Undergraduate Program in German
Why Study German?

Why German | Language Matters! | Career Opportunities
Research | German at Duke

Why German?

If you are planning for any profession or career that might involve the European context, German is an excellent language to learn. In Europe, more people speak German as their native language (approximately 100 million) than English, French, Italian, or Spanish. In Eastern Europe, German ranks even before English as the major second language. Germany plays a central role in the European Union, and is a major economic and political power. German has been and remains an international language in many disciplines, including philosophy, social sciences, physics, engineering, medicine, music, and art history. Whatever you decide to major in, many important texts relevant to your field are to be found only in German. Our German majors have told us that a knowledge of German has been the key to a life of adventure, giving them opportunities for travel and life experiences they would have never had without knowing German. And, they add, knowing German most definitely improves job prospects, as well.