Why German at Iowa?

Explore German language and culture—unlock global careers, creativity, and lifelong learning.

Explore undergraduate programs in German

Enrich your academic journey

Learning German at University of Iowa empowers students to stand out in today’s global job market while deepening their understanding of the world. With connections to diplomacy, innovation, and culture, it’s a valuable asset for any major.

Research and scholarship

Explore articles and books published by German faculty at the University of Iowa.

Honors

Earn honors in your major while studying German at the University of Iowa.

Study abroad

Practice your language skills, expose yourself to world cultures, and expand your worldview.

Internships

Apply what you learn in the program, gain real world experience, and pursue your future career path.

Connect with an ambassador

Embrace your potential as a student

Become a student ambassador

Share your passion and lead others to success

Why study German at Iowa?

Discover global culture, career opportunities, and a dynamic academic experience with German at Iowa.

Studying German at the University of Iowa connects you to a language spoken by millions of people worldwide and unlocks access to the rich histories and contemporary cultures of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and beyond. Whether you're interested in international politics, classical music, literature, or cutting-edge design, the German-speaking world offers a vast landscape of ideas, creativity, and innovation that complements any academic path.

German is a truly interdisciplinary language, enriching studies in fields as varied as engineering, business, the arts, history, and global studies. From exploring the philosophies of Goethe to analyzing the architecture of Bauhaus or the music of Beethoven, students find that German amplifies their understanding of culture, thought, and global influence. It’s also a practical choice, offering real-world value in industries like diplomacy, education, international relations, and technology.

At Iowa, learning German is more than classroom study—it's an immersive cultural experience. With outreach programs, extracurricular events, and opportunities to study abroad, students engage with German-speaking communities both locally and globally. The program also highlights migration and multicultural perspectives, giving students a nuanced view of the German-speaking world and its relevance in today’s interconnected society.

130M +

German speakers worldwide

"Studying German here at the university is one of the best ideas I ever had... Every day, every semester, every year, I can see my German making leaps and bounds–more fluid, more grammar, more vocab."

- Sophie Silk

German language and culture resources

German studies

Newspapers and news magazines

Popular magazines and tabloids

  • Bild–Germany's most popular tabloid newspaper; Bild is easy for beginners to read, but can be quite sensationalist.
  • Bunte–A popular culture magazine with lots of information on celebrities, similar to People magazine in the U.S.
  • Freundin–A popular magazine geared towards young women
  • Living at Home–If Martha Stewart knew German, she would read this.
  • Sport1–A popular sports magazine
  • Yahoo! Zeitschriften–An enormous list of on-line magazines organized by topic

Radio and television

  • ARD–Homepage of Germany's main public broadcasting network, which offers both television and radio programming. Streaming video is available, especially of newscasts.
  • Deutsche Welle–Streaming audio and video from Deutsche Welle's radio and television service
  • Deutschsprachige Internet Radios–A list of German language radio stations available over the internet
  • ZDF–Germany's second public television network; streaming video available

Architecture and art

Business

Food

  • Chefkoch–A popular food site
  • Deutscher Brauer-Bund–Information on the German beer industry
  • Deutsches Institut für Reines Bier–An organization dedicated to the preservation of the beer purity law (Reinheitsgebot) which has been in effect since April 23, 1516. The site has information on the history of the law and efforts to preserve it.
  • Deutsches Suppeninstitut–Yes, there is an institute for soup!
  • Haribo–Haribo makes a huge range of candies, including Gummibärchen!
  • Hofbräuhaus–One of Germany's oldest and most famous breweries
  • Milka–Milka is a popular brand of chocolate.
  • Mineralwasser–Information about German mineral water
  • Dr. Oetker–Germany's answer to Betty Crocker

History

  • Haus der Geschichte–Website of an excellent museum in Bonn devoted to the history of Germany since WWII
  • Deutsches Historisches Museum–Museum devoted to German history; be sure to check out LeMO, an online museum created by several of Germany's major history museums.
  • German History Documents–Links to online collections of primary documents, sponsored by Brigham Young University
  • Chronik der Mauer–A Berlin Wall page in German from the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung

Music

  • German Rock–A website with extensive information on German language rock musik
  • MTV Deutschland–Homepage of German MTV
  • CountryHome–Information for German speaking country musik fans
  • Klassik.com–Lots of information on classical music
  • Jazz Netz–Information on the jazz scene in Germany

Politics

Austria

European Union

  • EU–Webportal of the European Union

Germany

  • Der Bundesrat–Website of the upper house of the German parliament; the governments of the Bundesländer (the federal states) are represented in the Bundesrat.
  • Die Bundesregierung–Main website of the German government; has links to many ministries
  • Der Bundestag–Website of the lower house of the German parliament
  • Bündnis 90/die Grünen–Website of Bündnis 90/die Grünen, the German Greens; their politics are generally on the left and focus on environmentalism and human rights issues.
  • CDU–Website of the Christlich Demokratische Union; the CDU is one of Germany's two large political parties. The CDU is a center-right party.
  • CSU–Website of the Christlich Soziale Union; the CSU is a sister party of the CDU and exists only in the federal state of Bavaria. The CDU and CSU work together at the national level.
  • FDP–Website of the Freie Demokratische Partei; the FDP is one of the smaller parties, sometimes called die Liberalen. In the German context, liberal is roughly the equivalent of libertarian in the US. The FDP favors a small government, low taxes, and minimal government regulation of business and personal affairs.
  • PDS–Website of the Partei des demokratischen Sozialismus; the PDS is one of the smaller parties and was formed after reunification by members of the former East German communist party. The PDS has been successful in local and regional elections, but it has not done well at the national level.
  • SPD–Website of the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands; the SPD is one of Germany's two large parties. The SPD is a center-left party.

Switzerland

Religion

Science

  • Astronomie–A website devoted to astronomy
  • Deutsches Museum–A large science and technology museum located in Munich
  • GEO–A science and geography website
  • Max-Planck-Gesellschaft–The Max-Planck-Gesellschaft is a major research organization which supports thousands of scientists and dozens of specialized research institutes.
  • Morgenwelt–An online science magazine
  • Wissenschaft Online–Website with content from a variety of science magazines

Sport

Travel

Study abroad

We encourage you to study abroad to develop your linguistic and intercultural competencies. The university has several opportunities to select from.

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German faculty

Portrait of Glenn Ehrstine, Associate Professor of German

Glenn Ehrstine, PhD

Title/Position
Associate Professor, German
Potrait of Sarah Fagan

Sarah Fagan, PhD

Title/Position
Professor, German
Professor, Linguistics
Potrait of Elke Heckner

Elke Heckner, PhD

Title/Position
Associate Professor of Instruction, German
Portrait of Kirsten Kumpf Baele

Kirsten Kumpf Baele, PhD

Title/Position
Associate Professor of Instruction, German
Anne Frank Initiative Director
Potrait of Waltraud Maierhofer

Waltraud Maierhofer, PhD

Title/Position
Professor, German
Affiliate Faculty, Translation
Portrait of Bruce Nottingham-Spencer

Bruce Nottingham-Spencer, PhD

Title/Position
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Associate Professor of Instruction, German