German and Scandinavian Studies at UMass Amherst features courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the languages, literatures, and cultures of the German-speaking countries, Scandinavia, and Finland. Reflecting the recent dramatic changes in Europe, the move toward globalization and changes in the fields dealing with the languages, literatures, and cultures involved, the department has strengthened the interdisciplinary basis of its modern German Studies programs. Courses dealing with issues of representation, historical investigation, and social science methodology are being introduced in combination with literary and cultural studies related to many historical periods.