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German Studies

Available as a concentration

German is the language of three major cultural and financial hubs: Austria, the fourth richest country in the European Union; Switzerland, home of the majestic Alps; and, of course, Germany, the foremost European business center.

As a German student, you'll be encouraged to explore the world through travel, with options ranging from intensive three-week travel courses to semester- or year-long study abroad programs.

Curriculum & Courses

GRMN-311: German Civilization and Culture
GRMN-315: The Post-War Germanies
GRMN 321: Survey of German Literature

A student presenting a program for Best Tile

Student Experiences

Savannah Scott smiles for a photo

Biology major Savannah Scott spent the year following graduation in Vienna, Austria, supported by her Fulbright study/research award. Scott successfully competed against graduate students for the Austria award to become Roanoke's first Fulbright to a European country. She took courses at the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, and she worked at the Technical University of Vienna, where she was part of its the collaborative Interuniversity Cooperation Center for Water and Health. Scott assisted with  microbial source tracking studies assessing the source of fecal contamination in various surface and ground waters, and she played a large part in developing a sample database with DNA extracts of approximately 150 organisms. She presented her research in two international research conferences and won an award for her work.

Stephanie Shields smiles for a photo

Stephanie Shields '17 was selected for a Fulbright U.S. Student Award to Germany while she was a senior at Roanoke. She conducted research in the lab of Dr. Lutz Wiegrebe at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in Munich, Germany. There, she contributed to work on vocal learning – the capacity to learn to produce new sounds through imitation – in the bat Phyllostomus discolor.

Shields majored in psychology at Roanoke and earned minors in neuroscience and German. She is now a graduate research fellow at the University of Texas at Austin.

Study Abroad

Students standing in front of a wall decorated with art and the word "Berlin" in large letters
Students at a German football game
Student standing on the street in Germany facing a bridge
Student infront of a castle
Students in a resturant
Selfie of students with a city in the background

Students walk through the cobblestone streets of a German city

Study abroad in Germany with a Roanoke professor and students. This semester-long program immerses students in both the German language and culture, all while allowing them to receive regular course credit. Courses vary each semester but range from German and history to literary studies.

"The goal of it is to make study abroad more accessible," says Dr. Robert Willingham. "We're charging less for this semester than we do for European May Terms. It is open to all majors, and there is no language prerequisite." 

A view of the quaint buildings of Bamberg, Germany

Roanoke College's exchange with Otto-Friedrich-Universitat in Bamberg, Germany, is designed to help students enhance their German language skills and gain firsthand knowledge of German culture. Bamberg, located in the very center of Germany, is a charming medieval town composed of winding streets and quaint architecture. Bamberg is known for its history, scenic beauty and quaint cafés. The historic Altstadt (Old Town) area of Bamberg has been declared a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO.

Faculty

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News

German is the language of three major cultural and financial hubs — Austria, the fourth richest country in the European Union; Switzerland, home of the majestic Alps; and of course Germany, the foremost European business center.
German is the language of internationally acclaimed writers, philosophers, scientists, musicians, theologians, psychologists and artists.

As a German student, you'll be encouraged to explore the world through travel, with options ranging from intensive three-week travel courses to semester- or year-long study broad programs.

German provides excellent preparation for you if you wish to work and study in German-speaking areas.

We offer a concentration in German studies.