German
Photo: Megan Ewing
The German department at Princeton is recognized as the leading department in the nation, with special faculty strength in the literature of the Middle Ages, late 18th- and early 19th-century literature, 20th-century literature, literary theory, linguistics, visual arts, and film. The department is large enough to offer coverage of all major periods in the history of German literature, as well as many courses focused on special interests. Yet, it is small enough to offer the potential concentrator small classes and extensive faculty contact, both in the adviser-advisee relationship and in the general life of the department. Central to the success of our program are also the many opportunities open to our majors for experience abroad in the German-speaking nations of Europe, including study abroad at the Freie Universität Berlin and opportunities for summer employment through the Summer Work Program. In addition, the department has funds for our majors to enable them to travel to Europe for research related to the junior and senior independent work. With the critical thinking, linguistic, and cultural skills gained in the German Department, graduates frequently go on to study and work in medicine, law, and business, as well as academic fields such as German or comparative literature, philosophy, political science, and history.
What Students Say
• What can you learn from it?
• What is it like being a German major?
• What are common misconceptions about German majors?
• What kind of internships and international experiences have majors had?
• What is it like being a German major?
• What are common misconceptions about German majors?
• What kind of internships and international experiences have majors had?
Virtually anything you want! The german department, in both courses and independent work, allows for a wide range of topics for exploration. From art history to politics, medieval literature to contemporary poetry, philosophy to film theory, the humanities in all their breadth thrive in this department.
The German language itself is also prime material for learning, both as a tool for coursework and research and as an object of study. Beyond the classrooms, headed by Jamie Rankin and an army of professors and graduate students, knowledge of German language and stylistics enables deeper thoughts on one's native and second (or third, or fourth ...) languages, and, for some, a broad range of opportunities for putting German to practical use.
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What is it like being a German major?
The mark of a German fepartment JP or thesis is diversity. There's an incredible flexibility there, which allows you to hone in on what you love to do while at the same time fitting within the wider program of what a German major is. One can write a first semester JP on neo-totalitarianism and the ritualization of the avant-garde, spend the next semester in Berlin producing a hybrid short-film/critical paper, and finish with a novel for a senior thesis. Students work closely with professors inside and outside of the department; those pursuing the Joint Program in German Culture and Politics, for example, write one JP in the politics department.
Perhaps more than all other departments, the German department caters to the idiosyncratic interests of its students, and when it comes to media-theoretical studies, there is no competition at Princeton.
People think that being a German major is all about the language, when in reality it's about philosophy, media, politics, and much more. The fact that Germany has produced some of the greatest (and most notorious) thinkers of the past two centuries aside, the literal volume of material from and about every aspect of German culture is overwhelming, and learning the language is only one small part of it. German as a language is simply the common ground all German majors and faculty share. After that, the wealth and diversity of knowledge and experience in the department is endless.
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What kind of internships and international experiences have majors had?
Variations on study abroad can be a huge part of the major experience right from the beginning, since GER 105 and 107, the intermediate and advanced introductory language courses, are offered as part of a summer program through the Goethe-Institut in Munich. Once the travel bug has bitten you—and it's hard to resist, after June in Bavaria—you can rest assured that the department will be more than happy to send you back, this time to the Freie Universität Berlin for a semester of pursuing your diverse academic interests in the world-historical city. Still haven't spent enough time in Germany? The department also offers a summer work program that places students in internships with companies in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, allowing for experiences in areas from engineering to museum education.
When it comes time for independent work, one of the best ways to get to primary sources is to travel to them. German majors have been known to spend breaks researching in archives overseas, generally with the aid of very generous department funding. There's nothing like a crisp night in Nuremberg before you lock yourself in your carrel for three months.
After graduation, a large number of German majors each year often procure fellowships to return overseas to study at universities or pursue independent projects. The Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdient (German Academic Exchange Program, or DAAD) provides fellowships specifically for study in Germany, while Fulbright fellows apply for fellowships in their country of choice.
Even if you choose to stay in the States after one of the amazing opportunities for study and work abroad offered by the department, some aspect of the experience you've had overseas just might turn into your thesis, or help you figure out your answer to the question, "So, what exactly do you do with a B.A. in German?"