German Studies
Offering a broad and in-depth study of the Germanic world.
Dive into the Germanic world from the middle ages to the present day. German studies is a small but dynamic program, which allows us to get to know our students well and guide them through their experience at UMass.
German studies offers the opportunity to study the culture, society, film, literature, history, and politics of Germany through its past and present, with options for students to focus on German language or to prepare for careers in the sciences in Germany. Our strengths are in interdisciplinary literary and cultural studies, including Black German studies, cultural and intellectual history, film studies, GDR studies, gender and sexuality studies, German-Jewish studies, Holocaust studies, medieval studies, minority studies, theater and performance studies, transnationalism, and Turkish German studies. We also offer instruction in German, Yiddish, and Middle High German.
UMass is home to the DEFA Film Library, a research center focusing on film related to East Germany. Our resources are further enhanced by the Five Colleges, the Yiddish Book Center, and exchange programs with universities in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Austria.