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German Program

Welcome to the German Program at the University of Rhode Island!

German is one of the most important languages in the European Union today; more people speak German natively (more than 100 million in four countries) than any other language in Europe, and it is one of the most popular foreign languages taught worldwide. Native speakers of German have been major contributors to the arts, the sciences, engineering and business for hundreds of years. Today, Germany has the largest economy in the EU (and fourth largest in the world) and is a major trading partner of the U.S.

URI’s German program is the country’s second largest in terms of majors (Monatshefte, 2010), offering a comprehensive and challenging curriculum that prepares students for careers, internships and study abroad. As our graduates know, learning German can open doors to careers in business, education, engineering, the sciences, translation, and foreign and public service, along with hundreds of other professions. More than 125 majors are currently enrolled, and the vast majority of these students are doing interdisciplinary work by double-majoring or earning dual degrees. 20 German majors study abroad each year. Most of these students also complete a professional six-month internship in Germany.

A pioneer in interdisciplinary study, our German Program offers a vast array of opportunities for students interested in German:

B.A., Minor, Double Major and Dual-Degree Programs
German International Engineering Program
German International Business Program
Special-track courses in German for business, science, and engineering majors

Exchange Programs with Partner Universities
Technical University of Braunschweig
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences

Internships abroad
Work for global companies such as BWM, Porsche, Siemens, ZF, Volkswagen
Work in German research labs

Immersion and Speaking Opportunities
Deutsche Sommerschule am Atlantik
Max Kade German Language Floor
Annual two-week study tours to Germany
Individual German language tutoring
Weekly Deutsche Kaffeestunde and much more

Financial Support
Endowed Scholarships
Work-Study Opportunities

For more information about the German Program at URI, please contact:


Dr. Damon Rarick

German Section Chair
Email: rarick.uri@gmail.com
Tel: (401) 874-4711