Our department specializes in the study of language, applied linguistics, literature, and film and visual culture.
Graduate programs
Our department has developed three stimulating and challenging graduate programs that give students hands-on experience in teaching and research:
- MA in German - a one-year MA program that has thesis and non-thesis options
- Joint MA in Intercultural German Studies - a two-year MA program that is operated jointly with the Universität Mannheim
- PhD in German - a PhD program that equips you for careers in academe and beyond
Undergraduate programs
We offer courses in:
- German: Students learn the languages, history, cultural traditions, ideas, and accomplishments of the German-speaking areas of central Europe.
- Russian: We offer courses in Russian language as well as the culture of Russia and Eastern Europe. Students can earn a Minor in Russian and East European Studies.
- Croatian: The department offers elementary courses in Croatian as well as courses in Croatian culture.
- Dutch: The department offers elementary courses in Dutch as well as a Dutch culture course. Many courses in Dutch are offered online. Students can earn a Diploma in Dutch Language.
Meet the GSS faculty and staff
Waterloo Centre for German Studies (WCGS)
WCGS is a privately-endowed institute devoted to research on the language, culture, and civilization of German-speaking peoples. The Centre offers a wide range of educational and cultural activities for the academy and the broader community.
News and events
News
Teach English in Germany (2022-2023 PAD program)
Application deadline: February 11, 2022
In co-operation with the German Pedagogical Exchange Office (PAD), the Canadian Association of University Teachers of German is accepting applications for positions as English-language assistants in the Federal Republic of Germany.
Featured Course of the Week: Culture in the Third Reich: Racism, Resistance, Legacy (GER 383 online)
GER 383 - Culture in the Third Reich: Racism, Resistance, Legacy: An examination of German culture during the Nazi period (1933-1945). The course will analyze representations of Nazi ideology in the arts (film, art, architecture, and propaganda), the literature of exile and "inner emigration," and the impact of the Nazi legacy on post-war German culture.
Taught in English.
Featured Course of the Week: Dutch Culture and Society (DUTCH 271 online)
The Department of Germanic & Slavic Languages offers on-campus and online courses in DUTCH language and culture.
DUTCH 101 Elementary Dutch 1 (on-campus 4pm to 5:20pm Tuesdays & Thursdays)
DUTCH 271 Dutch Culture and Society (online; taught in English)
