Students' comments on the course
"Choosing German as part of my Joint Honors degree has allowed me the opportunity to achieve a deep understanding of German culture, history and literature while also giving me the opportunity to reach an advanced level of spoken and written German. If this sounds appealing to you, then German is a perfect complement to virtualy any degree you should wish to study"
Niall Alsalfi, Senior Sophister 2020-2021.
"I am a German and Sociology Graduate from Trinity College Dublin. The four years I spent at Trinity were fantastic for a whole host of reasons and I particularly enjoyed studying in the Germanic Department. Having degree-level German, accredited by an internationally recognised University such as Trinity, has benefitted me immensely in interviews both for further study and for employment. From my experience I can't recommend it highly enough as a place to study.
I was attracted to the course at Trinity as I felt it's offer of classes in language, literature, history and current affairs was unparalleled in any other programme. The Germanic Department hosts an impressive cohort of international lecturers and professors, who are passionate about their subjects and inspiring to learn from. The classes were always thought provoking and enjoyable and I found the department welcoming, friendly and the lecturers very approachable.
Outside the classroom, the Germanic Department is very social and hosts annual debates, events, conferences and the yearly festive Weihnachtsfeier.
Trinity has global links with other universities, which gave me the opportunity to spend my third year on exchange to the University of Konstanz. This was a brilliant experience and was one of the most enjoyable parts of my undergraduate education."
Ciara Mullarkey, 2016-2019
"Studying German at Trinity provided me with perspectives on language, culture, and society that I would say are unparalleled in any other programme. When choosing what to study at university, I had a keen interest to develop fluency in another language, but I could not have anticipated the extent to which studying German would broaden my intellectual horizons more generally.
The Department of Germanic Studies offers a diverse and fascinating range of courses in German literature, philosophy, and cultural studies, which are all taught by experts in their field. This enabled me to tailor my programme to my interests and to complement my second subject, economics. I always found the Department to be a very welcoming place, in which students benefit from small class sizes and the professors and lecturers show a deep interest in their students’ progress. In addition to the great emphasis placed on student life at Trinity more generally, the Department fosters a unique sense of community amongst staff and students through activities such as a theatre group and Stammtisch (conversation circle).
Crucially, studying German at Trinity deepened my ability to engage critically with texts, conduct independent research and form robust arguments. Furthermore, having the opportunity to study on exchange in Germany for a year not only enhanced my written, oral, and aural language skills, but also enabled me to engage first-hand with German culture and boost my confidence and maturity, which has been greatly beneficial to me as I pursue a career in international relations.
As well as being a stimulating and highly enjoyable programme, studying German at Trinity has opened up many doors in the early stages of my career, and I could not recommend it highly enough! "
James Cotter, B.A. (Hons) Economics and German (2019)
"The German component of my degree has not only prepared me for working in European business, where I speak German every day, but also to cope with the day-today cultural differences which one faces on a daily basis. Over the past two years, working in an international company, I have noticed how my degree has given me a distinct competitive edge in regards to spoken level of German, understanding the German culture, being open to other cultures in general and confidence in public speaking when working in an international environment."
John Gavin, Graduate European Studies, 2017