Why Study German at UIC?
Top Ten Reasons to Study German at UIC Heading link
- German is one of the “13 MOST USEFUL COLLEGE MAJORS”:German and other common foreign languages rank in the top 10 most useful majors (alongside Nursing, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Finance, Marketing, Mathematics, and Accounting). Of all undergraduate majors, German and other foreign language majors show the greatest gains in critical thinking skills (together with Sociology majors).
- Annually 20 undergraduate students receive Departmental Scholarships and Awards ranging from $200 to $5000 each. Our undergraduates also win external awards: the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals, Fulbright, DAAD, the Gilman International Scholarship for Study Abroad.
- The Germanic Studies Department offers an affordable 4-week summer Study Abroad program at Freie University in Berlin, as well as a semester or year-long programs in Vienna, Austria and Berlin. Every year we offer more than 8 travel stipends to undergraduates.
- We offer a German minor and two different majors that are tailored to meet your needs and interests (Germanic Studies major and Teaching of German major).
- We have small language classes, so students are able to get individual attention from our instructors and create a tight-knit community within the classroom.
- We offer many extracurricular events throughout the year that can stimulate your knowledge and growth: Lectures, author readings, film screenings, pizza parties, and field trips around Chicago (German Christmas Market, theater, etc.).
- Our classes incorporate some of the newest technology in language learning such as interactive Web 2.0 applications (wikis, blogs, discussion boards), iTunes U content delivery as well as blended learning opportunities. Up-to-date teaching materials enable students to gain not just communicative competence but also cultural appreciation for the German-speaking countries.
- We take our teaching seriously. The Department of Germanic Studies is a recent winner of UIC’s Departmental Teaching Excellence, and all language classes are taught by instructors well versed in teaching methodology.
- Students who took German in high school can continue taking advanced language classes and can receive retroactive credit for classes they placed out of.
- We offer free tutoring as well as a weekly Kaffeestunde where students can practice their German while enjoying free coffee and cookies in a relaxed atmosphere.