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Students posing at art museum

German Studies

Learn the language—and culture—of Europe’s economic engine.

German Studies is an interdisciplinary major that guarantees a skill: proficiency in a language spoken by 132 million people.

As you gain proficiency in German on campus and abroad, you will develop an informed critical perspective on Europe—past, present, and future—while also learning how to read, write, and analyze complex texts and cultural artifacts.

Through the study of all things German, you will learn about Germany’s innovation and economic vitality, its leadership in sustainability, German’s value as a gateway language to the sciences, journalism, and to texts that have shaped the modern world.

Why study German at Macalester?

Our major is rigorous, comprehensive, and flexible. Students can select their own interdisciplinary track combining German with art history, critical theory, history, literature, media, or an individually designed focus. Macalester German majors achieve high-level proficiency in the language, facilitated by our unique six-month immersion program in Berlin and Vienna.

While you will establish close ties to your German Studies classmates, our interdisciplinary major means that you can also explore classes in other departments as you pursue your interests. Throughout your education, you will receive support and guidance from our accomplished, dedicated, and caring faculty members, including help in applying for the many post-graduate fellowships and teaching assistantships in Germany and Austria.

Life after Macalester

  • Recent Employers

    • Twin Cities German Immersion School
    • Synergium Sweden AB
    • Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
    • Friendship Public Charter School
    • The Ranch at Rock Creek
    • Fulbright
    • University of Minnesota
    • SportsEngine – Minneapolis, MN
    • Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys
    • Jo-Ann Fabrics
    • Johnson Becker PLLC
    • UnitedHealth Group
    • Kaiser Permanente
    • Epic Systems – Verona, WI
    • USTA
    • Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
    • Slalom
  • Recent Graduate Schools

    • University of Michigan/Ann Arbor
    • University of Hamburg
    • Hamline University
    • Yale University
    • Lesley University
    • Columbia University
    • UC Davis

German in the Cities

4

Miles to German Immersion School where Macalester students have interned and worked as student aides.

Regular field trips to Twin Cities area concerts, opera and theater productions, and other German-focused cultural activities.

24

Number of German companies located in Minnesota.

Department Links

Join our community

  • Have a cup of Kaffee on us. During our monthly Kaffeestunde (coffee hour) you can polish your language skills, meet other members of the German Studies community, and learn more about German-speaking countries in a relaxed setting.
  • Oktoberfest, student-produced short film contests, Krampus celebrations, and more. We host and attend numerous German cultural events throughout the year, and classes enjoy field trips, films, and speakers.
  • Live in the Deutsches Haus (German House). Students with two or more semesters of German can live in Macalester’s on-campus German immersion house, directed by a native speaker.

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