Department Overview

We have a long history at Carleton! German courses were first taught here during the 1870/71 academic year, and in 1905, when majors and minors were introduced at Carleton, German was available as both a major and minor. Formally, a German Department was founded in 1912. Today, we are a vibrant community of faculty, students, and staff and we can’t wait to grow older with you!

German is now spoken by more than 200 million people worldwide. At Carleton, we strive to create a welcoming and inclusive learning environment that allows students to experience the richness of the German-speaking world.

After three terms of German at Carleton, students have the linguistic proficiency and cultural competence to read literature and newspapers and to live and study in a German-speaking country. They are encouraged to take part in our biennial program in Vienna or to pursue overseas study with other approved programs. To understand German-speakers, we dive into German-language culture, including literary, philosophical, musical, and artistic expressions right from the first course in the sequence. Students will gain the skills to engage with important writers, thinkers, creators, and discoverers in the original German.