Students who complete the requirements for the major in Germanic Studies can expect to be able to speak, read, write, and understand German at a level that would allow them to communicate with native speakers, to recognize and interpret the diverse cultural perspectives and products of the German-speaking world, and to be culturally sensitive members of society. Students will acquire the following knowledge and skills:

• Understand and make themselves understood by native speakers of German in spoken and written media; recognize and use a variety of registers of written and spoken German; practice both spontaneous and reflective writing; translate texts from German to English beyond a word-for-word level; and recognize strategies for improving linguistic competence in German.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of major ideas in the study of texts and traditions of the German-speaking world.
• Interpret written texts in a variety of genres and understand the importance of authorial or speaker perspective in the interpretation of texts.
• Conduct research in the fields of language, literature, and culture in German.
• Demonstrate sensitivity toward speakers and learners of other languages, and toward individuals and groups from diverse cultural and linguistic traditions.