约翰霍普金斯大学的德语课程是北美最杰出的课程之一。它一直是文学批评的主导力量，并且从启蒙运动到现在，它在德文和意第绪文学中的实力以及人文学科的跨学科研究方法在国际上都得到认可。自1980年代以来，教职员工一直致力于研究文学与哲学，精神分析，宗教，科学，性别研究和新媒体之间的关系。该系的跨学科定位使该计划在北美和国外均处于该领域的最前沿。
The German program at Johns Hopkins is among the most distinguished in North America. It has been a leading force in literary criticism with recognized strength in the intersection of literature and philosophy from the Enlightenment to the present. The faculty is committed to the study of works of art in conjunction with political theory, gender and sexuality studies, environmental thought, history of science, religion, anthropology, psychoanalysis, and media theory. The interdisciplinary orientation of the program has led to important contributions in the study of phenomenology and poetry, romanticism and gender, early modern science and baroque literature, the modern novel and print history, cognitive aesthetics and literary affect, among many other topics. A further interest lies in the problem of representation with an eye toward the aesthetic, epistemological, and political implications of this overarching topic. The program values the interaction between students and faculty at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Undergraduates work closely with faculty to develop their linguistic skills and cultural competence. Graduate students enjoy the regular input of the faculty in developing original research topics that draw on developments in the field.