January 31, 2002
InnerWorkings: Germanics
Department chair: Sabine Wilke
Department location: Denny Hall
Number of faculty: Ten regular faculty members (three with joint appointments), as well as one emeritus who teaches and a Distinguished Visiting Professor from Germany every spring. The department shares a German Studies scholar from abroad with History and the Jackson School.
Number of students: about 650 students in the language program, 70 undergraduate majors, and 28 graduate students.
Description of the field: The Department of Germanics is committed to excellence in educating undergraduates who pursue majors or minors in German language, literature, and culture. The educational aim on the graduate level is to develop in students both extensive and intensive knowledge of the language, literature, thought, and culture of German-speaking Europe, and to nurture their critical and discursive skills through research and scholarly writing. On a broader scale, the department strives to help students understand how language is used and its critical function in modern society. Students are taught to work with and analyze verbal structures and cultural constructs, to read critically and write analytically, and to understand the implications of language as a cultural phenomenon.
Typical jobs for graduates: Many undergraduates choose to double major. Some go on to graduate school or seek professional degrees; others work for nonprofit organizations, local businesses, and in the international sector. Quite a few manage to spend some time in German-speaking Europe after they graduate. There are a number of internships in the Puget Sound area as well as overseas that help with the transition into the workplace.
Special aspects of the department: The Department of Germanics has a vital study-abroad program, exchanges with German universities, courses taught by visiting faculty from abroad, undergraduate research where students work one on one with a faculty member on research projects, internships with local organizations and businesses, student proctoring in language courses, involvement in activities organized by the German Club, etc.
Inner Workings is an occasional feature profiling the work of University departments. If you’d like to see your department featured, e-mail uweek@u.washington.edu. We’ll send you a form to fill out.
