German Language and Literature

Degree Options: Major, Minor
Locations: Rose Hill, Lincoln Center
Visit the Department of Languages and Cultures

It’s the language of European politics, international business, scientific literature, and cutting-edge art. Learn to speak German at Fordham.

Reichstag and German Flag

Germany has one of the most powerful and diverse economies in the world. It also produces some of the world’s most influential art, literature, and film. You’ll open doors to a promising future in German-speaking countries and cultures with a degree in German language and literature from Fordham.

In Languages and Cultures, you’ll study German language, culture, and literature—the focus of our program—from medieval through postmodern times. In the process you’ll become a fluent speaker, reader, and writer in German.

We draw on a long Jesuit tradition of scholarship on and respect for the world's diverse languages and cultures—and virtually all of them are in New York City. From cultural events to people on the streets, New York City is your classroom for learning German.

You’ll learn more than German language and literature here. You’ll also study philosophy, theology, economics, mathematics, ethics, science, and the performing arts through Fordham’s common core curriculum, the centerpiece of our liberal arts education.

We want you to excel in your field—and as a human being.

  • As a German language and literature major, you take 10 required courses.

    All literature courses are taught in German, and you will be required to speak in German in class discussions and oral presentations.

    We have two Language Learning Centers for solo studying or collaboration with classmates:

    • Language Learning Center at Rose Hill: a state-of-the-art, multi-use, interactive digital language laboratory with 54 self-contained computer stations equipped with the most up-to-date audio, recording, and film viewing technology.
    • Olga M. Ficarra/Francis J. Morison Language Laboratory at Lincoln Center: a multi-use, interactive, computer-based facility with 25 student work stations equipped with CD, audio, video, and DVD capabilities.

    We offer free tutoring in German every week on both campuses.

    The journal Kiez kieken: Observations of Berlin publishes students’ final research projects from the course Berlin Tales: A Cultural History of Germany's Kiez and Metropolis, taught by Prof. Maria Ebner.

    Study Abroad

    We highly encourage you to spend a summer, semester, or year studying in a German-speaking country such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

    Find many other ways to immerse yourself in German language and culture through Fordham’s International and Study Abroad Program. Choose from a wide range of courses taught in German.

    Join the Deutscher Studenen Klub to find like-minded students interested in the business, social, and cultural concerns of German-speaking nations.

    Honor Society

    Alpha Mu Gamma, the national collegiate foreign language honor society society, has an active chapter at Fordham (Gamma Beta). Every May it initiates outstanding students of German, French, Italian, Russian, and Spanish.

  • Introduction to German I and II
    Intermediate German
    Business German
    Conversation
    German Language and Literature
    Approaches to Literature
    Courtly Epic and Lyric
    German Through the Senses
    German Literature Since 1945

  • You’ll graduate with advanced proficiency in speaking and writing in German—as well as an extensive literary and cultural preparation—that will open doors to many careers. Wherever German is spoken, there may be a role for you.

    Our graduates earn advanced degrees in graduate programs in:

    • Foreign Languages and Literature
    • Comparative Literature
    • International Affairs

    They attend professional schools in:

    • Law
    • Journalism 
    • Social Work

    They work in as many fields as there are people speaking German, including:

    • Finance
    • Publishing
    • Nonprofit

    Our career services tap Fordham’s ties with more than 3,500 companies. We offer:

    • Postgraduation career search
    • Resume development, Interviewing practice
    • Networking skill development
    • Hands-on case-study sessions with industry executives
    • Field-specific advising/coaching

    You also get access to our powerful (and Fordham-loyal) network of alumni, who want to see you succeed as they have.

German Language and Literature Degree

Visit the Department of Languages and Cultures