Growing Program
Our program is one of the few growing programs in Minnesota, and St. Thomas offers the only international engineering program in the state too.
Bachelor of Arts in German
Merely learning the German language is only part of it. The German program at the 91ÖÆƬ³§. Thomas offers a comprehensive, challenging and diverse curriculum accommodating a variety of student interests and professional goals through innovative curriculum, extracurricular events, internships, service learning opportunities and study abroad.
Why Study German at St. Thomas?
Whether you have previous knowledge of German or no background at all, we will prepare you for the future by helping you attain a global education. Our goal is to help you become bicultural and bilingual while providing you with a command of German that you can use in your academic and professional lives. We will also acquaint you with the history and literature of German-speaking countries, deepen your knowledge of multiple fields with courses focusing on topics like STEM and sustainability and familiarize you with the role German-speaking countries and their cultures play in the world today. We also support interdisciplinary opportunities such as double majors and dual degrees like the international engineering program.
Bilingual and Bicultural
Course Requirements
You start your journey in foundational courses, developing your speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in a cultural context. From there, you advance into interdisciplinary courses that develop the tools you need for the real world, including advanced professional language skills in STEM or business. German majors take six additional classes while minors complete three.
Four-Year Plan
Students placing into GERM 212 and above typically pursue a major or minor in German, declaring their intent by the end of their first year. We recommend scheduling an appointment with the program director early in your academic career to develop a four-year plan and discuss the diverse array of opportunities available to you including courses, internships, community engagement, grants and study abroad programs.
Degrees Awarded
- Bachelor of Arts in German
- International Engineering Dual Degree: Bachelor of Arts in German and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering
- Minor in German
Community Engagement and Internships
Service learning and internships are integral to upper-level German courses. In the past, students have interned with German-American companies such as Siemens, SICK and ZEISS. Students have also collaborated with non-profit organizations for service learning opportunities.
Scholarships
The German program offers scholarships for on and off-campus study, research and community engagement. Scholarship opportunities include:
- Bruce Larson Study Abroad Scholarship
- Bruce Larson Community Engagement Scholarship
- Dr. Joseph Federico Austria Scholarship
- Dr. Paul Schons Germany Scholarship
Dr. Wagner Office Hours
Virtual Office Hours
- Mondays, 3-4pm
- Wednesdays, 12-1pm
- by appointment
In Person Office Hours
- Wednesdays, 12-1pm, OEC 320-E
- by appointment
smwagner@stthomas.edu
Phone: +1 651-962-5174
Course Requirements
Course Requirements
You start your journey in foundational courses, developing your speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in a cultural context. From there, you advance into interdisciplinary courses that develop the tools you need for the real world, including advanced professional language skills in STEM or business. German majors take six additional classes while minors complete three.
Four-Year Plan
Four-Year Plan
Students placing into GERM 212 and above typically pursue a major or minor in German, declaring their intent by the end of their first year. We recommend scheduling an appointment with the program director early in your academic career to develop a four-year plan and discuss the diverse array of opportunities available to you including courses, internships, community engagement, grants and study abroad programs.
Degrees Awarded
Degrees Awarded
- Bachelor of Arts in German
- International Engineering Dual Degree: Bachelor of Arts in German and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering
- Minor in German
Community Engagement and Internships
Community Engagement and Internships
Service learning and internships are integral to upper-level German courses. In the past, students have interned with German-American companies such as Siemens, SICK and ZEISS. Students have also collaborated with non-profit organizations for service learning opportunities.
Scholarships
Scholarships
The German program offers scholarships for on and off-campus study, research and community engagement. Scholarship opportunities include:
- Bruce Larson Study Abroad Scholarship
- Bruce Larson Community Engagement Scholarship
- Dr. Joseph Federico Austria Scholarship
- Dr. Paul Schons Germany Scholarship
Office Hours
Dr. Wagner Office Hours
Virtual Office Hours
- Mondays, 3-4pm
- Wednesdays, 12-1pm
- by appointment
In Person Office Hours
- Wednesdays, 12-1pm, OEC 320-E
- by appointment
smwagner@stthomas.edu
Phone: +1 651-962-5174
It’s More Than Studying the Language
Our faculty, students and alumni apply their language and cultural knowledge on a daily basis in a variety of settings.
Dr. Susanne Wagner
Dr. Wagner serves as the director for both the German and international engineering programs. She is passionate about foreign language acquisition, including drama pedagogy, intercultural literacy and incorporation of STEM in the language classroom. She is dedicated to helping and teaching students transferable soft skills, critical thinking and intercultural and linguistic competence.
Mitchell Sullivan ‘17
Mitchell received his Bachelor of Arts in German because it paired well with his political science major and the transferable soft skills of language education. He spent a year studying abroad in Salzburg, received a competitive research grant, presented at conferences and co-authored an article with Dr. Wagner. He also worked at the Twin Cities German Immersion School and spent a year in Germany with the Fulbright program as an English teacher at a technical college. He currently works in Operations Management in Chicago.
Cody Wendlandt ‘07
Cody embarked on a unique career path after graduating, co-founding a company in 2008 specializing in medical documentation as he completed medical school and residency. He now runs his own direct primary care clinic in Sartell, Minnesota. He cites his German major as helping him with mastery of the language, along with English, Somali and other languages. His skills have come in handy with understanding medical terminology and interacting with patients as well.
Become a Global Engineer
Dual Degree in German and Engineering
Combining engineering with the knowledge of German and intercultural competence through a year abroad, the German and Engineering dual degree program prepares graduates for meaningful careers in a globally minded and diverse world. The combination of foreign language and engineering studies lets students apply their language and culture skills to engineering and vice versa.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students earning a BA in German can expect the following learning outcomes:
- Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing: Graduating German majors demonstrate a minimum of Intermediate High language proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) or by the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) – B1.2/B2.1.
- Critical Thinking: Graduating German majors are able to formulate an effective, balanced perspective and argument on an issue or topic. They can articulate their viewpoint to others in the target language following clear, structured, and in-depth critical thinking processes.
- Literature: Graduating German majors are familiar with major authors, works, themes, and genres in German literatures and cultures from the 18th century to the present and can place those in the historical contexts.
- Culture: Graduating German majors can analyze texts and cultural artifacts from German-speaking countries within their socio-political, historical, and cultural contexts. They can adopt a global perspective and communicate and act appropriately across their own and the German cultures as indicated by earning the AFS Global UP intercultural certificate.
- Disciplinary Practices: Graduating German majors can appropriately use terminology and employ practices relevant to the field of study such as close reading, research, subject-specific professional writing, and formal presentations.
- Career Readiness: Graduating German majors are equipped for a wide range of careers. They have acquired hard and soft skills that prepare them for the workforce or graduate school and jobs such as in teaching, engineering, research, business, law, politics, and other sectors including government, church, and the military.
Career Paths
German students have a wide variety of career paths available to them. The skills you gain from our program prepare you to enter a wide range of fields from STEM to education.
- Medicine
- Music
- International Law
- Technology
- Translating and Interpreting
- Airline and Travel Industry
- Sustainability
- International Business
- Engineering
- Graduate School
- Education
- Media
Prepared to Lead
German students are not only ready for a range of careers, but they also are prepared to lead others when they graduate from St. Thomas.
Career-Ready
Our students graduate with a career-ready skill set, prepared for the job market or graduate school.
19%
Multilingual professionals report earning than their monolingual peers.
Faculty With Real Experience
Dr. Susanne Wagner
Dr. Wagner is the director of the German and international engineering programs. She advises the German Club, Ballroom Club and German National Honor Society.
Valentin Solachau-Chamutouski
Valentin Solachau-Chamutouski studied linguistics in Minsk, Belarus and Magdeburg, Germany. He has taught at the Twin Cities German Immersion School and the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Dr. Habiba Hadziavdic
Dr. Hadziavdic holds a PhD in Germanic Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research interests include film and Romany Studies.
Get Involved
Students have unique opportunities to engage with not only their peers, but also the greater German community in the Twin Cities.
Students connect to the Twin Cities German community through carefully designed assignments, internships, volunteering and service learning projects.
We offer extracurricular events to our students and the community, ranging from film festivals to our annual “Adventssingen” Christmas party.
Our students learn important practical skills through collaborative research, study abroad and internships.
A Diverse Array of Opportunities
German students have a wide range of opportunities available to them throughout their career at St. Thomas and beyond.
Interdisciplinary
Through the international engineering program, you can become a global engineer with the unique opportunity to be bicultural and bilingual through study abroad and international internships.
Partner With Faculty
Students engage in collaborative research projects with German faculty. They have the opportunity to present their findings at professional conferences and publish co-authored peer-reviewed articles.
See the World
German students enjoy a range of study abroad options in Germany and Austria, including exchange programs, faculty-led trips over J-term and semester or yearlong programs in cities like Berlin, Freiburg, Salzburg, Trier, Darmstadt and Vienna.
Pursue Your Passion
The German program offers a variety of scholarships for on and off-campus study, research and community engagement.
We Have Your Back
Each year, our program welcomes native German students as teaching assistants and tutors. They are a great resource and are available to help you with anything related to your studies.
Take the Next Step
There is more to learn about St. Thomas; including our ranking as a Best Value School by U.S. News & World Report, the many classroom and extracurricular activities that will be part of your student experience and so much more. Schedule a visit to see our beautiful campus or start your application today.