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Major · Area, Ethnic & Gender Studies

Study Germany, Austria, and the full German-speaking world through its ideas

German Studies examines the history, politics, culture, and economics of Germany and the wider German-speaking world — including Austria, Switzerland, and communities of German influence across Europe. About 25 bachelor's degrees are awarded annually across 42 colleges, with strong concentrations at research universities and liberal-arts colleges like Brown, Vanderbilt, and Hamilton.

Schools offering
42
Annual completions
25
Typical degree level
Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$59k

About this major

German Studies focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of Germany and the broader German-speaking world — Austria, Switzerland, the German-speaking minorities of neighboring European countries, and the historical zones of German influence. The curriculum sits at the intersection of advanced language work and interdisciplinary regional study. A typical semester mixes a German-language seminar with courses on 20th-century European history, contemporary political economy, philosophy, literature, or film, along with a research methods course and, at most programs, a study-abroad term in Berlin, Vienna, or Freiburg.

The major is small but present at recognizable institutions. About 25 bachelor's degrees are awarded annually across 42 colleges, with Brown (4), Kutztown (3), Vanderbilt (3), and Hamilton (3) leading in recent completions. The profile skews toward liberal-arts colleges and research universities — students tend to be committed language learners who want a humanities major with serious regional depth rather than either a pure language track or a broader international-relations degree. The 05.01 area-studies family as a whole reports five-year median earnings around $58,500 for bachelor's completers, though that number masks wide variation by post-graduation path.

The one career directly mapped to this CIP code is area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary, a $84,290 median wage role with a doctoral degree as typical entry. In practice, German Studies graduates distribute across international business and consulting, foreign service, translation and interpreting, law, journalism covering European affairs, and graduate study in history, political science, or comparative literature. The degree rewards students who treat language fluency as a professional tool, not just a classroom achievement.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary $84k +2.4% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$59k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you want serious German-language proficiency paired with interdisciplinary study rather than a pure literature or pure history track, if you are drawn to European intellectual traditions and enjoy working with primary sources in translation and in German, if study abroad and immersion are something you will actively pursue rather than tolerate, and if a career that runs through international work — business, foreign service, translation, policy — sounds right. A research-oriented interest in German philosophy, EU politics, or 20th-century European history is another strong signal, and because the major is small the institutional choice matters: the quality of the German department, faculty expertise, and exchange partnerships will shape your experience more than the degree title.

Think twice if you want a major with a predictable direct-to-job pipeline. The only directly mapped occupation, postsecondary teaching, requires a doctorate. Think twice also if 42 programs and roughly 25 annual completions feels thin — a broader history, political science, or international-relations major gives you more peers, more course options, and more institutional support with room to specialize in Germany through electives. And think twice if your interest is mainly in travel or cultural tourism; the major is language-intensive and academically demanding in exactly the areas where students without a genuine pull to the texts and politics tend to struggle.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for German Studies

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Brown University Providence, RI 0 4 4
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA 0 3 3
Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN 0 3 3
Hamilton College Clinton, NY 0 3 3
Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA 0 2 2
Pomona College Claremont, CA 0 2 2
Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA 0 2 2
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL 0 2 2
Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI 0 1 1
American University Washington, DC 0 1 1
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

American/United States Studies/Civilization

721 completions/yr

Area Studies, Other

451 completions/yr

Asian Studies/Civilization

433 completions/yr

East Asian Studies

220 completions/yr

Latin American Studies

130 completions/yr

Near and Middle Eastern Studies

97 completions/yr

African Studies

80 completions/yr

French Studies

52 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do German Studies majors actually study day-to-day?
The major blends advanced German language work with seminars on history, politics, philosophy, literature, film, and contemporary society of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the broader German-speaking world. Expect to read 20th-century fiction, work with primary historical sources, and engage with topics like reunification, EU politics, or intellectual traditions in philosophy. Most programs require study abroad or an intensive immersion, and strong language work is central — the degree is as much about reading and speaking German as it is about regional expertise.
How common is this major?
Small. About 25 bachelor's completions are reported annually across 42 colleges — an average of well under one graduate per program per year. Top producers are Brown, Kutztown, Vanderbilt, and Hamilton, each at 3-4 completions. The major tends to exist at liberal-arts colleges and research universities with strong language departments rather than at regional comprehensives.
What careers do German Studies majors go into?
The only directly mapped occupation in the data is area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary — a $84,290 median wage role that requires a doctoral degree. In practice, graduates move into a wider range: international business and consulting, foreign service and diplomacy, translation and interpreting, academic research, law, and nonprofit work tied to European affairs. Bachelor's completers in the broader area-studies family report five-year median earnings around $58,500.
Do I need a graduate degree?
For academic careers — postsecondary teaching, research — yes, a doctorate is typical. For many other paths, a master's or a JD adds substantial leverage: Georgetown and Johns Hopkins SAIS offer well-regarded European studies graduate programs that feed into foreign service and international policy work. But the bachelor's on its own is a legitimate foundation for translation, international business entry-level roles, or further professional training. About 58% of the career's earning premium sits above the bachelor's median, which is part of why graduate study is common.
Should I just study German in the language department instead?
Depends on what you want. A German-language major typically concentrates more heavily on literature, linguistics, and language proficiency. German Studies, as a 05.0125 major, is interdisciplinary — it pulls in history, politics, and economics. If you want to read Thomas Mann closely and write literary criticism, a language major may serve you better. If you want to think about Germany's place in Europe, the history of ideas, or a career in international affairs, the area-studies track is the fit.