German majors reach a low advanced level of competence on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) scale or C-1 level on the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR).  Majors become familiar with the diverse cultural and historical contexts of the German-speaking world and are able to make interdisciplinary connections through the use of German.  Majors in German are able to recognize distinctive viewpoints available only through the language, and better understand general concepts of culture through comparisons with German cultural communities.  German majors exhibit an awareness of a variety of discourse patterns and strategies, which can be transferred and applied in non-English speaking environments.

We prepare our majors to become active learners, to access resources beyond the Bates curriculum for personal enjoyment and professional use.  German majors are able to engage in the worldwide German-speaking community, demonstrating respect and sensitivity for and toward cultural diversity.

Successful completion of the German major exposes students to the study of genre, historical periods, diverse voices and traditions, and various discourses of memory.  The German program offers a variety of study abroad options in which majors may participate as a complement to the rigorous study on campus of German language, literature, and culture.