About this Degree The German major is designed to provide students with communicative proficiency in the German language and competency in the interpretation of German culture. Following the completion of basic requirements, the program offers optimal flexibility to the individual student who can choose from a variety of courses and devise a curriculum geared towards his or her specific career goals and intellectual interests. The department is comprised of specialists in the major areas of German Studies who integrate language teaching with the teaching of German literature, linguistics, film, and culture studies, as well as important aspects of contemporary German society, business, and politics. A major in German Studies with its twofold emphasis on linguistic proficiency and cultural competency is excellent preparation for a variety of professional careers in business, government, and academia. The comparatively small size of the department allows faculty members to pay close attention to the individual student, to help students advance in their studies, and to guide them in the pursuit of their professional career choices. Whether you are interested in a career in business, foreign service, or law, or if you are looking to become a teacher in primary or secondary education, or to pursue German as an academic subject in graduate school, there are numerous ways in which you could apply your knowledge of German to the profession of your choice. Students often choose double-majors, combining their study of German with a second field such as International Business, Finance, International Affairs, Sociology, Art History, or Education. Many of our majors move on to work in various capacities for American companies that do business with Germany, or for companies based in German-speaking countries that have subsidiaries in the U.S. Knowledge of German not only helps graduates to get a job, but often is a significant factor in professional advancement. In many high-tech companies (in automotive engineering, optics, medical instrumentation, etc.) proficiency in German is highly desired. For more information, see: What can I do with a major in German? What you will learn The study of German in the United States has undergone significant changes in recent years. The German program at the University of Georgia reflects those changes by offering intermediate and advanced German courses that cover broad subject areas but generally are not literary survey or genre courses. Instead, the focus may be on a specific issue or a topic that students learn to investigate in depth or from a particular perspective. Through such courses, students acquire the critical tools to undertake independent inquiries into the field of German and form their own questions about cultural specificity and difference. While either German literature or linguistics constitutes the core of these courses, they are frequently interdisciplinary and include materials and methods from other fields such as history, film and media studies, sociology, philosophy, or art history. The University and the department strongly encourage study abroad and offer numerous opportunities for its pursuit (summer program in Freiburg; semester or year-long exchanges in Rostock, Bamberg, Munich, as well as other partner universities). However, we recognize that many students will not be able to stay in Germany for extended periods of time during or after their course of study. Our program is therefore not limited to analyzing specific aspects of German culture, but generally intended to sharpen students’ critical skills and strengthen their ability to express themselves. It is also designed to raise students’ cross-cultural awareness, to help them realize the uniqueness of their own background and understand it as socially and historically constructed. Employment Information Employers: A major in German Studies with its twofold emphasis on linguistic proficiency and cultural competency is excellent preparation for a variety of professional careers in business, government, and academia. The comparatively small size of the department allows faculty members to pay close attention to the individual student, to help students advance in their studies, and to guide them in the pursuit of their professional career choices. Whether you are interested in a career in business, foreign service, or law, or if you are looking to become a teacher in primary or secondary education, or to pursue German as an academic subject in graduate school, there are copious ways in which you could apply your knowledge of German to the profession of your choice. ALTA Language ServicesAmeriCorps VISTAAthens Dodge Chrysler JeepBunim Murray ProductionsChambers of CommerceCOERLLDelta AirlinesDept. of Justice, Office of ImmigrationEmbassiesETSGerman School of AtlantaGlobaLinks Learning AbroadGovernment AgenciesImport / Export CompaniesInvestment FirmsKetchum InternationalKimberly ClarkLinguaramaNational ArchivesNews BureausPadnos International Center, Grand Valley State UniversityPeace CorpsPremiere TechnologiesPrint GraphixProCorpsPublic Relations FirmsPublic Service OrganizationssavvyTravel™Stancuna Import/ExportTheodor Storm GesellschaftTravel AgenciesU.S. Embassy To GermanyValueJet AirlinesVisitors BureausWipro Technologies Possible Job Titles: Almost one thousand American companies do business with Germany, and over one thousand companies based in German-speaking countries have subsidiaries in the U.S. In all of these firms there is a need for workers with an understanding of both languages and of the differences between the two cultures. Knowledge of German not only helps one get a job, but often is a significant factor in advancement within a company. In a number of high-tech companies (in automotive engineering, optics, medical instrumentation, etc.) German is the language named as the foreign language they would most like job applicants to know. A good knowledge of German, especially if combined with the business vocabulary and practice you get by taking Business German offered in our department, would make your application stand out from the crowd. Associate CoordinatorBilingual InstructorCast MemberChief Operating OfficerCIA/FBI Special AgentCivil Service WorkerCommunications SpecialistCommunity RelationsCopy EditorCorporate SpecialistCustomer Service/Web SupportCustoms OfficialDevelopment AssistantDiplomatEditorFlight AttendantForeign CorrespondentForeign News JournalistForeign Services WorkerAlmost one thousand American companies do business with Germany, and over one thousand companies based in German-speaking countries have subsidiaries in the U.S. In all of these firms there is a need for workers with an understanding of both languages and of the differences between the two cultures. Knowledge of German not only helps one get a job, but often is a significant factor in advancement within a company. In a number of high-tech companies (in automotive engineering, optics, medical instrumentation, etc.) German is the language named as the foreign language they would most like job applicants to know. A good knowledge of German, especially if combined with the business vocabulary and practice you get by taking Business German offered in our department, would make your application stand out from the crowd. Associate CoordinatorBilingual InstructorCast MemberChief Operating OfficerCIA/FBI Special AgentCivil Service WorkerCommunications SpecialistCommunity RelationsCopy EditorCorporate SpecialistCustomer Service/Web SupportCustoms OfficialDevelopment AssistantDiplomatEditorFlight AttendantForeign CorrespondentForeign News JournalistForeign Services WorkerHistorianImmigration SpecialistImport/Export AgentInformation Management OfficerIntelligence Specialist InterpreterLanguage ResearcherLinguistProject Manager, Translation ServicesRecruitment CoordinatorRegional DirectorSales AssociateStudy Abroad AdvisorTranslatorUsed Car Sales Manager HistorianImmigration SpecialistImport/Export AgentInformation Management OfficerIntelligence Specialist InterpreterLanguage ResearcherLinguistProject Manager, Translation ServicesRecruitment CoordinatorRegional DirectorSales AssociateStudy Abroad AdvisorTranslatorUsed Car Sales Manager
