German Program Overview
Temple University’s German program provides broad linguistic, cultural, and practical experiences to prepare students to participate meaningfully in the German-speaking world, be it in graduate school, government, research, or business. Our German students develop skills in reading, writing, and oral communication as well as intercultural competencies and cultural empathy. At all levels of language instruction, students are encouraged to reflect on their experiences as language learners and as participants in a global community of German speakers and learners.
We are an interdisciplinary program with strong emphasis on:
- Cultural Studies
- Language Acquisition
- Gender & Sexuality
- Central European Studies
Through our courses, students discover the ways that language, identity, history, and culture are intertwined as they engage with the German language through literature, cinema, media, arts—and even grammar! German majors complete the program with an in-depth understanding of the history, cinema, art and culture of German-speaking peoples in transnational and global contexts.
A Temple Community
One of the advantages of studying German here at Temple is that the program is small and gemütlich (‘cozy’). Students have close contact with faculty members and access to a community of students who are interested in German language and culture. Outside of class, students have the opportunity to explore German language and culture through the Temple University German Society (TUGS), which also maintains close ties with the local community and regularly participates in events with the German Society of Pennsylvania. Because our students have such close contact with faculty members, they are able to receive individual support even beyond the classroom, from letters of recommendation to mentorship and guidance through applications.
We also offer several study abroad options, including semester-long stays in Hamburg or Tübingen and group summer programs in Leipzig (focus on language and culture) or Berlin (courses taught in English).
Whether you are abroad or in Philadelphia, our goal is to help you develop your full potential in German both on a personal level and in terms of your career path.
German Major
Our program is student-centered—from our pedagogical philosophy to the way that our degree offerings are designed. Our degree options offer the flexibility you need to help you to achieve your goals.
German Certificate Program
We offer a German certificate that provides students with a foundation in the language. It also introduces courses focused on conversation, reading and composition. Students strengthen their ability to analyze and interpret the language and culture.
Internships
The department encourages students to apply for internships in a German-speaking country. There are several types of internships German majors have successfully applied to in the past.
- Fulbright Teaching Assistantships: In the past four years, two students have received and successfully completed a highly competitive Fulbright Research Award in Germany (history project in Hamburg and engineering research at the Max Planck Institut).
- German-American Chamber of Commerce: Several students have participated in paid summer internships in Germany through the German-American Chamber of Commerce. Examples include Marta Sydoyak (2013) and Christopher Fry (2014).
- Congress Bundestag Internships and Scholarships
- German Professor’s Prize: This annual award is given by the Department of French, German, Italian and Slavic to the most outstanding members of the graduating class in recognition of excellence in German studies.
Past Recipients:
- 2021-22: Erik Helland
- 2020-21: Ivy Nuo Chen
- 2019-20: Ephraim Hadley
- 2017-18: Megan Gleason
- 2016-17: Henry Barnett
- 2015-16: Mikayla Lynn Appell
- 2014-15 Shelby Greenwood
- 2013-14 Marta Sydoryak
- 2012-13 Amanda Torre
- 2010-11 Nicole Kaminski
German Society of Pennsylvania
The scholarship award is intended to provide financial assistance to selected undergraduate students majoring in German language and literature. Awards are based primarily on the student’s achievement and promise, although financial need may also be considered. The average awards in recent years have been about $2,500, with the dollar amount and number of recipients varying from year to year. The awards may be applied only to tuition, are paid in two installments at the beginnings of the fall and spring semesters, and are transmitted directly to the recipient’s college or university upon certification of enrollment by that institution.
Delta Phi Alpha
German majors can also apply for $1,250-$2,500 scholarships awarded to seniors and juniors by the academic organization Delta Phi Alpha. Eligible students should be a member of Delta Phi Alpha, have demonstrated excellence in the field of German Studies, and intend to further their German studies with research and study abroad in a German-speaking country.
Students who wish to study abroad can apply for the Devinney Scholarship and the John Means Scholarship through the College of Liberal Arts.