Dickinsonians pursue excellence in many forms. German majors and minors as well as students from across the campus have won prizes, awards, and fellowships for their work in German-language classrooms and for research and teaching in German-speaking Europe.

The German department has a number of awards and prizes to recognize and promote our outstanding students and we induct qualifying graduating seniors into Delta Phi Alpha, the German National Honor Society.  

Dickinson students and students of the German program also have a strong record of success receiving national fellowships. Students receive fellowships both before and after graduation from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for short- and long-term research and study and from the Fulbright Commission to pursue post-graduate research or teach English (ETA).  

For lists of student recipients of these many honors by year, please see the small navigation bar on the left. 

Department Prizes and Awards

Thanks to the generosity of friends and alumnae of the German Department, we are able to recognize our outstanding students for their academic work, independent research, and internships. 

Liselotte von Usedom Beach Prize  
Awarded to an outstanding sophomore student majoring in German, generally based on merit within financial need. 

Heinrich Böll Prize 
Awarded to a senior student majoring in German for excellence in the study of German Literature. 

Marion Dexter Learned Prize 
Awarded to a senior student majoring in German for highest achievement in the study of German language and culture. 

Wieland Endowed Prize 
Awarded to the senior student majoring in German who has demonstrated the most excellent achievements in the field of German overall. 

The Müller-Peterson-Hach Fellowship 
Awarded to support a student or students who seek to further their education through a meaningful summer or academic break immersion experience in a German-speaking country. The program must last for a period of eight weeks or more, and involve working at a private non-profit or governmental entity in the area of human rights, environmental protection, or human services. 

The Kurth - Voigt Student Research Award in German 
Awarded at the discretion of the faculty in the German Department to an outstanding rising junior or rising senior German major who presents the best proposal for a research experience. The award is intended to support an undergraduate student research experience, either as an independent project or in collaboration with a faculty mentor, on a German or German-related cross-disciplinary subject. 

Urkunde Certificate 
Recognition of one student in each German class for outstanding achievement. 

Delta Phi Alpha 
"The National German Honor Society, Delta Phi Alpha, seeks to recognize excellence in the study of German and to provide an incentive for higher scholarship. The Society aims to promote the study of the German language, literature and civilization and endeavors to emphasize those aspects of German life and culture which are of universal value and which contribute to man's eternal search for peace and truth." 
To become a member of Delta Phi Alpha, one must meet the following requirements: 

  • A minimum of two years college or university German or their equivalent. 
  • A minimum avergage of B+ (3.3 GPA or higher) in its equivalent in German courses. 
  • A minimum cumulative average of B (2.7 GPA) or its equivalent. 
  • Indication of continued interest in the study of German language and literature.