Learn German

Why Learn German at Georgia Southern?

• Career: Speaking German improves your choices and desirability on the job market. German companies abroad, foreign companies in Germany, and companies with close business ties to Germany all seek to recruit employees with German skills. Germany is a top 3 exporter in the world, and Germans travel abroad extensively, thus creating a substantial global travel and leisure market. 
• Sciences: German is a highly important language for science because it gives you access to an enormous body of scientific material in the language. Germany is among the top nations in the research and development of high-tech products such as vehicles, medicaments, and electrical control equipment. 
• Culture: A knowledge of German broadens your intellectual horizon. Germany is among the most influential countries in the world culturally, with a deep history forging world literature, art, music, philosophy, and bratwurst. 
• Politics: Germany is a leader in global politics as a key ally to the United States, primary member of the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, the World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, and more. 
• Heritage: Millions of Americans claim German ancestry. By learning German, many people forge a strong bond with their heritage. 

What Can You Do With a Major in German?

German language and culture proficiency strengthens your marketability. Getting a solid foundation in German is much easier to accomplish during college than on the job, and employers value workers with existing language skills, especially when they do not have to allow for time and expense for training.

German speakers are in high demand. If you have achieved fluency or professional working proficiency in German, you will have a leg up in the job market for many different positions such as:

• Broadcast media manager
• Consultant
• Contract or corporate consultant
• Copy Editor
• Crypto Language Analyst
• Development program officer
• Doctor/nurse
• Engineer
• FBI/NSA/CIA agent
• Foreign service officer
• Government relations specialist
• Human intelligence collector
• Human rights representative
• Immigration and customs work
• Intelligence analyst or officer
• International banking
• International marketing
• International relations manager
• Interpreter
• Journalist
• Lawyer or legal assistant
• Legislator
• Linguist/Language analyst
• Military translator or interpreter
• Museum management
• National Security Analyst
• Political risk analyst
• Professor
• Public relations
• Reporter
• Social media manager
• Teacher
• Translator
• Travel and tourism careers
• Web development

Jordan Howard
Degree: B.S. in International Trade, Minor in German; Currently an M.S. in Business Analytics Candidate at UT – Dallas
Career: Data & Reporting Analyst at Briggs Equipment

After graduating in May of 2017, I began an internship at Briggs Equipment’s Atlanta office for the summer and was relocated to our corporate office in Dallas, Texas, shortly thereafter. Although I am an IT (Information Technology, not International Trade) professional, I must give some credit to my knowledge of the German language and the Foreign Language Department’s German Language faculty for the successes I have had as an employee at Briggs. Interestingly, I have found that the approaches taught by my German professors can be applied to working with programming/query languages I use for retrieving and analyzing data. Ultimately, knowing the syntax and being a continuous learner are key. I am also fortunate to travel and work with our domestic and international locations. These opportunities frequently allow me the chance to step out of my comfort zone, which is something that I realized through learning a foreign language is a great opportunity for personal and professional growth.

German Language Curriculum

Degree Options

• Bachelor of Arts in World Languages and Cultures, Concentration in German Studies – 24 credit hours
• Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, Concentration in German – 15 credit hours
• Bachelor of Science in International Trade, German as Language Component – 18 credit hours
• Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, German Minor – 15 credit hours
• German Proficiency Area of Distinction for the European Union Studies Certificate – 6 credit hours
  • The certificate in European Union Studies is operated under the supervision of the European Council of the University System of Georgia. The program is open to all institutions and students of the University System as well as to professionals with an undergraduate degree.

Learn German in a Study Abroad Experience

Traveling abroad to Germany will enhance your language skills and broaden your cultural horizon.

Bamberg, Germany

Germany is a Western European country with a landscape of forests, rivers, mountain ranges and North Sea beaches. It has over 2 millennia of history. Berlin, its capital, is home to art and nightlife scenes, the Brandenburg Gate and many sites relating to WWII. Munich is known for its Oktoberfest and beer halls, including the 16th-century Hofbräuhaus. Frankfurt, with its skyscrapers, houses the European Central Bank.

Bamberg is located in northern Bavaria, Germany, where the Regnitz and Main rivers meet. Its old town preserves structures from the 11th to 19th centuries including the muraled Altes Rathaus (town hall). The Romanesque Bamberg Cathedral, begun in the 11th century, features 4 towers and numerous stone carvings.

The Sprachinstitut TREFFPUNKT, Georgia Southern’s partner language school, is a renowned language institute located in the center of Bamberg. Qualified instructors and an open and friendly atmosphere ensure swift progress in your command of the German language. 

TREFFPUNKT offers a learning experience that goes beyond the classroom. Every day you will be offered the opportunity to practice the knowledge gained in the classroom through personal encounters with residents of Bamberg and a variety of extracurricular activities.

Other Study Abroad Experiences

A stay abroad in any German-speaking country to enhance the student’s language skills and to broaden his/her cultural horizon is strongly recommended. There are many different programs (the Center for International Studies has comprehensive information). Consult the fliers posted on the Bulletin Board outside the Main Office and/or members of the section; all faculty will gladly help you make an informed choice, get set up, etc. Most programs are or can be approved to receive credit.

• View all study abroad options >
• The University System of Georgia (European Council) offers a program in Berlin.
  • Georgia Tech offers the LBAT program.
  • West Georgia offers a program in Oldenburg.

German Language Clubs and Events

German Club

Delta Phi Alpha

Delta Phi Alpha is the national German Honor Society; the local chapter is Eta Iota. Membership is by invitation only and is limited to advanced-level students who:

 

• have completed one or at least are currently enrolled in an upper-division German class (3000 level or above);
• have had good grades in German (a GPA of 3.0 in German is recommended) or demonstrate significant ability in German;
• show a continuing interest in the German language and culture;
• are generally active and willing to participate in future Delta Phi Alpha and German Club activities (which is open to all students interested in German).

A small one-time fee (paid to the national office) is good for lifetime membership. New members are inducted each Spring Semester and receive a certificate suitable for framing. To find out more about the eligibility requirements, how to become a member, or to sign up see the Delta Phi Alpha advisor, Dr. Catherine Johnson (2088 Interdisciplinary Academic Building), by the end of February if possible (this will allow for enough time to submit membership requests to the national office and receive the certificates back before the initiation ceremony).

Foreign Language Award in German

Miscellaneous

German Language Faculty

The German section is comprised of two full-time professors and a third member, Dr. Jolyon Hughes, who currently serves as Assistant Dean in the College of Arts and Humanities. Beyond their duties in the classroom and within the section, all faculty are active and involved in a wide and changing variety of university, college, and department-level committees as well as many other professional scholarship and service activities. Faculty offices are located in the Interdisciplinary Academic Building.

Have Any Questions? Please Contact Us!

Dr. Catherine Johnson
Associate Professor of German
Interdisciplinary Academic Building #2088
Email: cjohnson@georgiasouthern.edu
Phone: 912-478-0247

Tuition

Tuition and Fees

Scholarships

For a comprehensive costs and affordability analysis, please visit https://em.georgiasouthern.edu/finaid/costs-affordability/  

For all online programs:

Federal law requires colleges and universities to make certain disclosures to prospective students of these programs. These disclosures include information on the University’s authority to operate outside of Georgia, complaint processes, adverse actions, and refunds. For required disclosures in general with regard to online programs offered by the University, visit the Office of Legal Affairs website.

Related Programs

Last updated: 3/30/2022