Why learn German?
46 million Americans claim German ancestry, making it the largest heritage group in the United States.
100 million EU residents speak German as their native language, making German the most widely spoken mother tongue in Europe. Another 31 percent of EU residents speak German as a second language.
Germany has the third strongest economy in the world (after the U.S. and Japan).
German exports constitute the largest share of total world trade (even ahead of the U.S.).
Germany is the second most important import market in the world, and the third most important import partner of the United States.
There are 1,200 German-owned companies in the United States, some of the largest of which are active in the state of Oregon (DaimlerChrysler, Freightliner, Wacker Chemie, Siltronic, Adidas, Reebok and SolarWorld AG).
Our Mission
The German program at Oregon State University delivers a globally relevant degree through personalized learning opportunities for diverse communities and various modes of delivery. We approach language as a combination of linguistic competencies, intercultural proficiency, and transcultural research with global impact. We are dedicated to international education within and beyond the borders of Oregon, and we are visionaries in the integration of German and STEM. Click here for more information.

Our Vision
The German program at Oregon State University strives to increase diversity of its student body and course offerings. We endeavor to create a standardized program within the framework of OSU’s strategic plan. We aim to provide a curriculum informed by the mission of our land-, sea-, space-, and sun-grant university. Click here for more information.

Learning Outcomes
All of our German courses and their respective learning outcomes are aligned with a CEFR proficiency level ranging from A1 to B2. German majors will achieve CEFR proficiency in speaking, listening, reading and writing at the level B2, minors at the level B1. The learning outcomes are measured either by Goethe Institute language exams, telc language exams, ACTFL test or similar exams, such as an exit exam approved and administered by German faculty at OSU. Our capstone course is GER 413, the final course in our Fourth-Year sequence. Click here for more information.