Our Program
Since its establishment in the 1850s, the German program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has been one of the leading centers for German studies in North America. The program offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate courses on language, literature, culture, linguistics, and German-American studies. The quarterly journal Monatshefte has been published by the program since 1927, offering articles on a range of topics in German literature and culture. UW–Madison is also home to the Max Kade Institute for German-American Studies and the Center for German and European Studies, and the University’s libraries are noted for the depth and breadth of their German-language holdings. Since 1990, the program has hosted German Day, which is attended each year by hundreds of middle and high school students from across the state.
WHY STUDY GERMAN?
Studying German opens up a variety of opportunities, not only for personal growth but for professional growth as well. Our graduates go on to pursue a wide variety of careers – in business, public service, health care, law, engineering, information technology, education, and the arts – where a knowledge of German and the cultures of German-speaking Europe is useful. Many German majors are double-majors who easily complete requirements for both majors in four years. German students pursue second majors in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences (especially majors leading to careers in health care), engineering, and business.
German News
UW Pulitzer Center Reporting Fellow and IRIS NRC FLAS awardee Cat Carroll receives prestigious Wolff Fellowship for 2025
As she wraps up her senior year at UW–Madison, Cat Carroll is preparing for a journey unlike any other: a year-long global trek across seven countries to explore the human stories behind migration. Cat, a Pulitzer Center …
Catherine Carroll Awarded UW-Madison’s 2025 Pulitzer Center Reporting Fellowship
Graduating senior Catherine “Cat” Carroll (majors in journalism and mass communication, international studies and German with certificates in public policy, European studies, Middle East studies and Arabic language and culture) has been awarded a 2025 …
Sonja Klocke: Juli Zeh- Literatur & Politik
Controversial bestselling German author Juli Zeh has hit the headlines repeatedly for her involvement in political discussions, including Covid lockdowns and Germany’s military support for Ukraine. Should writers speak their minds, or let their literature …
Congratulations to Morgan Cacic for receiving a Graduate Student Service Scholarship!
GNS+ extends congratulations to Morgan Cacic for receiving the Graduate Student Service Scholarship! The Graduate Student Service Scholarship recognizes and honors the graduate students who volunteer to take on service roles in addition to their …
New Scholarship: The Karpat Turkish Language Scholarship
The Karpat Scholarship provides awards to selected students who take Turkish Language courses. The scholarship offers $500 to each recipient in their first year of Turkish Language instruction at UW-Madison, and $1,000 to each recipient …
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