German and Russian Studies at Bates

Visit the full German and Russian Studies site

The Department of German and Russian Studies explores the interconnections between history, society, culture, and language within German- and Russian- speaking countries.

The department offers a German major, a German minor, and a Russian minor. In the German studies program, students will learn German and gain a full 360-degree view on German culture. In the Russian studies program, students will focus on the Russian language as well as gain insight into the region through a variety of cultural works, both in Russian and in translation.

Contact Us

Indya Childs, Academic Administrative Assistant
9 Andrews Road, Lewiston, ME 04240
Roger Williams
Phone: 1-207-786-8293 ichilds@bates.edu

What You Will Learn

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The German or Russian language through original materials, including literary texts, films, speeches, and interviews
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How to think critically and make interdisciplinary connections
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To practice the German or Russian language beyond the classroom by speaking with fellow students and faculty at regularly held conversational tables
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Analytical and public speaking skills through presentations at Bates and at regional and national conferences
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An appreciation for the richness and diversity of the German and Russian-speaking worlds
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The skills and sensitivity needed to be a global citizen

Life After Bates

Students from the German and Russian studies department are regularly awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships, prestigious national grants to live, work, and teach abroad for a year after graduation. Graduates go on to attend graduate school and embark on successful careers in a variety of fields, including international business and trade, government, law, and NGOs, as well as the arts, culture, and media.

94%

of 2020-2024 Bates graduates are employed and/or attending graduate school — settled into their next opportunity within 6 months of graduation.

Selected Places of Employment/Service
  • Barclays
  • Nativity Preparatory School
  • Cetrulo LLP
  • Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School
  • The Windward School
  • Fulbright
Selected Graduate Schools
  • Medical School Berlin
  • Columbia University
  • Georgetown University
  • Harvard University
  • Boston College
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Bentley University
Students and family members attend an Intro German Language class in Pettengill Hall during the annual Back to Bates event.
A professor points to the projector screen while participating in a multidisciplinary panel of Bates faculty in Pettengill Hall to discuss military, political, and humanitarian conflicts surrounding the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A student gives a presentation titled “Feeling of Being Home” about integration into a foreign country during a German Literature and Identity panel at the Mount David Summit.
Bates professors participate in a multidisciplinary panel of Bates faculty in Pettengill Hall to discuss military, political, and humanitarian conflicts surrounding the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A professor teaches a master class on Berlin literature, film, and urban landscape during an Admitted Students Reception in Hathorn Hall.
An associate professor teaches a German Language and Culture course in Roger Williams Hall.
Why Study German and Russian Studies at Bates?

The German and Russian studies department offers a highly personalized academic approach, featuring small, engaging classes and one-on-one mentorship with faculty. The department is for everyone, regardless of prior language experience. Students new to these languages start in introductory courses, while those with previous knowledge will be placed at the appropriate level. In addition, students have the opportunity to study abroad and can apply for summer research assistantships, where they will work directly with faculty.

Featured Courses

Meet the Faculty

The faculty works closely with students to provide an individualized experience that aligns with students’ specific interests. Faculty members have a wide range of specialties, including 19th through 21st century German and East-Central European literatures and culture, German-Polish relationships through the lens of border studies, socialist realism, and the Soviet history of science.

Photo of Raluca Cernahoschi

Raluca Cernahoschi

Associate Professor of German and European Studies

German, European Studies Chair
Photo of Jakub J. Kazecki

Jakub J. Kazecki

Professor of German and European Studies

German, European Studies
Photo of Marina Filipovic

Marina Filipovic

Visiting Lecturer in Russian

Russian
Photo of Cheryl A. Stephenson

Cheryl A. Stephenson

Visiting Lecturer in Russian

Russian

News & Events

Moments from around Bates College campus captured on August 12, 2026. (Theophil Syslo | Bates College)
September 17, 2026

Reentry Sisters join Bates courses

This fall, in addition to the 552 first-year students and 13 transfer students, an additional five students enrolled in a few courses across campus: previously incarcerated women joined first-year seminars through  the Reentry Sisters Alumni Scholar Program.

Ian del Rio Viera ‘29, of Bolivia, leads a tour around campus on July 21, 2026.(Theophil Syslo | Bates College)
September 17, 2026

Bates welcomes the last of this year’s new faculty

Bates welcomed 11 new tenured or tenure-track faculty for the 2026-2027 academic year, and Bates News is highlighting these faculty in three installments. Read about our new faculty here and here, and read below for the final group of new faculty this year.

Natalie Gersen ’28, Belmont, Mass., poses for a portrait on campus September 15, 2026. (Theophil Syslo | Bates College)
September 17, 2026

Bates student honored as Newman Civic Fellow

Natalie Gersen ‘28 of Belmont, Mass., has been named a Newman Civic Fellow through Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities working to advance the public purposes of higher education.