uwloo

GER 230Vikings!

Units
0.50
Faculty
Arts
Subject
German
Cross-listed
MEDVL 230

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 2 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

This course will examine the Viking Age cultures, which flourished in Northern Europe and beyond from c. 800 to 1100 CE. The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the Viking Age and to deepen students' understanding of the processes through which peoples in the present give meaning to the past.

Prerequisites

None listed.

Antirequisites

  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:

Notes

  • Taught in English; no knowledge of other languages required.

Leads to

No course lists it as a requisite.

Reviewed on UW Flow

57% liked it40% easy50% useful

From 7 ratings and 4 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • Took it online. Thought it was a bird course, but there's so much reading and writing. Needed 4 separate books, participation in discussion forums. Only good thing is that there's no final (40% final essay instead, yay...).
    I also didn't find it that interesting since there was more emphasis on learning about the Vikings from different perspectives than there was on what they actually did. I was kind of expecting to just learn about major events, people, etc. but having come this far I can't even name one notable historical figure I actually learned much about.

    Apr 2018 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Had it online- was heavy in the reading and not at all engaging, which is very unfortunate.

    May 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • This course requires a discussion every week, and a 750 words paper every 2-3 weeks. And the final paper worth 40% is a 2000 words essay. The load is quite manageable, and the late penalty is very lenient, first 24 hours no penalty, and only 2% per day after that. I would recommend this course. Just whole lot of reading and sometimes using online tools that can help you sort out info more easily will help.

    Jan 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • This course is super easy! Its a relatively small class (around 15 people) and you get marks from participating in class discussions, two presentations, a take home final (essay) and weekly reading quizzes. It does require a fair bit of reading and if you're shy just be aware that it is discussion based. Prof. Rasmussen is very nice and a VERY easy marker. Overall it was a fun course.

    May 2017 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

15 posts and comments in 13 threads mention GER 230, September 2017 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Spring 2020

Winter 2020

Spring Courses Online with no Final? 4 points, 6 comments

“What are some (preferably birdy) spring courses with no final exam? I'm looking at: Rec 202, Bet 200, Geog 207, Rec 280 and Clas 104, but I am not sure which ones have finals or not. &x200B; Thanks :)”

u/ClassIn30minutes: “Not on your list but Ger 230 (Vikings) has no exam and is available in spring as an online course. It's not the most Birdy course since it's heavy on the readings, but it's fun.”

View on RedditRemove this

Fall 2019

Best online summer course? 4 points, 1 comment

“Have to take one online course this summer so I can graduate on time. I’m in Arts, majoring in Psych. Any recommendations for which is the best to take? …”

u/ClassIn30minutes: “if youre not on a co-op term (or working full-time during summer), GER 230 is good. Its interesting and has no exams, but it does have a lot of reading and writing (starts off slow). Id recommend it. I think it also fills an arts breath req.”

View on RedditRemove this

dutch 101 or any other easy online language course (not french though) 5 points, 7 comments

“is dutch 101 basically memorizing a bunch of terms each week? Hows' the structure for this course? Perhaps there's better online language courses out there?”

u/ClassIn30minutes: “… If not, I recommended GER 230. It is online and has no exam. …”

u/macmac101: “did you hear from anyone though who took ger 230. Although a fun course is enjoyable, I'd prefer taking a course that's also easy to do well in if you put in decent effort. …”

View on RedditRemove this

Spring 2018

Fall 2017

Bird courses during work term 1 point, 4 comments

“I want to take an easy bird course with no final during my work term (Winter 2018). Any suggestions?”

u/purestpanacea: “Vikings! Is a course offered online this winter :) I forgot the course code but you can look it up”

u/trindte: “fuck me the course is actually called Vikings! with the exclamation point http://www.ucalendar.uwaterloo.ca/1718/COURSE/course-GER.htmlGER230”

View on RedditRemove this

Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar