
Opportunities for Students
What Can W&L’s German Program Offer You?
Experience in Germany
- Two spring term abroad programs are total immersion academic programs directed by W&L faculty.
- Traces of Empire: Exploring the Cultural Centers of Austria and Hungary
- Layered Berlin: German Culture and the Social Market Economy
- A semester-long program with the University of Bayreuth in the spring/summer semester (April - July) or with another university’s study abroad program-such as Bonn, Vienna, Munich, and Berlin-and have the credits transferred to W&L.
- Internships with German companies through the AmCham US-German Internship Program our alumni, and other organizations supported by the Woolley Fellowships and Johnson Opportunity Grants.
For more information, contact Professor Paul Youngman at youngmanp@wlu.edu or 540-458-8705
A Rich Academic Experience
- A capstone project, completed by writing a thesis or by conducting an independent research project to earn the “Honors” distinction.
- Participation in the annual production of a full-length play in German in the Lenfest Center for the Performing Arts.
- Membership in the Delta Phi Alpha, the National German Honorary Society (Deutsche Ehrenverbindung).
- The W&L German Club organizes social and intellectual activities within a German cultural context - from excursions to the Edelweiss restaurant and Frontier Cultural Museum to Kaffeeklatsch in the Lexington Coffee Shop.
Financial Awards
- Buford Stephenson’s Scholarship for a German student who has shown exemplary performance in the classroom and eligible for financial aid.
- Stadler-Bullard Prize, James Wood Prize, and Jim Stump Prize for outstanding students in the first, second, and third years.
- Craig Hinkel Prize for a student who excels in both German and English.
- Summer Research Scholars to conduct research with faculty.
- Johnson Opportunity Grants for international internships or conferences.
- Erik T. Woolley Fellowships for international internships.
- The Allen Schanck Roberts ’85 Scholarship for summer study or an internship abroad.
- Global Stewardship International Internship Grants for international summer internships.
Support for External Scholarships
- Fulbright Scholarships and Teaching Assistant Scholarships in Germany and Austria
- German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Research Internships in Science in Engineering (RISE)
- Congress-Bundestag Scholarship Program
- German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Summer Scholarships
- Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowships
For more information, contact Debra Prager at pragerd@wlu.edu or 540-458-8830.
Upcoming Abroad Courses
Spring 2025: GERM 305 - Traces of Empire: Exploring the Cultural Centers of Austria and Hungary
Professor Debra Prager
Spring Term Abroad course. Prerequisite: GERM 262
Credits (4)
A four-week advanced language and culture class based in Graz, Austria, with a particular focus on the multi-national, ·polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire and its impact on modern Austria’s multi-ethnic, multi-cultural identity. Language and culture classes take place in the University of Graz’s language center, Treffpunkt Sprachen. Afternoon discussion classes focus on Austrian culture, supported by readings from the texts, film screenings, and visits to important sites and events in Graz and its environs. During excursions to Vienna and Budapest, we compare the two rival imperial capitals of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, visit the opera houses and national art collections, and consider both the function of art in forging national - and imperial - identity, and the role of power in the construction of “taste.”
Spring 2026: BUS/GERM 392 - Layered Berlin: German Culture and the Social Market Economy
Professors Hess and Youngman
Spring Term Abroad course. Prerequisite: GERM 112 or equivalent
Credits (4)
Layered Germany is a four-week course that offers students a true immersion in German language, culture, and business. In order to give students a complete understanding of contemporary Germany, we integrate a literary-historical analysis of the country’s rich history from 1848 to the present day with an introduction to stakeholder-centric business. Through an exciting mix of literary fiction, historical readings and cases, film screenings, along with corporate and cultural site visits, students will gain an understanding of the interdependence between “big C” Culture and business culture. Both the business and language components of the class will be taught at multiple levels so there are no pre-requisites for the course. Priority will be given to current German majors and minors but all are encouraged to apply.
Department Info
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Ruscio Center for Global Learning
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia 24450