The Master’s program is also well suited for those teaching in the K-12 system as part of their continuing education. Outreach and co-curricular aspects of the program may also open opportunities for positions in academic or professional contexts. The M.A. in German Studies allows each student to develop an individually tailored program with a variable distribution of coursework, selected from courses with a focus on language studies and literature/cultural studies, as well as courses in related fields, in accordance with faculty expertise both within and outside the German program, and upon approval of the student’s advisor.

The German Studies Program at Michigan State University seeks to serve all undergraduate and graduate students in their acquisition of the German language and of critical knowledge about the cultures of German-speaking countries in their historical context. This is achieved by broad-based knowledge dissemination and effective language instruction on the undergraduate level, the production and dissemination of new knowledge on the graduate level, and by creating innovative outreach strategies to integrate various local, state, national, and international needs. Within MSU's land-grant mission of teaching, research and service, the German Studies program has specific responsibilities:

• Offering a curriculum in German Studies that stimulates debate, identifies areas of attention, includes both majority and minority perspectives, and meets the needs of our discipline and our students.

• Conducting, presenting, and publishing the results of research in Germanic languages, language pedagogy, literary and cultural theory, and German Studies.

• Presenting on-campus, co-curricular opportunities for students, faculty and the broader community to enrich the understanding of German language and studies and to promote increased language proficiency.

• Developing and offering outreach programs to promote language proficiency, the understanding of the German-speaking world, and better articulation between the German Studies Program at MSU and German K-12 programs in Michigan schools.

• Participating in related curricular offerings in the College and the University, such as Center for Integrative Studies in Arts and Humanities, Global Studies in Arts and Humanities, the freshman seminar program, and study abroad initiatives.