Skip to Main Content
Skidmore College
The German Program

ReichstagSome interesting facts about Germany

  • Germany has the third-largest economy in the world and is the world's largest exporter.
  • One-fourth of all Europeans (120 million people) speak German as their mother tongue.
  • More than 1,100 German-speaking companies have subsidiaries in the US, and over 750 US companies do business in Germany.
  • One out of every ten books published in the world today is in German.
  • German is the second most common language on the Internet after English.
  • German is the language of great composers (Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Schubert), philosophers (Kant, Nietzsche, Hegel), and authors (Goethe, Kafka, Brecht).
  • Individuals from German-speaking countries have won over 100 Nobel Prizes.
  • One in four Americans has German heritage.
  • More Americans have lived and worked in Germany than in any other country in the world.

The Skidmore German Program immerses students in the language and cultures of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other German-speaking communities around the world and in history. Courses in beginning, intermediate, and advanced German are complemented by courses on film, literature, and culture. Students in Skidmore’s German Program work closely with faculty and often spend at least one semester abroad in one of Skidmore’s exciting and affordable study-abroad programs in Berlin and Freiburg, as well as during various summer programs. These programs allow you to transfer credits easily and enjoy firsthand the history and culture of these great European cities.

If you want to be competitive, consider the benefit of choosing German as a foreign language, a minor, a major, or as part of an interdepartmental major connecting German with Business or Political Science. Fluency in German can enhance your study of international affairs, management and business, philosophy, history, music, or the natural sciences. Solid language and cross-cultural skills provide an important edge in today’s global market.

If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to one of our faculty members or email: german@sanmingzhi.net

Follow us on Instagram: #skidsprichtdeutsch
Come and join the Skidmore German Club!