German

Unification has underscored the political, economic, and cultural importance of Germany. German has become the second most popular language after English in much of Europe. Germans have also been one of the largest ethnic groups among American immigrants. Students of German, therefore, not only learn about another people; they gain new insights and perspectives on our own history, society, and culture.

German majors select courses in language skills, literature, and culture. A flexible program of related courses enables you to complete a major both in German and in a second field. Many students choose international studies, political science, or diplomacy and foreign affairs. Business minors are very popular with our students. Advanced German classes are kept small to provide personal attention.

The department also supports extracurricular activities such as the annual German Play, a visiting lecture series, a student newsletter, and the student honorary, Delta Phi Alpha. Once a week at dinner in Clawson, the international residence hall, there's a German table for students, professors, and international students.

Program Strengths

Live in the culture: You can experience the culture of Germany on the German language corridor of Wells residence hall, where you can improve your conversational German, watch international television from Germany via satellite, read German periodicals, and help host the annual Oktoberfest Karneval.

Miami will also help you find summer employment in a German-speaking country.

Study abroad: German majors are encouraged to take advantage of the many opportunities to study abroad. An annual summer program of intensive language study in Heidelberg and Berlin is organized by the Department of German, Russian, and East Asian Languages.

Each year, about four or five students elect to spend an entire year at a German or Austrian university while earning credit toward a Miami degree. For example, Miami has an ongoing exchange agreement with the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration.

Conduct research: You have the opportunity to work one-on-one with a professor, either on your own research project with input from a professor or on a professor's research. And you earn a special notation, Departmental Honors, when you successfully complete the project.

Receive certification: Miami's program has had very good success in preparing students for the International Business German Examination. In recent years, up to four percent of all students in the United States who passed and received certification were from Miami.

Modern facilities: German classes and the language lab are located in newly renovated and air-conditioned Irvin Hall.

After You Graduate

Recent graduates are working as industry sales assistants, marketing and government agency specialists, bankers, lawyers, teachers, and airline personnel. Others are attending graduate school in a variety of study areas.

Like other liberal arts backgrounds, a major in foreign language and literature serves as a good base for careers in fields where broad educational experience is more important than a strictly vocational major. Combining language knowledge with other skills can lead to positions in such diverse areas as journalism, business, tourism, government service, and the armed forces. A second major or minor are options many language students choose to help achieve their career goals.

Some job titles directly related to foreign language study are interpreter, travel agent, foreign correspondent, translator, librarian, immigration inspector, radio announcer, Peace Corps member, international public relations specialist, and international market researcher.

Many language majors take advantage of our teacher certification program and work in public and private schools. An undergraduate degree in a foreign language is a solid foundation for graduate work in international business, law, diplomacy, library science, or more specialized study in language.

Foreign Languages at Miami

We live in a global society. As formerly isolated countries open up and organizations expand internationally, you need an education which gives you a global perspective. One way you can prepare is by studying foreign languages. At Miami, you not only learn to read, write, and speak the language, but you study the literature, history, and worldwide influence of the culture.

Studying a foreign language is also an important part of your overall humanities education at Miami. It can develop your communication skills, it can help you see how language shapes our society, and it can help you understand and appreciate other cultures. And it may also make you more marketable in your job search because as nations and world markets develop, government, businesses, and social service agencies need employees who are proficient in other languages.

You may be eligible for credit through advanced placement examinations. Check with the departments for details.

Miami's Advantages

Communicate internationally: You can view important events from around the world on SCOLA (Satellite Communications for Learning), the international news programming network which is part of Miami's academic cable television system. You also have access to international e-mail networks and bulletin boards through Netscape.

Expand your career options: The foreign language majors at Miami are designed to allow you to complete a second major within four years. This broadens your education as well as your career possibilities.

Use our high-tech lab: Miami's language lab has an impressive variety of technical aids for your independent study. In the individual station area, each of the 40 booths has a monitor, VCR, and cassette player so you can work on your oral comprehension and pronunciation, watch a foreign language film, or view a news broadcast from a foreign television station via SCOLA. Lab managers can assist you by taping broadcasts, translating tapes from other formats into ones usable in the lab, and guiding your use of the language word processing programs.

In the lab, computer equipment includes both Macintoshes and PCs, a full-page scanner, and a printer. Laser disk players are attached to some computers so you can work on learning materials, develop multimedia presentations, or watch foreign films. Some computers have fonts for Russian or Japanese alphabets. We also have video editing equipment for faculty and student projects.

Other Language Programs

We offer majors in French, German, classical Greek, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. You can also choose from minors in French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish, and courses in Chinese, classical Hebrew, and Portuguese.

For More Information

For general information about Miami University, please contact:

Office of Admission
301 S. Campus Ave.
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio 45056-3434
513-529-2531 (v/t)
www.muohio.edu/requestinfo

For specific information on the German major, please contact:

Department of German, Russian, and East Asian Languages
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio 45056
513-529-2526
http://montgomery.cas.muohio.edu/greal