German Studies
German-based companies are a driving force in the regional and global economy. Our own Upstate region hosts over 110 German companies in more than 150 locations. Companies like BMW, Dräexlmaier, BASF, Hanson and many more are right here in our own backyard, and students with advanced German language skills and cultural knowledge are well-poised to join the management ranks of these companies.
1 in 5 Top U.S. manufacturing companies surveyed required German language skills.
Students who participate in USC Upstate's German Studies programs have opportunities to complete internships with local German companies, including Dräxlmaier Automotive. Alumni of these internships have found jobs that make use of their German knowledge and experience at companies like Erhardt+Leimer, the automation technologies company headquartered in Duncan.
Explore Opportunities for Expanding Your Degree through Study Abroad
Through Dual-Degree programs at several German universities, USC Upstate students who have completed their junior year may complete one year of study at a German partner university, then return for their senior year and graduate who two complete undergraduate degrees—one from USC Upstate and one from their German University. Students become alumni of two universities, participate in internships (some of them paid) with German businesses, and gain international contacts and experience—all for the price of an additional year of college.
Although classes are delivered in English, students who make an effort to learn German further increase their career prospects.
Business
- USC Upstate’s first dual-degree partnership with a German University was launched by the Johnson College of Business and Economics in 2012 (See GoUpstate’s news coverage). Through this program, students attend the University of Applied Sciences in Landshut, Germany, and earn a degree in international business from both USC Upstate and Hochschule Landshut.
- Students travel to Germany in cohorts of 7-12 Spartans, bringing a bit of the USC Upstate community with them during their study abroad experience.
- Both USC Upstate and the Hochschule Landshut are located near major BMW manufacturing plants, and students have the opportunity to explore similarities and differences between the German economy and our local region.
Informatics and Computer Science
- Both Informatics and Computer Science programs at USC Upstate have opportunities to earn dual degrees from the University of Applied Sciences in Landshut, through one-year study abroad experiences.
- Like students in the business program, Informatics and Computer Science students complete internships with German companies, broadening their job experiences and making them career-ready on two continents.
- In addition to studying with their USC Upstate classmates and a class of international students enrolled at the Landshut University, students enjoy opportunities to work with their own USC Upstate professors who guest lecture in Germany during the program.
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