Through innovative teaching and engaging programming, UW’s Department of German Studies aims to provide inclusive learning environments that support critical inquiry and historical understanding, expose students to different cultural perspectives, facilitate sustained inquiry into questions of identity and identity-making, and empower students to understand and challenge normativities and injustices.
We understand German Studies to be a springboard for sustained inquiry into contemporary political and social issues, including the workings of race, class, gender, and sexuality, as well as their historical origins. With language as a primary focus, we integrate socially critical questions and critical self-reflection across all course levels. Through student-centered teaching approaches, we seek to ensure that students can connect their studies to their lives and learning objectives. While our programs enable students to acquire transferable skills for a variety of careers, we would like to highlight and promote the social benefits of our programs, specifically where they build students’ capacity for civic engagement and societal transformation.