Pacific univeristy of Oregon German Studies

 

The German Studies major is an interdisciplinary major that brings together courses in language, literature, history, philosophy, music, and film studies. Students complete the beginning and intermediate levels of the language before embarking on upper-division courses that are taught all in German. Upper-division offerings in German include courses on film, drama, short stories, and advanced grammar and composition. Students also take 9-12 credits (3-4 courses) in disciplines outside the department.

 

Students majoring in German study abroad for at least one semester at one of the many universities in Baden-Württemberg (Tübingen, Freiburg, Mannheim, Stuttgart, Heidelberg, Ulm, etc.),Germany; in München, Germany; or in Vienna, Austria.

In their senior year students write a thesis in German on a topic of interest. Past theses have been on themes related to business, history, literature, economics, media arts, art, and music, to name a few. A student may also minor in German, which requires two years of lower-division work and one year of upper-division work.

A native-speaking language assistant from Germany or Austria, sponsored by the Fulbright Commission, spends the year living in the residence hall, assisting with teaching in the classroom and with organizing extracurricul ar activities.

Outside of the classroom students can practice their spoken German at the bi-weekly conversation table ("Stammtisch") and at the weekly language evenings, both led by the language assistant. The German Club is very active in sponsoring events on and off campus. Recent events have included field trips to German restaurants in Portland, films at the Portland International Film Festival, the Oregon Symphony, the Oregon Ballett, the Oregon coast, and the Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel.

Pacific University has sent seven students in the past seven years as Fulbright scholars to teach and/or research in Germany and Austria.
German Studies majors have also received prestigious scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Kongress Bundestag to study abroad. Students who have majored in German Studies have found careers in business, international law, the health professions, computer science, media arts, education, and university administration, among others.

The picture of windows in Vienna, Austria is reproduced with permission from www.bugbog.com.


Why major or minor in German?

German is the most widely spoken language in the European Union. German is an official language of five western European countries, and a second language for many eastern European countries. One encounters German speakers all over the world, as inhabitants of places in South America, Asia, and Africa, as well as tourists. In fact, Germans are the #1 tourists in the world. Germany has the highest export market in the world, and thus is a major economic power.

Over 15% of Americans, or over 40 million Americans, can trace their ancestry back to a German-speaking country. German is the second most-used language on the internet and the third most used language in published books. One in every ten books published is in German. Many graduate programs, including music, the natural sciences, linguistics, and literature, recommend the study of German as a necessary second language. Contact For more information, please contact the head of our German program, Professor Lorely French, at frenchl@pacificu.edu.