The Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies addresses the highly complex histories and cultures of German-speaking and Slavic countries. Steeped in the histories of these different literatures and cultures, our faculty members believe that studying the past helps us to understand the present and to face the challenges of our globalized world.

We offer undergraduates an opportunity to immerse themselves in the German and Russian languages and cultures -- from beginning language classes to complex literary and political subjects.

Undergraduate students in German go beyond language proficiency to explore topics such as Romanticism and the Enlightenment, psychoanalysis, Holocaust Studies, Jewish Studies, media and pop culture, German cinema, linguistics, and twentieth-century art.

Likewise, the Slavic Program is grounded in the Russian language but also examines cultures found on the threshold between Europe and Asia. From the novels of Leo Tolstoy to changing relations among countries in the region, our courses in both English and Russian cover aspects of Russian and East-Central European literature, art, film, folklore, and linguistics.

Germanic and Slavic Studies News & Features

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The 'AI' Panic in Perspective
The 'AI' Panic in Perspective

UC Santa Barbara Germanic and Slavic Studies professor Fabian Offert teaches a course called “Critical AI.“ Offered through the Comparative Literature department, he explores and critiques artificial intelligence’s current abilities with his students, which puts potential threats in perspective.

A Literary Exploration of Childhood and Ecology
A Literary Exploration of Childhood and Ecology

Scholars from all over the world will meet at UC Santa Barbara this August to collaborate and exchange ideas in the field of children’s literature as it intersects with environmental awareness. Germanic and Slavic studies professor and chair Sara Pankenier Weld, is an organizer of the conference as a board member for The International Research Society for Children’s Literature. 

Weaving Protest: The Rise of Belarusian Craftivism
Weaving Protest: The Rise of Belarusian Craftivism

Sasha Razor, a Belarus native and international activist, presented an afternoon colloquium at UCSB last week discussing the rise of feminist craftivism and her latest exhibition, “The Code Of Presence: Belarusian Protest Embroideries and Textile Patterns.”

Seeking Knowledge in an Era of Information Overload
Seeking Knowledge in an Era of Information Overload

Wolf D. Kittler, a professor in UCSB’s department of Germanic and Slavic Studies, delivered the inaugural lecture for Interdisciplinary Humanities Center’s new series: Too Much Information, which explores the implications of our access to abundant information.

Artificial Intelligence: Thinking Beyond the Technology
Artificial Intelligence: Thinking Beyond the Technology

Nowadays, machines are so technologically advanced that they can handle problems humans are ordinarily responsible for. But, we should view artificial intelligence in cultural rather than technological terms, French AI researcher Alexandre Gefen recently told a UC Santa Barbara audience at an event sponsored by the Comparative Literature Program and the English Department’s Transcriptions Center.

From Student to Teacher: Russian Tutor Victoria Korotchenko
From Student to Teacher: Russian Tutor Victoria Korotchenko

Victoria Korotchenko, the child of Russian immigrants, is combining her knowledge of Russian with a passion for teaching. As a peer tutor at the Campus Learning Assistance Services (CLAS), the third-year UC Santa Barbara student helps teach anything related to Russian to fellow students - from the alphabet to grammar to speaking, or writing.

FOCUS ON FACULTY: Susan Derwin's Writing Workshop for Veterans
FOCUS ON FACULTY: Susan Derwin's Writing Workshop for Veterans

Having the ability to tell your story can change your life – at least according to Susan Derwin, a specialist on trauma studies and a professor in UC Santa Barbara’s Comparative Literature and Germanic and Slavic Studies departments. Derwin has created a space for student veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars – as well as their loved ones  — to employ storytelling in order to both recover from personal trauma and to share their experiences with the public.

As director of the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center (IHC) on campus, Derwin created the course seven years ago and continues to teach it today. The class is titled “Writing Workshop for Student Veterans and Their Loved Ones,” and during the summer there is an opportunity for student veterans from across the entire UC system to participate in a similar workshop.

In a recent interview, Derwin discusses the power of narrative today, a time when many voices continue to go unheard.

ALUMNI ALL-STARS: Julia Marsh
ALUMNI ALL-STARS: Julia Marsh

For many undergraduate students nearing the end of their fourth year, graduating college and entering the real world feels daunting and uncertain. For others, the future after college is clear. UC Santa Barbara alumna Julia Marsh is one of those grads who was ready to forge her way to professional success after building the necessary skills while completing her undergraduate degree. Today, she is a successful graphic designer and graduate student in New York, preparing for a future in a field she loves.

Marsh is a 24-year-old from Carmel, a small town on the coast of Northern California. Her college journey started in 2011. While she loved art, she thought it was too impractical a field to pursue as a career so she chose to study writing. In her freshman year, Marsh decided to apply for a job at The Daily Nexus, the student run newspaper on campus. She became fast friends with the design director at the paper, who convinced her to take an available position working in layout. Within a few short months, she took over the role of design director.