The mission of the Department of Modern Languages and Literature is to prepare students to live, work and serve as global citizens, with the responsibility, empathy, openness to diversity and commitment to social justice that distinguish the Jesuit educational tradition. Our curriculum is designed to achieve three overarching goals: to empower our students to become independent users of language in real-life contexts; to develop reflective, analytical, critical-thinking and discursive abilities through the study of a wide range of cultural products, practices and perspectives; and to foster the cultural competence that will enable our students to forge meaningful connections with people from cultures different from their own. Our program develops your ability to listen, speak, read and write in German, while expanding your understanding of the history and culture of German-speaking countries. The Department offers a minor in German.