The certificates program in languages was instituted as a means to allow students who seek formal training in a modern foreign language but who, for reasons of time and other commitments, cannot complete the full requirements toward a major. With its sequence of courses, students in the program will systematically build up proficiency in the language and, in their senior year, will receive from the respective department a certificate officially attesting to their having fulfilled the requirements. Certificates are possible in French, German, Russian and Spanish. Interested students are encouraged to contact the Chair of the respective department to review the process for including a certificate in their studies.
To enhance a student's educational and professional profiles, the department offers the Certificate in German. It requires seven courses –three fewer than the major– and is especially appropriate for students who begin study of the language at Williams.
Required Courses are German 101, German 102, German 103, German 104 , and German 201. Note that students who enter Williams with previous training in German may substitute more advanced courses for the 100-level courses; they can also be exempted from up to two of the required courses.
The student must achieve proficiency at the level of a B in German 104 or the equivalent.
Two electives, at least one course on German cultural history (literature, art, drama, music) and another course on German intellectual, political, or social history (in German or English) round out the requirements for the certificate. Appropriate elective courses can usually be found among the offerings in German, Art History, History, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, and Theatre.
