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Department of Modern Languages and Literatures {College of Liberal & Creative Arts}
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About the Department
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Undergraduate Studies
Graduate Studies
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Student Resources
Contact Us:
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Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Humanities Building
Room 475
(415) 338-1421
foreign@sfsu.edu
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German Program
Undergraduate Advisers: Volker Langbehn (A – L), langbehn@sfsu.edu; Ilona Vandergriff (M
– Z), vdgriff@sfsu.edu
Program Coordinator: Volker Langbehn, langbehn@sfsu.edu
Graduate Adviser: Ilona Vandergriff, vdgriff@sfsu.edu
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The German Program at San Francisco State University offers a comprehensive and carefully
designed program for undergraduate and graduate studies in the area of language, literature,
culture and linguistics.
The program addresses the needs of students at all levels, from those without prior knowledge of
German to those with advanced, near-native or native competency in German. The curriculum is
designed to enable students to develop language proficiency in accordance with the nationally
recognized ACTFL standards. Learning German will open up new cultural perspectives and
allow students to communicate with 120 million people in the German-speaking countries.
The German program serves students from the entire University. Many of the students enrolled
are double majors, who concurrently pursue a degree in disciplines such as International
Relations, Humanities and Liberal Studies, History, Psychology, Creative
Writing, Communication Studies or Music. Students can also opt for a European Studies minor.
In cooperation with the Office of International Programs we encourage students to study abroad.
Through the California State University (CSU) International Program, students may study, for
example, at the Universität of Tübingen, Universität of Heidelberg or other institutions of higher
learning. Such opportunities give students an immersion experience, helping to build and
reinforce language skills while earning units toward graduation. The German program also
facilitates paid summer internships in German-speaking Europe.
Learning German is not only an enriching experience — It also offers real advantages in your
professional future. Did you know that more than 100 million Europeans are native speakers of
German? In fact, German ranks 10th in the number of native speakers among world languages,
according to a 2012 European Commission report. In a recent survey of the German Academic
Exchange Service (DAAD), German is the second-most taught foreign language in Europe. In
Eastern Europe, 13 million students are studying German as a second language. Even in Japan,
68 percent of students take German!
According to the 1990 Census, 1.5 million U.S. residents speak German at home. Speakers of
German occupy a prominent place on almost any list of the world’s greatest artists and thinkers;
every discipline in the humanities, sciences and social sciences has a strong German tradition.
Scientists from the three major German-speaking countries, Austria, Switzerland and Germany,
have earned 34 Nobel Prizes in physics, 38 in chemistry and 31 in medicine alone. Three of
Germany’s most important writers, including Thomas Mann, Heinrich Böll and Günter Grass,
have won the Nobel Prize in literature.
Related Resources
German Program Career Opportunities
Here are some other important sectors in which you can use German.
Learn more about German Program Career Opportunities
German Program Resources
German Program learning resources, links and references.
Learn more about German Program Resources
German Scholarships
The German program at San Francisco State University offers scholarships to undergraduate and
graduate German students. All scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit; some give
consideration to financial need. More than 150 scholarships are available for students enrolled in
a Bachelor of Arts or Master of Arts in German.
For additional general information about vocational training, education and scholarships in
Germany, visit the Federal Foreign Office of Germany or contact the German embassy.
Tenure-track position opportunities
The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures seeks to fill an Assistant Professor
position in Italian/German and an Assistant Professor of French, Specialization in 18th century
French literature and culture. Read on for more details
Learn more about Tenure-track position opportunities
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San Francisco State University
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A California State University Campus
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Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Web Contact: foreign@sfsu.edu