German

Why Study German?

Our courses are the cornerstone of a liberal arts education and serve as the gateway to a global career. Studying German at The University of Mississippi means a lot more than learning to understand and speak the German language. The program emphasizes composition, conversation, literature, German life and thought across centuries, history and music. Small class sizes allow the program to be intimate and flexible, giving students the opportunity to ask questions and share ideas with fellow classmates and instructors.

A Global Language

German is the native language of over 120 million people, which is the largest community in the European Union. German is an international language of business, education, science, and technology. Many of the Western world’s most important works of philosophy, literature, music, art history, theology, psychology, chemistry, physics, engineering and medicine are written in German. Many students learn German to connect with family members and friends. German Americans are the single largest heritage group in the United States, and we thank them for bringing us everything from hot dogs and hamburgers to Babe Ruth and blue jeans. In Hollywood, German Americans such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, and Tina Fey continue to shape American popular culture.

Career Opportunities

In the Southeast, German companies account for 580,000 jobs and counting. In fact, German, Austrian, and Swiss companies are the largest investors in our region, creating 20% of new jobs each year. With German, students from The University of Mississippi can plan for prosperity and global careers. MIT economist Albert Saiz calculated that the average lifetime earnings bonus for an American college graduate who learns German is $128,000 (compared to $51,000 for Spanish). German corporations can be found in every American industry sector—from Bayer to BMW, and from T-Mobile to Trader Joe’s. Even The University of Mississippi runs on Germany’s industry-leading SAP software platform.

Prospective Students

The UM German Information Sheet provides a summary of our German program and our German program alumni.
The UM German Degree Sheet provides degree requirements and a sample 4-year curriculum plan.

Degree Requirements

German Major or Minor via Intensive Summer Program

In the Intensive Summer Program (ISP), students will take German 111 in the Second Summer term on campus in Oxford. The dates for this course vary slightly each year but they fall between the end of June and July. If students apply for JumpStart and live on campus, they will receive a 3-credit tuition scholarship for this summer term.

If students declare a German Major upon entering the program, they are also entitled to a Boyd-Eickhorst Scholarship for the first two summers of their studies. Students will receive up to $1,000 tuition scholarship for the summer term before their Freshmen year, and up to $2,500 for the summer thereafter. The latter amount must be used to study abroad in a German-speaking country. To qualify for the Boyd-Eickhorst Scholarship, students must maintain at least a B in every German course before their Sophomore year.

If students declare a German Minor prior to their Sophomore year, they are also entitled to a Boyd-Eickhorst Scholarship of to up to $2,500 to study abroad during that summer. These students must also maintain at least a B in every German course prior to beginning their Sophomore year.

Student Resources

Extracurricular Activities

Free German Tutoring

Please contact Dr. Christopher Hutchinson for more information.

Kaffeestunde German Conversation Group

Our weekly informal conversation group: Practice your German, meet new friends, caffeinate your body, and exercise your mind.
— Tuesdays 2:30p–3:30p in the Honors College kitchen. Further information is available on the German Club’s social media accounts: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Filmabend

Screenings and discussions of German films and TV-productions
— Bi-weekly on Thursdays 5:30p: For details about the films and locations, see our social media accounts: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

German Honor Society

The Department of Modern Languages maintains an active chapter of Delta Phi Alpha, the national German Honor Society. Membership is based upon academic performance: Students must be in their third year of learning German, earn a 3.5 GPA in German courses, and a 3.0 overall GPA. Each year a new class of German students are inducted as new members. For questions about Delta Phi Alpha, please contact Dr. Christopher Hutchinson.

Study Abroad

Year after year, students at The University of Mississippi report that they consider their study abroad experience in the German-speaking world to be rewarding and enlightening. Embark on a journey to discover yourself and the world through study abroad. Email the Study Abroad Advisor in the German program, Dr. Christopher Hutchinson, for an initial consultation to discuss your international ambitions. Then schedule an appointment with Roc Cook, Study Abroad Advisor for Germany and Austria, to discuss your options in the German-speaking world and begin your application.

Summer Study Abroad Program

Berlin: Speak German with Confidence

Live with a host family or in a dorm in Germany’s largest and most vibrant city while taking intensive language courses at the Free University of Berlin. The program runs for six weeks and students of all levels will earn six credits that can count toward the language requirement, the minor, or the major. The program also includes afternoon excursions that explore Berlin’s history and beautiful scenery. Berlin info + Application

Semester- and Year-Long Study Abroad Programs

Köln: In the Rhine-Ruhr Megalopolis

The University of Cologne offers courses in English and German for students majoring in German, Business, History, European Studies, International Studies, Literature, and Political Science. Köln info + Application.

Jena: Political Science and German

Jena is a small university town in the state of Thuringia with 21,000 students and, together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, constitutes a metropolitan area of 500,000. The Friedrich Schiller University was founded in 1558 and hosts a world-class Political Science department. Courses are in German and English. Jena info + Application.

Mainz: Study in the Heart of Germany

Johannes Gutenberg University is perfect for German, History, or Political Science majors. Mainz info + Application.

Klagenfurt: Study Journalism in Austria

At Alpen-Adria University, journalism students can take electives in English on contemporary topics. Klagenfurt info + Application.

Potsdam: German Studies a train-ride from Berlin

Live in Berlin and study in Potsdam. This program offers a metropolitan experience with courses in German, History, Humanities, International Studies, and Literature. Courses are in German and English. Potsdam info + Application.

Internship in Germany

There are many different ways a degree in German can help prepare you for your future career. Doing an internship in Germany is one of the best ways to improve your German skills and gain a deeper familiarity with German culture, while developing professional skills valued by future employers. Each summer, we partner with a non-profit organization, the German-American Exchange, to match students with paid summer internships in Germany. To participate, you must have taken two semesters of German and be at least in your sophomore year. The application deadline for the following summer is usually in October. If you are interested, please contact Dr. Christopher Hutchinson.

Faculty

The German faculty at the Department of Modern Languages consists of two tenure-track professors and one instructor.

Corina L. Petrescu, Ph.D., Professor of German

Dr. Petrescu earned her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2006). Her teaching and research interests include secret police files as life writing; Yiddish theater in Eastern Europe; transcultural literature; National Socialist Germany; representations of 1968 in the German and Romanian imaginary. She is working on a cultural history of the Jewish State Theater in Bucharest.

Christopher Hutchinson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of German

Dr. Hutchinson earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University (2019). His teaching and research interests include 15th to 18th century German literature and culture, history of medicine, media studies, German national identity, and second language pedagogy.

Kai Wash, M.A., Instructor of German

Mr. Wash received his Master’s degree in Educational Science from the Philipps-Universität Marburg (2016). His areas of study and research include language acquisition for children with migration background, and educational empowerment of students with non-heteronormative identities. He taught primary language acquisition to German native and non-native children for over eight years, before he moved to the United States. He instructs introductory levels of German and shares his culture as an advisor to the German Club.

Contact Information

Basic Language Program: 100 & 200 Level German

Director of Basic German
Christopher Hutchinson, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of German
cjhutch1@olemiss.edu
Bondurant E211A
662-915-7177

Majors and Minors: 300 & 500 Level German

Undergraduate Academic Advisor
Corina L. Petrescu, Ph.D. Professor of German
petrescu@olemiss.edu
Bondurant E208
662-915-6695

M.A. Students: 500 Level German

Diane Marting, Ph.D.
dmarting@olemiss.edu
Bondurant E-104
662-915-7104

Financial Assistance

Scholarships and assistantships help many of our students to major and minor in German:

Boyd-Eickhorst Scholarship
Dr. Hans-Jürgen Gaycken German Studies Excellence Award
Dr. Benjamin Franklin Martin III Memorial Study Abroad Scholarship

For more details, contact The Office of Financial Aid.