College of Arts & Sciences Languages, Linguistics & Philosophy

German Program

We offer:

  • Major: German, B.A. 
  • Minor: German
  • Minor: Interdisciplinary Language Areas

See a sample four-year course of study from our undergraduate catalog.

By completing a one-year sequence in German (GER 101/102), you will fulfill both your Goal #4 (Humanities) and #7 (Cultural Diversity) general education requirements at the same time! By completing four semesters of German, you will fulfill the language requirement established at the College of Arts and Sciences for the Bachelor of Arts degree. Completing just 18 hours (including the first two years) will grant you a minor in German. Completing 36 hours will grant you a major in German. Contact us for more information if double majoring.

Our program in German at The U provides a broad academic curriculum in the language, history, culture and literature of German-speaking Europe. For more than 20 years, the international orientation of our section has been strongly enhanced by our guest speakers, visitors, interim study tours and our on-going exchange programs.  

Strong Roots

German-speaking countries of Europe have made a vital contribution to Western civilization. At present, German is spoken by approximately 90 million people in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, as well as in other countries of East Central Europe. German is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Community. In addition, German immigration, culture, and language have very strong roots in the U.S., particularly in the Upper Midwest. Germans constitute the second largest ethnic minority in the U.S., and Germany is a major international trading partner of South Dakota after Canada.  

Study Abroad

For the past 15 years, a number of students at The U and from other institutions in the Upper Midwest have taken advantage of the opportunity to study abroad at the following institutions:

Other exchange or study and travel abroad options:

Since 1974, the Erwin Behrendt Memorial Scholarship (in the average amount of $800) has enabled a significant number of German majors to complete their academic work at The U and our partner universities in Germany. Deadline for the application is usually in the spring, although money maybe awarded at other times during the academic year as circumstances merit. 

After Graduation

Many of our graduates of the past 20 years have found rewarding employment opportunities with national and international companies, with the United States Government, as well as at teaching institutions in our state and at other locations in the region. Recently, we have coordinated our program with the respective academic units at South Dakota State University (Brookings) and Northern State University (Aberdeen).