German
Master one of the major languages of the world and the most widely spoken native language in Europe. Learn to appreciate how the vast cultural heritage of the German-speaking countries will enhance the understanding of your own culture. Enjoy the congenial atmosphere of a close-knit academic program guided by highly qualified and motivated faculty. German Studies at Hillsdale College afford students the opportunity to study in Germany through its Würzburg Summer Language and Culture Program and an Exchange Program with Saarland University. A degree in German is well suited for students interested in international business, diplomacy, the sciences, philosophy, religion and politics. German is offered as both a major and minor degree.
Featured Faculty
German
Stephen Naumann
"Higher education is about possessing a zeal to know and to understand. It’s about the thrill of engaging with great thinkers, writers, and artists and their works, and about contemplating ideas that capture what it is to be human. And finally, it is the joy of sharing these things with others."
Stephen Naumann, German
German
Fred Yaniga
"When I first spent time in Germany, a world opened for me. I was taken in by the culture, the language, the history, and the people, and felt compelled to learn more and to share what I had learned."
Fred Yaniga, German
German
Jeffrey A. Hertel
“As a teacher of German letters and the German language at Hillsdale, I relish the opportunity to help students along their own path of self-discovery through the language.”
Jeffrey A. Hertel, German
Featured Courses
These introductory courses span two semesters, emphasizing conversation, grammar, reading, and pronunciation.
Read More about "Beginning German"A review of grammar, expansion of vocabulary, practice of spoken and written German, and the study of a novel or other prose texts.
Read More about "Intermediate German"A review of grammar, expansion of vocabulary, practice of spoken and written German, and the study of a novel or other prose texts.
Read More about "Intermediate German"Study Abroad
The German Department offers students opportunities to study abroad in two of its own programs: the Exchange Program with Saarland University and the Würzburg Intensive Summer Program.
Saarland Exchange Program
Hillsdale’s Exchange Program with Saarland University enables students to study at an internationally focused, reputable university for an immersive academic experience with German language and culture.
Summer Study at Würzburg
Hillsdale’s Würzburg Intensive Summer Program affords intermediate and advanced German students the opportunity to live and study for an entire month in one of Germany’s oldest and most beautiful university towns known for its rich history and southern German charm.
German Scholarships
The German Department offers several scholarships for study at Hillsdale or abroad.
Learn More about German Scholarships
Delta Phi Alpha
The national German honorary, Delta Phi Alpha, recognizes excellence in the study of German.