Message from the Chair
Hello and Willkommen to German at Pitt. We are a small but diverse department with a range of degree and certificate options at the undergraduate level. We have a first-rate faculty teaching and researching in a wide variety of areas. If you are interested in German language and culture studies, from beginning to advanced, make sure to check out what we have to offer.
You’ve come to the right place to study the German language. Our department is an official language testing center for the Goethe-Institut, Germany’s premier institution for language teaching and assessment, and our language courses are targeted to the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Are you interested in studying German film and media, or fin-de-siècle Vienna, or ethnic diversity in today’s German-speaking countries? We have something to offer you. If folklore interests you, or Goethe, or Kafka, or German-Jewish relations, or the history of German cultural politics in Wilhemine Germany, or Green Germany, we have courses and curricular options on which to build a program of study. We also offer tracks in “German for Professional Purposes” and “German for Social Scientists.”
In addition to our wide variety of courses, our many extra-curricular offerings—weekly conversation hours and game nights, a German Club, and special events such as Oktoberfest and Campus Weeks—give you opportunities to practice German outside the classroom and participate in a strong community. Also, our variety of study abroad offerings, from a brief “Maymester” to semester- and year-long programs in places like Munich, Berlin, and Augsburg, offer something for everyone, no matter their language level.
We want our students to succeed both within and beyond our program. All German majors receive automatic membership in the local chapter of the German American Chamber of Commerce—a great networking opportunity. Our Department also hosts a chapter of Delta Phi Alpha—the national German Honor Society—and inducts new members every year. Our students consistently win national and international scholarships: Fulbright, DAAD, CBYX, EMGIP, Boren, etc.
Pitt German has lots to offer. We invite you to explore what the department has to offer or, even better, to come talk to our Director of Undergraduate Studies to see how German could fit into your studies at Pitt.
Why Study German at Pitt?
Academic and Cultural Diversity, Innovative Instruction, World-Class Faculty, Individualized Mentoring and Training, Dynamic Intellectual Atmosphere.
Contact Us
Here's a listing of some key personnel in our department. Please note that during the summer (from early May to mid-August), many faculty may be out of town. For a prompt response during this period, please direct all inquiries to the general German Department address (grmndept@pitt.edu), phone number, or e-mail listed on the attached page.
Give to German
Gifts to the Department of German have a direct impact on the daily lives of students and are applied in a variety of ways.