Welcome to the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures. As a department of foreign languages, literatures, and cultural studies, we prepare our students for life and careers in an increasingly global world. Our programs in German, Russian, Hebrew, and Nordic Studies enable students to combine their language training with interdisciplinary study of the regions where their language is spoken. Russian and Hebrew are languages of considerable relevance to 21st-century geopolitics, while German continues to be important in light of Germany’s status as Europe’s largest economy. The cultural legacies of the Germanic and Slavic countries continue to shape fields such as literature, art, music, film, philosophy, and political science.

To ensure that students are well-prepared to meet the demands of the future, we offer innovative programs such as a five-year concurrent German BA and MA degree track, a dual German MA and MBA, a certificate program in German for Engineers, and a special major track for heritage speakers of Russian. We provide internship opportunities with social service organizations, businesses, schools, and libraries, as well as study abroad programs in Germany, Russia, Iceland, and Sweden.