WLC Academic ProgramsGerman
Why German?
The German Program welcomes you to be part of a vibrant and diverse community!
The German Program in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Old Dominion University offers you a great variety of curricular and extracurricular means to meet your academic, professional, and personal goals—whether you are studying German language and culture to fulfill your language requirement, in preparation for studying and working in a German-speaking country, for your double major, major or minor in German or out of sheer interest and curiosity for all things German.
All of our instructors are experienced native or near-native German speakers, who are either from Germany or have lived, worked and studied in Germany. Our courses are taught in an interactive seminar format with a focus on listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills as well as intercultural competence, which sets students apart on the job market. As a student in our program, you will achieve practical and culture-based proficiency in German through studying German literature, philosophy, film, art, and news as well as related fields such as history, politics, economics, and the arts. Our courses have an interdisciplinary focus and are often cross-listed with other departments and programs, such as World Cultural Studies, International Studies, Communication and Theatre Arts, History, and Jewish and Interfaith Understanding. To further practice your language skills outside of the classroom, you can take advantage of ODU's Language Learning Center, participate in our extracurricular activities, and attend regular screenings of German films at the local movie theatre Naro.
A great strength of our German program is that we teach small discussion-based classes which usually meet at least twice or even three times a week. In addition to allowing students to get to know each other well, form lifelong friendships, create crucial professional networks, and learn how to solve problems in teams, this intensive format allows students to work closely with their instructors. As one of the smaller programs at ODU, we pride ourselves in knowing our students well and advising and mentoring them through every step of the way so that they achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals.
