The programs serve students who are seeking high proficiency in German language and cultural studies. Programs courses focus on real-world communication skills, and our instructors promote a student-centered, immersion- based learning environment that encourages the open exchange of ideas, instills awareness of cultural differences, and encourages a deeper understanding of events, institutions, and traditions. Students are asked to reflect on the nature and value of literary, cinematic, and artistic works as part of a larger inquiry into the making of cultures. Coursework fosters self-awareness and respect for others through reading and discussion, and offers opportunities for interaction with a wide variety of people, products, and perspectives from German-speaking countries, and numerous other regions in which German is an official or commonly spoken language.