Carthage offers a major and a minor in German, with a program that challenges you to move beyond vocabulary and grammar and think critically about German culture, history, literature, and more. You’ll master the German language with guidance from Carthage’s Target Language Experts — native German speakers who bring energy and authenticity to their classes. Majors also study in Germany for at least a semester.
You’ll be immersed in German culture and language from the first day of your first German course. Led by dedicated professors and Target Language Experts, the lively courses stretch beyond vocabulary and grammar to explore literature, architecture, art, politics, film, economics, and everyday life so you’ll develop a critical understanding of the nation’s past and present.
Many students combine German with a major or minor in another field, allowing them to combine their interests and prepare for various futures — even some they might not anticipate.
“I chose Carthage for its small class sizes and tight-knit community. When I toured, I felt like it was where I was meant to be.”
Courses You’ll Take
All classes in the major are taught in German. Here’s a sampling of required and elective offerings:
German Conversation
German-Speaking World: Social, Political, and Economic Issues
German-Speaking World: Cultural and Intellectual Life
If you test into a course and then earn a “C” or better, you can earn up to 12 free retroactive credits. That’s three times more than you’ll get from any AP or college-level class that offers college credit!
Beyond the Classroom
Study Abroad
German majors at Carthage are required to spend a semester in Germany.Study abroad options ranging from a few weeks to a full year are available to all students. Thanks to its popular J-Term, Carthage is a top-ranked institution in the country for short-term study abroad. In recent years, professors in religion, theatre, communication, and history have led study tours to Germany.
German Club and Stammtisch (the German lunch table) give students more chances to build cultural and linguistic fluency. Top students can also join Alpha Mu Gamma, a national honor society for foreign languages.
Even if you’ve never taken a German class, if you plan to major or minor in it at Carthage, you can compete for a Modern Languages Scholarship. Awards cover up to $27,000 per year.
Some Carthage students go on to become teachers at the high school or college levels or to further their interest in German with graduate degrees. Others have careers in business, the arts, law, government, and nonprofit organizations with employers such as:
Apple
Goethe House Wisconsin
Chase Bank
John Deere
U.S. Department of State
Anveo Group (Germany)
U.S. Air Force
Jensen, Scott, Grunewald & Shiffler law firm
OneSource Regulatory
Curo Group LLC
In addition, Carthage’s German alumni are unusually successful in receiving prestigious grants such as Fulbrights, which allow them to teach or conduct research abroad after graduation.
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