategies for language acquisition.
• You will have improved your ability to choose the right linguistic register for different situations, topics and communication partners.
• You will be able to lead and participate in academic discussions about certain course-related topics.
• In addition, you will expand and refine your essay writing skills, i.e. you will be able to write, revise and proofread essays that meet the standards of academic writing.

Textbook

studio: Die Mittelstufe. Deutsch als Fremdsprache C1, Christina Kuhn, Britta Winzer-Kiontke, Cornelsen Verlag, 2015.

Literary texts and supplemental materials in consultation with the course instructor.

Daily Lesson and Excursion

In the first week, the course takes place from Tuesday to Friday. In week 2 and 3, lessons take place Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On two class days during the term, you will go on a course-related excursion.

Attendance

Each class consists of six teaching modules (45 minutes each). If you miss 8 modules (unexcused), your entire course grade will drop by one grade. Coming more than 20 minutes late counts as missing a module (this also applies to excursion days). If you come late to class six times (up to 20 minutes) your entire course grade will also drop by one grade. If you miss 20 modules, you will fail the class.

Active Participation

We expect committed and consistent interest in the acquisition of the German language. You will prove this by participating constructively and productively in the lessons and excursions, completing homework assignments and being prepared for every class. Every student is expected to respect the ideas and comments of his/her peers.

Oral Presentation

You will prepare a ten-minute oral presentation. You are also required to prepare a handout for your peers listing unfamiliar vocabulary (max. 20) and posing questions. Furthermore, it is important that you speak freely rather than reading the oral presentations and that you keep to the time allowed.

Essay

In preparation for your final paper, you will compose an essay in 12-font and double spaced (300-350 words). Your teacher will mark potential errors as such and you are required to correct your essay and hand in a second corrected version. For the first version of your essay, you can obtain a maximum of 100 points; for the second version, you will receive up to 50% of the missing points.

When writing your essay you will strive first and foremost for clarity (organization and style) and accuracy (grammar and syntax). You are encouraged to incorporate complex constructions, but please concentrate on syntactic and grammatical accuracy.

In addition, you will write a journal entry reflection on your essay and the writing process. This reflection together with your instructor’s suggestions and comments will help you to expand your essay into a research paper for the final project.

Reflective Journal

Throughout the term you will write various journal entries – independently or on given topics – to reflect on certain aspects of your stay in Berlin, e.g. question personal impressions, compare historical or contemporary phenomena, reflect on certain topics discussed in class, etc. Your instructor will collect these creative exercises and comment the content. However, no corrections will be made. The aim of the journal is that you learn how to express a critical and self-reflective position in a linguistically creative way.

Midterm Exam

You will take a midterm exam consisting of the following sections: listening comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and composition based on course themes.

Final Project

The final project will be a three-page written research paper (font size 12, double-spaced) and a five-minute in-class presentation. The final paper has to meet the standards of academic writing. In terms of content, this means that a certain topic has to be investigated systematically and the results have to be presented in a structured and logical way. In terms of form, it means that you keep to one single citation style and that you include all the sources you used for your research paper in a reference-list.

You will complete your final paper by executing the following steps:

• Based on your essay you will write an outline, which will be commented by your instructor.
• Then you will write your final paper, which will be due by the beginning of the final week of the course.
• In class, you will proofread your final paper together with your peers and check for errors in terms of content and form.
• You will have the opportunity to revise your final paper before handing it in.

At the last day of class, you will present your results in a five-minute presentation. It is important that you speak freely rather than reading your presentation and that you keep to the time allowed.

Evaluation

• Active participation and homework 300 points
• Oral presentation 100 points
• Essay 100 points
• Reflective Journal 100 points
• Midterm exam 150 points
• Final project 250 points (200 final paper + 50 presentation)

Maximum Score 1,000 points

• Syllabus (printable PDF incl. day-to-day schedule)

Course Description

The course will introduce the basics of the European Union and describe and explain the processes of widening and deepening of this unique political entity. This will cover an overview of European Union history, its evolution in economic and political terms as well as of its institutional structure and key policies up until today.

The focus of the course will be internally on the state of EU integration and the need for reform, as well as externally on the international role of the EU in general with its emphasis on multilateralism, but also bilaterally in the relations between the EU and the USA, Russia and the Ukraine in particular. Relations with Turkey as a candidate for EU membership will be discussed regarding the question where Europe ends, but also to analyze issues of identity, energy security and in general costs and benefits of EU membership against the backdrop of Brexit.

The morning sessions consist of lectures, literature-based discussions and oral presentations from working groups. After lunch the course will visit various institutions in Germany`s political center. Students will have the chance to discuss the topics from the morning sessions with international experts from political institutions, embassies and think tanks.

Student Profile

Students from different countries, academic levels and backgrounds who are generally interested in European integration will benefit from each other in an intercultural and interdisciplinary learning process.

Former classes consisted of regular students and practitioners such as civil servants, communication experts, young politicians and even members of parliaments.

The course does not require special knowledge about European politics, law, history or culture, but participants should be interested in more than just their field of specialization.

In-class participation, especially in the discussions with experts, is essential for the course success and plays an important role in grading.

Prerequisites

The course is designed for students with different academic backgrounds and a general interest in Europe. There are no special prerequisites for the course.

Course Requirements

Attendance; active participation in the seminar's discussions and discussions with experts; oral and written presentation of a certain subject.

Grading

• Participation: 40%
• Oral presentations: 30%
• Final paper: 30%

Reading

See course schedule. A course reader will be provided.

• Syllabus (printable PDF incl. day-to-day schedule)

Course Description

This course explores theoretical and historical perspectives on the intersection of law, society and politics, and aims to foster discussion of contemporary issues among students from different cultures and disciplines. After an introduction to comparative law and legal culture, we read some classical social theorists (Durkheim, Weber and Marx), and consider their relevance to contemporary debates about morality, (dis)obedience, conflict, and property. Next, we investigate the role and operation of law in totalitarian settings such as Nazi and Communist Germany. Finally, we consider the difficulties such legacies pose for fostering the rule of law in post-totalitarian societies. In this context, we also examine the need for ‘transitional justice’, as well as the relationship between law, the market, and economic development. Finally, we explore the limits on the exercise of free speech and the right of association.

Overall, the course aims to develop skills at using theory and history to inform debates on contemporary challenges, such as multiculturalism, punishment, (illegal) downloading/streaming/file-sharing, and economic development. In addition to gaining substantive expertise in various socio- and politico-legal fields, students develop communicative competence through participatory exercises, and intercultural competence through discussion with other students.

Student Profile

This course is designed for all students having an interest in social sciences – in particular, history, sociology or political science – or in law. It is conceived as an undergraduate class, but the variety of students taking this course typically ranges from first-year students to post-graduate students. This experiential diversity provides unique opportunities for students to learn from one another.

Prerequisites

No prior knowledge of law or of social science is required; the only prerequisite is an open mind.

Course Requirements

Students are expected to attend each class; read the literature assigned for each class; and participate in class discussions and excursions. In addition, each student must complete a writing assignment (written protocol) analyzing some of the assigned readings. Students can choose between writing one written protocol of 6-8 pages, or two written protocols of 3-4 pages each. Finally, each student is required to take a written final examination.

Grading

• Class attendance and participation: 40%
• Written protocol(s): 30%
• Final exam: 30%

Reading

Readings for the course are contained in a reader that will be provided at orientation.

• Syllabus (printable PDF incl. day-to-day schedule)

Course Description

There are many reasons for the global success of football. The game fulfils our longing for triumph and endorses our knowledge of failure. It produces heroes and losers, demonstrates that we have to fight to reach our aims, but also shows the importance of cooperating and interacting.Thus football acts as a theatre of existence, in which life can both mirror and transcend itself.

The class will take a look behind the scenes and identify the mechanisms that make football so popular. They lie partly in the game’s structure itself, partly in its connection to other cultural fields, like religion, or war.

Because football is a game that is always “more than just a game”, it is an appropriate subject for philosophy and cultural studies. At first sight, of course, this relation seems to be counterintuitive. Traditionally, particularly philosophy was defined as a purely mental activity while football in reverse was reduced to a physical combat game. But we will see that one of the characteristics of modern philosophy is to involve the body in the process of thinking, while football urges a specific intelligence from its players. Thus, the class will explore the cultural and philosophical references of football and vice versa, the ludic and bodily aspects of philosophy. By this, we will gain a new perspective on football as well as on philosophy. In addition to that, the focusing on the specific subject “football” can show the different approaches as well as the overlaps between the individual sciences.

Student Profile

Students from all faculties interested in the subject.

Prerequisites

None.

Course Requirements

Active participation and two short essays (approx. 3-5 pages)

Grading

• Active Participation: 30%
• First essay: 35%
• Second essay: 35%

Reading

A reader will be provided at the beginning of the class.

• Syllabus (printable PDF incl. day-to-day schedule)

Course Description

Over the course of the Cold War, the city of Berlin was frequently at the centre of global tensions and a potential front line should the superpower rivalry descend into actual war. This course utilizes the city of Berlin as a laboratory in which to examine the origins, nature, and conclusion of the Cold War that defined international relations between 1945 and 1991. We analyze the Allied occupation of the city following the Nazi defeat, the Berlin blockade and airlift that helped solidify the divisions between East and West. Next, we will examine the workers’ uprising of 1953 that provoked a Soviet military response. The following sessions will deal with the emigration crisis of the late 1950s that led the Soviets to first threaten a military takeover of the city and eventually to construct the Berlin Wall. Finally, we will look at the fall of the wall and the subsequent reunification of Berlin and Germany.

Field trips to important Cold War sites will permit students to gain a deeper appreciation of how the Cold War changed Berlin, and how events in Berlin influenced the wider international struggle. In order to place the interests and goals of the superpowers in context, we will also discuss the ways in which the Cold War rivalry affected Europe as a whole, as well as Asia and Latin America. Attention will be given to the role of international organizations such as the United Nations in world affairs, and the changes brought about by the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. In this way, we will examine the roots of contemporary crises. Students will gain an understanding of the recent past, which will help equip them to evaluate the current and emerging international order.

Student Profile

Everyone is welcome to this course. It is ideal for students who have background in modern international relations history and supplements courses on the world wars or global politics/history. However, the course is designed for those without such training who have an interest in international relations. Students planning careers in diplomacy, journalism, or academia will find this course especially beneficial. 

Prerequisites

None.

Course Requirements

This course uses a lecture format with seminars, as well as field trips around Berlin. There is much to cover in a short period of time. Regular attendance will be essential to keep up with the volume of material and pace of the course. As participatory seminars make up a sizeable portion of the overall grade you will be expected to have completed all the readings, integrate them with lectures, and come ready to discuss the topics.

Grading

• Active participation: 30%
• One short essay: 20%
• Final exam: 50%

Reading

Scholarly readings are an essential component of any course and this will be no different. A course reader will be made available. All the seminars will involve chapters from a book by a renowned academic in the field. They will also entail the reading of primary documents on various events in the Cold War put together in an edited text. This will provide students an opportunity to be “closer” to some of the dramatic events covered in the course and be exposed to the true craft of historians.

Everyone is welcome to this course. It is ideal for students who have background in modern international relations history and supplements courses on the world wars or global politics/history. However, the course is designed for those without such training who have an interest in international relations. Students planning careers in diplomacy, journalism, or academia will find this course especially beneficial.