About

The Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures at Washington University, renowned for its dedicated faculty, enjoys a national and international reputation for excellence. Below is a brief introduction to our programs and degrees. For information not provided by this site, please contact Lutz Koepnick or the program contact.

Chair's Welcome

Welcome to the Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures at Washington University.

Germanic Languages and Literatures offers a diverse and challenging program of study in the language, literature, and culture of German-speaking countries.

In this program you study the German language intensively and explore German literature and culture from the Middle Ages to the present.

In its presentation of literature, the department strives for a broad coverage and a variety of approaches aimed at a healthy balance of history and theory with a special emphasis on interdisciplinary, multicultural, and gender studies.

We encourage you to learn more about our programs, which are listed below. Should you have additional questions, please feel free to contact our program directors and staff directly.

--Lutz Koepnick

Degrees Offered

books We offer the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy in German.

We also offer the Doctor of Philosophy in German and Comparative Literature in cooperation with the Committee on Comparative Literature.

Our top-ranked graduate program stresses interdisciplinary collaboration and the development of strong research, pedagogical, and leadership skills.

Our undergraduate program combines excellent language instruction with courses in a wide range of historical, political, cultural, and literary areas of interest. Our students enjoy personalized advising, interdisciplinary flexibility, and opportunities to study abroad.