What is the Department of German at Georgetown University?

The Department of German at Georgetown University (german.georgetown.edu) is the university's official home for the study of the German-speaking world. It offers an interdisciplinary program that combines German language learning with literature, culture, history, media, and thought, and it serves both undergraduate and graduate students. If you are considering a German major or minor, an M.A. or Ph.D., or simply want to understand what this department does, the site is the authoritative source for its programs, faculty, and contacts.

What the department covers

According to the department's own description, its teaching and research span the German language alongside literature and culture, framed within a "uniquely diverse, interdisciplinary context." The stated goal is to equip students with the skills and knowledge to engage with the German-speaking world both academically and professionally.

Faculty research interests listed on the site illustrate that breadth, including:

• Gender and performance
• Notions of belonging and Heimat
• Visual culture and digital humanities
• Cultural negotiations of economic concepts
• Globalization
• The role of multiple literacies in Second Language Acquisition

This means the department is not only a language-instruction unit; it is positioned as a place to study German-speaking cultures and ideas through several disciplinary lenses.

Degree paths and programs

The department organizes its offerings into two main levels.

Undergraduate

At the undergraduate level, the department describes an internationally recognized curriculum designed to help students become competent and culturally literate users of German while pursuing a German major or minor. The site provides a dedicated undergraduate program page for details.

Graduate

At the graduate level, the department offers an M.A. or Ph.D. in German, plus a joint MAGES/Ph.D. degree run with the BMW Center for German and European Studies. The department describes this as a "challenging yet supportive environment." Separate pages cover graduate program information and M.A. & Ph.D. requirements.

Beyond the classroom

The department states that it fosters intellectual life outside coursework by inviting speakers and hosting an annual Max Kade professor from a German-speaking country, alternating between a scholar and a writer-in-residence. It also emphasizes a commitment to incorporating diversity at all levels of the curriculum.

Who to contact

The site directs inquiries as follows:

• General matters and undergraduate concerns: Professor Mary Helen Dupree, Department Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies.
• M.A. and Ph.D. studies, as well as general matters and undergraduate concerns: Professor Joe Cunningham, Director of Graduate Studies.

The department also invites anyone interested in events and activities related to the study of German language and literature to subscribe to its email list. Note that the site mentions subscribing for event information; it does not state that programs or events are free or open without registration, so confirm details directly with the department.

When this site is the right starting point

Use german.georgetown.edu if you want to:

• Confirm what degrees and programs the Georgetown German department actually offers
• Review faculty research areas before reaching out to a potential advisor
• Find the correct contact for undergraduate versus graduate questions
• Sign up for department event and activity announcements

If you are looking for course catalogs, tuition, or application deadlines, those are typically handled by Georgetown's central offices rather than the department site itself, so check the relevant university pages alongside the program pages linked here.