Provides a graduate-level introduction to German Studies, with emphasis on theoretical approaches and current trends in German Studies. Special attention will be given to developing the tools necessary for advanced criticism: close-reading skills, mastery of critical terminology, and training in a range of theoretical approaches. The main goals of this course are (1) to introduce students to critical approaches to literature/art/film and recent theoretical trends in German literary and cultural studies, (2) to give students the opportunity to deepen interpretive skills through close reading and discussion of representative texts, and (3) to encourage students to explore theoretical approaches to literary and cultural material.