German

Himmel solnedgång
Here you will find information about the German language, our German Business Communication courses and your opportunities to strengthen your German language skills. At the bottom of the page you will find contact information.

 

Welcome to the German department's pages!

Hier geht’s zur deutschsprachigen Seite der Deutschabteilung 

Germany has been Finland's most important trading partner for many years, and the German-speaking countries - Germany, Austria and Switzerland - are also Finland's most important partners in foreign trade.

German is a major language, with 100 million native speakers in Europe! This means that knowledge of German opens up a wider world and a wider network. The German language opens doors not only to business but also to culture and science. Check out what opportunities German at Hanken has to offer you! 

 

Ikon klassrum

Bra att kurserna också fokuserar på ekonomi. Bra lärare.

 

Hanken studerande

 

Studies in German

The German Department offers Hanken students and non-degree students a wide range of courses at different levels. The German courses at Hanken provide you with the basis for good communication in German in your professional working life. The education focuses on practicing the use of the language so that you can manage and feel comfortable and self-confident when communicating in German in situations relevant to an economist.  

The lower level courses are mainly general language courses, while the higher level courses have a more specialised language focus. However, even at the lower levels there are course elements with economic terminology. In addition to both written and verbal communicative skills, the courses provide knowledge of the social life, economy, culture and history of the German-speaking countries, in order to give students a good foundation for studies and professional activity in these countries.

In Sisu, the prerequisites according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages are described. If you are unsure of your level, please contact us. The German department organises a level test before the start of the academic year to ensure that everyone reaches an appropriate level to start their German studies from, during their first year of study. Further down on this page you will find information about the German level test.

 

Te lower course levels I, II and III:

In order to ensure effective and communicative language studies, German levels I, II and III are offered as contact studies at both locations

 

The higher course levels IV, V and VI:

The higher levels IV, V and VI are offered as Online courses in both locations. From level Deutsch III onwards you will learn business German with an emphasis on work-related content and about building your network in the German-speaking area. 

Level IV will enable you to act confidently in professional contexts and to communicate in both verbal and written situations in business life.

Level V will enable you to express yourself fluently in linguistic and communicative contexts, in negotiations and other more demanding business situations. 

Level VI is preparatory for the Prüfung Wirtschaftsdeutsch International (PWD), which the German Chamber of Commerce organises on all continents to ensure a good basis for recruitment for organisations with networks in the German-speaking area. There are only two universities in Finland that prepare for the PWD and we are pleased to offer this excellent opportunity to Hanken students. Please keep in mind that the opportunity to take the PWD exam continues even after your studies.  

 

 

German as a minor

Choose Intercultural Business Communication in German as a minor (25 ECTS)! The minor is made up of courses that give you a foundation for good communication in German in your professional life. The minor can be taken at both Bachelor's and Master's level.

Even if you don't take many courses in German, you can take optional courses. Each course with its own code can be taken separately. All the courses in the course pool below can be included in the minor in Intercultural Business Communication in German. If you spend a semester abroad as an exchange student in a German-speaking country, you can receive credits in German both for language courses in German and for subject-specific courses in German. Read more about the minor in German here.

 

Courses offered in German

You can take any German course regardless of where you study. All German courses can also be taken by non-degree students. Please note that the German department offers courses at different levels. 

The courses offered within the German department open up under the drop-down menu below. According to Hanken's Teaching Awards system, courses that have received top evaluations from students are noted annually. These are courses that have at least 4 in average on all three questions included in the evaluation form, and at least 35% response rate on the evaluation. These courses are mentioned in Sisu. By entering the course code in the search field in Sisu, you can read more about the course and see whether it has received top evaluations.

 

Courses offered within the German department:

5527-A(-V)  – German I A (Helsinki – Vaasa) (3 ECTS)

5527-A-2-E – German I A Online (Helsinki – Vaasa) (2 ECTS)

5527-B(-V) – German I B (Helsinki – Vaasa) (3 ECTS)

5527-B-2-E – German I B Online (Helsinki – Vaasa) (2 ECTS)

5528-A(-V) – German II A Karriere D (Helsinki – Vaasa) (3 ECTS)

5528-B(-V) – German II B Karriere D (Helsinki – Vaasa) (3 ECTS)

5546(-V) – German III A: German for Economists (Helsinki – Vaasa) (4 ECTS)

5547(-V) – German III B: German for Economists (Helsinki – Vaasa) (4 ECTS)

5551-E – German IV-1: Business Communication (Helsinki – Vaasa) (4 ECTS)

5552-E – German IV-2 Oral Communication: Presenting - Reciting - Convincing (Helsinki – Vaasa) (4 ECTS)

5553-E – German V-1: Intercultural Business Communication (Helsinki – Vaasa) (4 ECTS)

5554-E – German V-2: Business texts - Terminology and Structures (Helsinki – Vaasa)  (4 ECTS)

5555-E – German VI: Business Communication (Helsinki – Vaasa) (4 ECTS)

5557-E – German VI: Current Texts - Economy and society (Helsinki – Vaasa) (2 ECTS)

5550-E – Intercultural Online simulation (Helsinki – Vaasa) (2 ECTS)

5541(-V) – Each one teach one - German (Helsinki – Vaasa) (2 ECTS)

5599(-V) – Exchange Studies in German (Helsinki – Vaasa) (4-8 ECTS)

 

 

Courses offered for non-degree students 

All our German courses can be taken by non-degree students. You can apply for the right to take individual courses here.

 

Search function in Sisu

This page presents the search function in Sisu and how it works. You can find the study sections in German by using the filter Organisation and then selecting "German, Helsinki" or "German, Vaasa". By using the search function in Sisu, you can independently read more about the German courses offered.

 

Language-specific information

Below you will find relevant information about studying German and things that you as a German student will benefit from knowing.

 

The German-speaking countries have a very wide range of universities and fields of study. Many students choose to spend a semester abroad as an exchange student in a German-speaking country. Read more about Hanken's Partner Universities here.

 

 

 

For all first-year students who have chosen to study German as part of their language studies, a German language level test is organised. The purpose of the German language level test is to enable you to start your German studies at the level that suits you best. The level test is organised during the introduction days, at the end of August.

 

 

If you are a degree student at Hanken or if you have graduated from Hanken in the previous three years, you can apply for a grant from the Elisabeth Schuster Fund to attend a German language course in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. Read more about the Elisabeth Schuster grants here.

 

 

The German Chambers of Commerce around the world organise a renowned exam in German Business Communication. Hanken is one of two Finnish universities where students can take the exam as an integrated part of their German studies. The exam is part of the course 5555-E Deutsch VI: Wirtschaftskommunikation. You can read more about the exam on the website of the German-Finnish Chamber of Commerce (AHK Finland). If you intend to take the test, please contact the teachers.

 

 

DaF-Tage is an in-service training for university teachers in German as a foreign language (DaF). The training days are a collaboration between the German departments of Aalto University, University of Turku and Hanken; it is supported by the Goethe Institute in Helsinki. DaF-Tage programmes from previous years can be found here

For more information, please contact: Stefan Kuzay, stefan.kuzay@hanken.fi.

 

 

Contact information 

For further information or if you have any questions, please contact Mia Raitaniemi, subject coordinator of German. You can also find us on the fifth floor of Hanken's building in Helsinki or on the third floor in Hanken's building in Vaasa.

 

Margit Breckle – Lecturer 

Ann-Britt Björkholm – Teacher (hourly-paid)

Stefan Kuzay – Lecturer 

Mia Raitaniemi – Lecturer, subject coordinator of German

 

 

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Mia Raitaniemi
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Margit Breckle

 

Projects and publications within the German department

Research is carried out within the German department. The links below will take you to the German Department's researchers profiles on Hanken's Research Portal HARIS, where Hanken's research output and intellectual resources are collected and presented. In HARIS you can search and browse publications, activities and current projects for all researchers and languages. Read more about the research conducted at the Language Centre as a whole here.

 

Read more!

If you are interested and want to read more about German, follow the link below for more in-depth information.