Languages: German

Overview

The German Program at the School of Modern Languages offers a minor in German, as well as undergraduate and graduate degrees in German. We provide students with an integrative academic education that emphasizes linguistic and cultural proficiency, intercultural studies, and applied language use. A close-knit combination of language and culture courses, faculty-led study abroad programs, and extracurricular events and opportunities facilitate the opportunity for our students to make German an integral part of their academic studies and professional careers. We offer our students an educational experience that combines intellectually rigorous, interdisciplinary approaches reflecting faculty research agendas with an intercultural education that prepares our students as citizens and leaders on the international job market as much as in their local communities. German language skills are valued in many areas, such as manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, software and communications, and transportation.

Students can choose from a wide breadth of classes. They can study German at all levels ranging from beginning language courses, to advanced language acquisition courses, to courses focusing on a variety of cultural and theoretical topics. Our courses cover linguistics, intercultural studies, cultural history, literature, film and media studies, and race and gender studies. They explore, for example, the role of memory, migration, or technology in German-speaking countries, and challenge students to think about the significance of humanities for their everyday lives in the 21st century; a civic, democratic society; as well as the globalized, international job market. Our program offers interdisciplinary curricula; student-focused, research-oriented assignments; and emphasis on professional application and development. The German Program also wholeheartedly endorses the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030) and understands them to be at the center of our pedagogic and research mission.

Our signature German Language for Business and Technology (LBAT) Program provides our students an intellectually rigorous, interdisciplinary, and immersive summer study abroad experience in Vienna. In collaboration with OIE, the German Program also supports students interested in studying a semester abroad and/or completing an internship in Germany. We are proud to support our students’ abroad experiences via scholarships from The Barry and Gail Spurlock Scholarship and The Halle Foundation.

Georgia Institute of Technology offers a wide variety of internship opportunities in fall, spring, and summer. Most of all international internships completed by our students are in Germany. Students have interned at companies like Deutsche Bahn, Grenzebach, Lufthansa, and others. Additionally, Atlanta is a great place to study German. Many major German companies such as Mercedes, Porsche, Siemens, BMW, Grenzebach, Thyssenkrupp, Deutz, Rödl & Partner, and AGCO Corp can be found in the Atlanta area and there is $11.5 billion of total trade between Germany and Georgia every year.

We are excited about your interest in the program and look forward to working with you in interdisciplinary and cross-cultural ways on completing your minor, undergraduate degree, or graduate degree. We also look forward to meeting you at our many cultural events and German Club activities. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions!