As the world faces growing political uncertainty, socio-economic polarization, and ecological crisis, the ability to think historically and interpret critically has become increasingly important; students can hone this ability by studying the German-speaking countries? specific historical experiences and the cultural manifestations of those experiences. The German Studies department?s courses in the areas of literature, the other arts, and critical thought often introduce historical and transnational perspectives, encouraging students to make comparisons across eras and cultures. The German studies curriculum focuses on three major periods and offers courses in German and English on a wide variety of topics.

Interdisciplinary in nature, the academic field known as German studies has undergone rapid development in recent years. At Wesleyan, the German Studies Department takes an active part in internationalizing the curriculum, educating students for a world in which a sophisticated understanding of other cultures and their histories has become increasingly important. A background in German studies can prepare students for careers in many fields. Among them are teaching, translation, publishing, arts administration, journalism, law, international business, and library sciences, as well as for graduate study in literature, linguistics, philosophy, art history, history, psychology, the natural sciences, music, and other disciplines.?