About the Program
The Department of German and Russian in the School of Languages and Cultures offers undergraduate majors and minors in German and Russian, as well as courses of study and expertise leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. in German literature and culture from the Middle Ages to the present, and the M.A. and Ph.D. in German linguistics and Second Language Acquisition. It is also possible to study for the M.A. or Ph.D. in Comparative Literature with a focus in German.
The Education Track prepares students to teach German in grades 5-12. Students will take courses in the School of Languages and Cultures and in the College of Education, will do student teaching in a local school, and, upon successful completion of the degree program, will receive the teaching licensure required to teach in Indiana public schools.
This program meets state and national licensure standards and is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the State of Indiana, State Board of Education. See Teacher Licensure Information in the plan below.
Business German at Purdue
The Business German Program at Purdue consists of three courses, beginning at the second-year level. Our goal is to develop students’ communicative competence in a variety of activities in the specialized field of German for Business and Economics (Wirtschaftsdeutsch). Topics covered in our courses include Germany’s major industries and companies, the German market economy, Germany’s role in international trade, marketing, the European Union and the Euro, applying for internships and jobs in Germany, and intercultural communication in German-American business encounters.
German for Science and Engineering
The German Program at Purdue offers a track German for Science and Engineering consisting of three courses, beginning at the second-year level. Our goal is to develop students’ communicative competence in a variety of activities with focus on German for Science and Engineering. Topics covered in our courses include the history of science and scientists in German, articles on scientific research in a variety of fields in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, energy sources, approaches to these sources, to ecology, recycling methods, dealing with issues of pollution, information on various auto industries, live reports by students returning from study abroad or participating in other work abroad or research abroad programs. This course will further help with writing how to apply for jobs, practicing for interviews, and to prepare oneself in a culture-specific way for a global market in a German speaking environment. It will incorporate presentations by students propelled by their own interests and involving aspects of intercultural communication as most interesting for those studying German and disciplines of Science and Engineering.
Degree in 3
The College of Liberal Arts offers the opportunity for students to complete their degree in three years. Degree in 3 majors allow students to enter the work force or graduate school a year earlier than traditional plans of study while also providing a cost-effective way to complete an undergraduate degree.
Students can complete the three-year option with or without AP credit by adding summer sessions to traditional coursework in Fall and Spring semesters. Degree in 3 offers a great combination of cost-savings and the opportunity to accelerate your future and achieve your goals.
Please visit German for more information.
Liberal Arts Curriculum
Each liberal arts major is designed as a four-year plan of study and includes three types of courses: Major, Core, and Elective. Most students take five courses per semester, with some of each type.
Professional academic advisors meet individually with each of our students on a regular basis to help with course selection, academic planning, and career development, as well as to help students find additional resources on campus.
Teacher Licensure Information
Successful completion of the Purdue University German-Education Track Program, German-Education Track , BA, and the State of Indiana licensure requirements results in an Indiana initial instructional License in German (5-12), and Blended and Online Teaching (5-12). Contact the Office of Teacher Education and Licensure for additional information regarding Teacher Education and licensure requirements.
Office of Teacher Education and Licensure
Teacher Education Program (TEP) Requirements and Milestones
Indiana Licensure information - Each student must meet all degree, program, and licensure requirements prior to being recommended for licensure.
- 2.5 Overall GPA is required for the Teacher Education Program.
- Students must successfully progress through Milestone A to enroll in any Professional Education **Restricted Methods course.
- Successful completion of all Major, Professional Education (including all Foundations Courses with linked Foundations Portfolio Common Assessments and **Restricted Methods Courses), Learner Specialty Concentration/Pathway, and degree courses are required prior to Milestone C. Program limitations restrict additional courses to be taken simultaneously with or following student teaching without advance authorization.
- Successful completion of all Foundations Portfolio Common Assessments are required prior to Milestone D.
- Blended and online Teaching licensure requirements are embedded into coursework for all Undergraduate Licensure Programs.
- Beginning July 1, 2025 - According to the Indiana State Board of Education, students seeking an Initial Indiana License in a content area involving literacy instruction, including special education, must obtain an early literacy endorsement, Science of Reading (P-5), as required under IC 20-28-5-19.7.
Critical Course
The ♦ course is considered critical.
In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major. Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful. These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program.”
