The German and Slavic program provides students with a comprehensive education in the languages, literatures, cultures, and history of German-speaking cultures in Germany and beyond, as well as Russia, Eastern and Central Europe, and Eurasia. Closely connected with UCSB's renowned Comparative Literature Program and the Graduate Center for Literary Research (GCLR), the department is at the forefront of new scholarship and is home to world-renowned faculty members whose diverse specialties include language acquisition, literature, media history, the digital humanities, art history, critical theory, children’s literature, and philosophy.
We welcome intellectually curious students seeking to understand the cultures and societies of Germany, Austria, Russia, and Eastern Europe. We provide students with the tools to develop their own research projects and the forum to discuss these projects with their peers and experts in the field. We pride ourselves on being able to foster a sense of community among students and faculty.
Being a relatively small department, we encourage vigorous interaction with other programs and disciplines on campus, including film studies, art history, French and Italian, and Comparative Literature, among others. While the study of German or Russian serves as one of the gateways into the major and minor, we also welcome students whose primary interest is not literary, be it politics, film and visual arts, or the digital humanities.
Studying German or Russian opens up a variety of opportunities for personal and professional growth. Our graduates go on to pursue a wide variety of careers—in business, public service, health care, law, engineering, information technology, education, and the arts—where a knowledge of Russian or German is useful.
Many German or Russian majors are double-majors who easily complete the requirements for both majors in four years. German and Russian majors may pursue second majors in the social sciences and the humanities, the natural sciences (especially majors leading to careers in health care), engineering, or business.
To find out more, please contact the department chair.