Welcome to the German Program at DU—a place where students from diverse backgrounds, abilities, and identities meet to learn about the vibrant language, rich history, and diverse culture of the German-speaking world. Whether you are a complete beginner, an experienced language learner, or simply curious about exploring new ideas, our program offers a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.
In our classes, you will do more than just learn a language: from the latest pop culture, food or music trends to thought-provoking topics like migration, social justice, race, gender or sustainability, our interdisciplinary classes allow you to explore Austrian, German, and Swiss society, politics, literature, film, and art from multiple angles. Furthermore, we provide a holistic learning experience that helps you acquire essential career and global citizenship skills, such as critical thinking, empathy, self-awareness, and intercultural competence. Studying German at DU and at our fantastic study abroad partner institutions in Berlin, Heidelberg, Salzburg and Tübingen will help you reach a high language proficiency, develop a more comprehensive understanding of world issues, increase your creativity and appreciation of diversity, and enhance your career opportunities.
We believe that learning should be as diverse as the students we teach. That is why we focus on meeting the unique needs and learning styles of everyone in our program. Our dedicated faculty are passionate about creating an environment where every student feels supported, valued, and heard; our creative, multisensory approaches make learning fun and accessible for all. We celebrate every student's journey, and our classes are designed to encourage open expression, collaboration, and discovery.
Concentration in German
Join us in the German Program, where we blend language learning with intercultural exploration and personal growth. Whether you are interested in international relations, literature, business, or simply want to connect with people from around the world, we invite you to explore diverse topics, develop new skills, build lasting connections, and broaden your horizons with us!
The concentration in German is available for the major or minor in Languages, Literatures & Cultures. To learn more about the degree requirements, please review the program of study in Bulletin.
Learn About the Languages, Literatures & Cultures Major and Minor
Featured Courses
GERM 2900
Comedy, Humor, Satire in German-Speaking Cultures
About this Course
In this course, we will analyze comedy, humor and satire as tools to expose political issues or social injustices and to raise existential, religious, and philosophical questions. We will examine various German, Austrian, and Swiss works (drama, poetry, prose, films, cartoons, paintings, theoretical and autobiographical texts), discussing topics such as ethno-comedy, Jewish humor, satire in the visual arts, famous German-speaking humorists and comedians, escapist humor in the GDR, theories of humor and laughter.
GERM 2910
Contemporary Trends and Tensions in the German-Speaking World
About this Course
This course focuses on sociopolitical, economic, and cultural trends and tensions in contemporary German-speaking societies. Critically analyzing various authentic materials (newspaper articles, literary texts, caricatures, art, talk shows, documentaries, films), we will deepen our cultural knowledge and draw comparisons to other cultures. Topics include gender identities, religions, multiculturalism, poverty, sports, climate, economic trade, health, regional traditions, and topics that students suggest.
GERM 3930
Rebels and Revolutionaries in the German-Speaking World
About this Course
The right to protest is essential in a democracy; protest is a form of political participation that can be a catalyst for social change. This course explores historical and contemporary protest movements in German-speaking cultures. We will analyze diverse cultural materials (political, theoretical, literary and autobiographical texts, movies and documentaries, paintings, songs) to discuss various revolutionary movements and their motivations, ideologies, goals and impact on German-speaking societies at different times in history. Topics include workers’ movements, colonialism, resistance during dictatorships, terrorism, student protests, civil disobedience, climate activism.
