German

The Romance, German and Slavic Studies Department offers a major and a minor in German. Students acquire the oral and cultural proficiency to live and study in a German-speaking country, the confidence to conduct themselves professionally in work and business contexts and the experience of reading the works of famous authors in the original German, from Johann Wolfgang Goethe to Nobel Prize winner Günter Grass. Outside the department, students are invited to engage with D.C.-area organizations such as the German Embassy and the German Historical Society.

Classes are offered in both English and German. They include survey courses as well as seminars on special topics.

Apply to GW

German Faculty

Declare a Major or Minor

Placement Exam

Programs

German Course Descriptions

Study Abroad

German Program Scholarships and Awards

The RGSS Department offers several awards to students majoring or minoring in German:

Cecilia Sehrt Scholarship and Edward & Helen Sehrt Scholarship: Annual scholarships awarded to students majoring in German language and literature who are maintaining a high grade point average.

Buka Family Prize: Annual award recognizing outstanding graduating student(s) in the German major.

Schoenfeld Prize: Annual award recognizing graduating student(s) in the minor for excellence in German studies.

Susanne Hoepfl-Wellenhofer Book Prize: Annual award recognizing the top student in the third-year level course. Named for a retired beloved GW professor.