German Studies

Faculty

The German Studies Program

The German Studies Program at W&M offers German language, literature, philosophy, and cultural studies at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels, as well as several courses in German Studies taught in English translation, often cross-listed with Philosophy, History, Film and Media Studies, and European Studies.

The German Studies curriculum is designed to facilitate a wide range of research and study opportunities, from the introductory and intermediate study of German, to securing a deep understanding of the history of German literature, thought, and culture, and finally, to helping students formulate research questions and engage in independent scholarly work at an advanced level. At all levels, we stress linguistic and cultural competency as well as substantive historical content.

The German Studies Program at the College of William & Mary is particularly strong in Film Studies, 20th century literature and history, 18th century literature and history, the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazism, German literature and the history of science, Fin-de-siècle literature and culture, Post-War German literature, cinema, and culture, German critical thought and philosophy from the 18th century to the present, and the Nazi Genocide of the Jews 1933-1945. Faculty closely mentor students on research projects and provide opportunities for actual research in the field. The program’s scholarship closely reflects the kinds of research in German Studies currently conducted nationally and internationally in the discipline.

We strongly encourage our students to study in a German-speaking country. In the Study Abroad section of our website, you will find links to information about our summer and junior-year programs in Potsdam and Münster, Germany.

Programs

Courses

German Studies