Are you interested in learning German to study or research in Germany?
Or did you simply fall in love with the beauty of the German language and its wonderful grammar like Mark Twain did? If you haven’t had the pleasure reading Twain’s take on the German language, you can find the complete text as a download below. Whatever your reason, there are many resources to learn German in the US, online and offline.
German Language Requirements
For most degree programs, knowledge of German is a prerequisite for admission to German university. However, you do not need to know German if you intend on enrolling in an international degree program. Currently, there are 1,800+ international degree programs offered at German universities, most of them on the graduate level. If you are planning to do research in Germany, you may need to be fluent in German or not need any German at all, depending on your research field. Most research in the STEM fields do not require German, whereas research in the humanities still requires at least some knowledge of German.
Click here for more information on German language requirements. In the following clip, an international student talks about her experience on how much German you really need at the university:
How much German do I need in Germany?
To play video, please click on image. Please note video host will have access to data. Watch on YouTube.
German Studies as a University Discipline
American Association of Teachers of German (AATG)
An organization of German language instructors at all levels including university and high school; it features a generous section of resources for German language learning
American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS)
A scholarly organization of academics
Coalition of Women in German
Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung
Confers the annual Georg Büchner Prize
Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach
German Historical Institute (GHI) / GHI's German Studies Directory
German Studies Association / DAAD-GSA Book Prize / DAAD-GSA Article Prize
German Studies Network
A network within the Society of the Anthropology of Europe
Internationaler Germanistenverzeichnis
Of the Deutscher Germanistenverband and DAAD
Monatshefte
A quarterly journal of German Studies in North America
Interdisciplinary Programs at US-Universities
Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, German Engineering Program at Heilbrunn University (a Fachhochschule)
Oregon State University - Atlantis International Mechanical Engineering/Materials Science Dual Degree at Universität des Saarlandes
University of Kentucky German Engineering Program
University of Massachusetts Amherst, Interdepartmental Film Studies
University of Rhode Island International Engineering Program (IEP) at Technische Universität Braunschweig
Virginia Tech Dual MS in Mechanical Engineering at Technische Universität Darmstadt
Miscellaneous German Language Learning Resources
Advanced Placement (AP) German Examination
Education First
German Language School Conference ("Saturday Schools")
Other pages on our website relevant to German Studies:
DAAD Professors
DAAD Chairs (Weber/Arendt)
Centers for German & European Studies
Special Focus Area - German Studies
Programs/Funding for German Studies Students and Scholars
German Studies Research Grant
German Studies Research Grant for Graduating Seniors
EMGIP-Bundestag Internship
DAAD-AICGS Research Fellowship
Mark Twain on the German Language
Read more about Mark Twain's take on learning German as a second language here: Download: Mark Twain - On the German Language (pdf, 1.26 MB)
