INTRODUCTION
The Department of German Studies at the Faculty of Arts educates students in the field of German Language and Literature.
We offer study programmes across the first, second, and third cycle. You can study German individually or in combination with other study programmes at the Faculty of Arts. During your studies, you will become familiar with German language, literature, and the culture of German-speaking countries. You will acquire an excellent knowledge of the German language in written and spoken forms, become familiar with the richness of German literary creation, the diversity of culture in German-speaking countries, and the fundamental aspects of intercultural contact that life in a globalised world increasingly demands. The regional component of German-Slovenian interlinguistic and intercultural connections is strongly emphasised in the syllabus. You will also learn to think about all of the above in a professional, critical, and rationalised way.
This study programme is designed to encourage student creativity, enable international study exchanges, and support active student participation in all activities of the Department of German Studies.
Graduates of German Studies programmes are qualified for jobs requiring a good knowledge of the German language and the cultural characteristics of the German-speaking area. They find employment in economic and non-economic sectors that have ties to foreign countries. They work in educational, cultural, and media institutions where a thorough German knowledge is required. They are qualified to teach German at all levels of education. They can pursue careers in science and research.
The Department of German Studies is involved in both national and international research on German language, literature, and culture, and happily involves students in all of its scientific activities.
Welcome to the Department of German Studies which has a tradition of more than 50 years in Maribor.
MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT
EVENTS
The Department of German Studies regularly organises high-profile scientific meetings with international participation.
PROJECTS AND PROGRAMME GROUPS
Members of the Department have participated in 20 different projects between 2004 and 2020. These include international, national, and bilateral projects, as well as two programme groups. We also often involve students in our projects through special student projects (PKP, ŠIPK), which are mainly aimed at enabling students to gain experience in the field of research.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Members of the Department of German Studies cooperate scientifically and professionally with various universities and other institutions abroad. International cooperation includes, for example, membership to editorial boards and international associations, participation in projects, conferences, seminars, and summer schools.
This cooperation also includes teaching staff exchanges. In the last 3 years, and within the framework of the international mobility programme, members of the Department of German Studies have been hosted by institutions in Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Germany, Croatia, the Czech Republic, the USA, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Hungary. The Department has also hosted scholars and experts from universities, such as from the University of Plovdiv (Bulgaria), the University of Erfurt (Germany), the University of St. Kliment (Ohrid, Bulgaria), Ústí nad Labem University (the Czech Republic), the University of South Denmark (Denmark), Lorand Eötvös University (Hungary), the University of Regensburg (Germany), the University of Vienna (Austria) and Pomona College (USA).
We also encourage international student mobility, with students having the opportunity to undertake part of their Erasmus+ studies at a partner institution abroad. We also inform our students about the possibilities to benefit from scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), especially when applying for summer courses at universities. We also make our students aware of the Austrian Exchange Service, which offers scholarships, support and advice on studying, living, and working in Austria to international students.
STUDENT AND EXTACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
In addition to equipping students with career competences, our study programmes provide a broad humanities education and enable our students to develop critical thinking skills. Students of the Department of German Studies are able to access a wide range of study and extracurricular activities which, in the light of the growing importance of lifelong learning, help them to achieve their goals, improve their knowledge, and broaden their social networks.
Student Research and Professional Activities:
- participation in PKP (Creative Path to Knowledge) and SIPK (Student Innovative Projects for Social Benefit) projects;
- participation in other local, regional, national, and international projects linked to the Department of German Studies;
- participation in scientific and professional research in the context of study courses and theses;
- teaching within the Language Incubator, which forms part of the Centre for Lifelong Learning of the Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor;
- participation in the implementation of German courses for children under the supervision of didacts;
- participation in the implementation of courses for adolescents and adults;
- independent or co-authored professional and scientific journalistic contributions;
- tutoring activities;
- publishing of the Germinator student journal;
- participation in the Slovenian Researchers’ Night;
- international student exchanges;
- excursions;
- networking and active cooperation with local, regional, and other schools of varying educational levels, as well as with other organisations employing graduates from the Department of German Studies or with potential employers;
- participation in the organisation and co-organisation of Slovenian and international symposia and professional events;
- participation in the preparation and organisation of summer schools;
- participation in the departmental panel;
- access to professional further education.
Extracurricular Social and Professional Activities:
- traditional departmental Christmas and New Year gatherings;
- excursions, picnics, etc.
SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND PUBLISHING
The scientific and professional excellence of the Department of German Studies is demonstrated by the numerous scientific monographs, higher education textbooks, and other scientific publications in which we participate as (co)authors or (co)editors.
The first edition of the German Studies student journal GERMINATOR was published in the summer semester of the 2011/2012 Academic Year within the framework of the German Language Development 4 module. The name of the journal, the selection of sections, and the selection of texts are the result of student work under the supervision of doc. dr. Brigita Kacjan.
GERMINATOR is published once a year as a co-production between students and university lecturers. The range of text types and articles is ever-changing and expanding, and so every issue represents something special and worth reading.
Our hope is that GERMINATOR will achieve a much more solid foundation. To achieve this, we plan to form a multi-member Editorial Board, consisting of students and lecturers. We will also seek to ensure that the journal is published twice a year and that the articles are both edited and reviewed.
The journal also has its own e-mail address: Zeitschrift.Germinator@gmail.com.
We would be delighted to hear from you! We’re sure that you have plenty of ideas which together will allow us to make GERMINATOR even more interesting!
Dictionaries and other handbooks:
Materials, interesting websites, etc.:
