German

Why Study German?

The German department gathered to celebrate German campus weeks with Wunderbar Together

Starting with Basic German that assumes no prior knowledge of the language, we offer undergraduate courses all the way to upper-division courses that focus on advanced topics in German literature, film, and culture. Students who graduate from the German program at UNM will learn:

to express themselves fluently and confidently in the German language,
to successfully navigate the cultural environments of German-speaking countries, and
to become perceptive readers, listeners, and viewers of German texts, films, and other media.

M.A. in German Studies

The graduate curriculum in German Studies offers historical breadth as well as particular depth in areas that correspond to the research interests of our faculty. We offer courses focusing on the aesthetic, philosophical and literary landscape of the enlightenment, romanticism, and realism, as well as seminars that trace major theoretical and cultural trends of the 20th century up to the present. Core courses offered on a regular basis are centered on important writers, aesthetic concepts, and cultural currents from the 18th through the 21st centuries, including critical theory, film studies, and gender studies. Special-topics courses offered in recent years have focused on such diverse themes as terrorism, fairy tales, and memory culture in literature and critical thought. Graduate courses are taught either in German or in English.

Graduate students in German Studies at UNM also receive thorough training in the teaching of German as a second language, including pedagogical theory and practical classroom experience. Students are encouraged to expand their academic expertise and gain linguistic proficiency by taking advantage of our academic exchange programs at partner universities in Bonn, Graz (Austria), Halle, Heidelberg, and Würzburg. Our program also offers a wealth of extra-curricular activities, such as a weekly "Sprechtisch," poetry evenings, and film screenings, which provide additional opportunities to practice German and network with other interested students.

Graduate Advisor - Katrin Schroeter

The German Summer School

In addition to our on-campus course offerings, every summer German students also have the unique opportunity of earning credit by enrolling for the German Summer School, an intensive 4 ½-week immersion program conducted in Kingston, NM. The intensive nature of this program, including interaction with visiting scholars and teachers from across the U.S., Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, often enables students to advance an entire level in the course of one full session. Scholarships are available.

zeitungsworkshop

Die Deutsche Sommerschule 2022 - Zeitungsworkshop Teilnehmerinnen

For more information regarding GSS 2025 please visit the German Summer School's Website or contact the German Summer School Office at schule@unm.edu.

Undergraduate Advisor - Katrin Schroeter

Check out the University Catalog for German!