German Academic Opportunities
Delta Phi Alpha
The National German Honorary Society, Delta Phi Alpha , seeks to honor excellence in the study of German, provide an incentive for higher scholarship, and promote the study of German language, literature, and civilization. Delta Phi Alpha formed in 1929 at Wofford College, a small liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The society awards two study abroad scholarships annually to outstanding students of German.
Oberlin College formed the Tau Lambda chapter of Delta Phi Alpha in fall 2014.
Study, Explore Germany
Oberlin College believes that all interested students, regardless of major, should have the opportunity to spend a semester away from campus on an academic program in a different part of the country or world. Oberlin’s and its affiliates’ study away opportunities cover a wide range of geographic areas of the world, curricular or academic interests, and program types. Approximately 300 Oberlin students each year participate in approved study away programs.
The German Studies faculty strongly recommends students participate in the different German-based study abroad programs sponsored by the department. Consider spending one term or preferably a full academic year in a German-speaking country. We believe that “otherness” should be explained, read, discussed, and experienced.
If you’d like to study away for a semester or a year, you can choose from Oberlin-sponsored programs or from more than 90 affiliated programs. Visit the library in the Office of Study Away in Carnegie Building, room 124, or the study away office for details.
We also encourage German Studies majors to live in the college’s Max Kade German House, a coeducational residence hall for 38 students. Kade House residents will immerse themselves in German language and culture through daily contact with native speakers. Guest lectures, film screenings, writer-in-residence readings, and social gatherings make the Kade House a focal point for German study at Oberlin.
Max Kade Summer German Study Awards
The Department of German Studies awards two Max Kade Summer German Study Awards of $2,000 to students pursing German language study during the summer. These awards are designed to offset travel, study, and living expenses for a summer study of the German language at the intermediate level.
The stipends are intended to support study in a German-speaking country, but students who select immersion programs in the United States will also be considered. Because of the competitive nature of these awards, please read the following requirements and application procedures carefully as you consider applying for a stipend.
German Summer Study Award Criteria
Other Study Abroad Programs
At the more advanced level, students may compete in the annual German University Exchange Scholarship program (Verband der deutsch-amerikanischer Clubs). This program offers individual, yearlong, supervised study at a German university of the student’s choice. In recent years students have studied at universities in Berlin, Munich, Koblenz, Mainz, Essen, and Tübingen.
The department has also established close ties to programs at other institutions and will assist students in exploring such options. Among these are the excellent Wayne State University Junior Year Abroad Program in Munich and Brethren Colleges Abroad Program in Marburg , in which Oberlin students have regularly participated. The department also recommends the Duke in Berlin Program and Boston University Dresden Program .
For intensive language and culture studies, in summer and during the year, students have two options: Das Goethe-Institut with centers throughout Germany and in Vienna with ActiLingua . Consult with department faculty if you are interested in studying through these programs.