Program Overview

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English and German, MA

Introduction

English and German at Aberdeen gives you all the advantages of the UK’s second most highly-rated research hub for English literature, language and creative writing. You will study this programme within a European, historical and contemporary context through top-rated study of the German language and literature, history and culture. This subject combination is ideal preparation for a career across the creative arts and media, and with the international dimension opening other options too.

Study Information

At a Glance

• Learning Mode: On Campus Learning
• Degree Qualification: MA
• Duration: 48 months
• Study Mode: Full Time
• Start Month: September
• UCAS Code: RQ32

Aberdeen is a leading centre for the study of literature, language and creative writing, rated second in the UK for its research output. You will study poetry and prose through the dynamic relationship between author, reader and literary text, covering every period from Chaucer to contemporary English, Scottish, Irish, European and American writing and the cultural and critical impact of powerful and controversial modern works. You will be inspired by enthusiastic teachers and researchers, themselves acclaimed authors and poets and will be encouraged to develop your own creative writing skills.

German at Aberdeen has an outstanding reputation with the highest possible rating of ‘Excellent’ in the last national Teaching Quality Assessment. You will gain a broad understanding of Germany’s complex history and culture in today’s German-speaking world and enjoy many opportunities to practice your developing language skills informally through the German Society and Drama Group.

As an integral part of your 4-year programme, you will spend half of year three developing your language skills as a teaching assistant or visiting student in a German-speaking country.

You will graduate prepared for careers across the arts, publishing, or media, with the international dimension opening opportunities in business, international organisations, tourism and many other options.

Aberdeen Global Scholarship

The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme.

What You'll Study

Year 1

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Academic Writing for Language & Literature (AW1008)
  • Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)
  • Acts of Reading (EL1009)
• Optional Courses:
  • Controversial Classics (EL1513) AND/OR Rethinking Reading (EL1536)
  • Plus select one of the following options:
    • Beginner - for absolute beginners and those who have studied German for up to 3 years:
      • German for Beginners 1 (GM1054)
      • German for Beginners 2 (GM1554)
      • Background to German Beginners 1 (GM1049) AND/OR Background to German Beginners 2 (GM1549)
    • Advanced - for post-Higher candidates and those who have studied German for more than 4 years:
      • German Language 1 (GM1050)
      • German Language 2 (GM1550)
      • Modern German Culture 1 (GM1052) AND/OR Modern German Culture 2 (GM1556)

Year 2

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Encounters with Shakespeare (EL2011)
  • Modern German Culture 3 (GM2043)
  • Modern German Culture 4 (GM2543)
• Optional Courses:
  • Select one of the following options:
    • Beginner:
      • German Language (Advanced Introductory) 1 (GM2040)
      • German Language (Advanced Introductory) 2 (GM2540)
    • Advanced:
      • German Language 3 (GM2042)
      • German Language 4 (GM2542)

Year 3

• Compulsory Courses:
  • German Junior Honours Language Study (GM3069)
• Optional Courses:
  • Select a total of two courses from the following groups, each from a different group:
    • Medieval/Renaissance:
      • EL30DQ: Knights, Virgins and Viragos, Chaucer and Medieval Writing
      • EL30CP: Page and Stage: Renaissance Writings
      • EL35EJ: Writing Revolt: Literature and Politics in the 17th Century
    • Romantic/Victorian:
      • EL3009: American Innovation
      • EL35XR: Romanticism
      • EL30QA Sympathy for the Devil: Scottish Short Stories
      • EL35SB: Britain and the 19th Century World
      • EL35VB: Bildungsroman to Alien Invasion
    • Contemporary/Modern:
      • EL35KN Haunted Texts
      • EL30FF: Modernism: Make it New
      • EL30UT: Art and Atrocity: Representations of Violence and Trauma
      • EL35UT: Art and Atrocity: Representations of Violence and Trauma
  • Plus one course from the following:
    • EL35WC: Queer Times
    • EL35YB: Creative Writing: Creativity and Craft
    • EL30EH: Classical Epic
    • CE3594: Dangerous Liaisons: Love, Sex and Romance in the Celtic West and Old North
    • EL30VC: Fallen Women and Self-Made Men

Year 4

• Optional Courses:
  • Select one of the following dissertation options:
    • English Dissertation (EL4502)
    • Dissertation in German (GM4052)
  • Plus further course(s) of Level 4 English and German to gain 60 credits in each discipline.

How You'll Study

Learning Methods

• Individual Projects
• Lectures
• Research
• Tutorials

Assessment Methods

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:

• Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course
• Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course
• Written examinations at the end of each course

Why Study English and German?

Why English

• An international profile through major literary projects such as the Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen and the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels of Sir Walter Scott
• The WORD Centre for Creative Writing, promoting creative projects in fiction, non-fiction and collaborative mixed-media in all the languages of northeast Scotland (from Doric to Polish)
• The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, home to literary treasures collected over 500 years, charting the power of the written word from ancient papyri and medieval manuscripts to contemporary e-books and other media
• Historic collections including rare printed books, the 12th century Aberdeen Bestiary, MacBean Stuart and Jacobite Collection, the novels of Sir Walter Scott, and an exceptional collection of Charles Dickens' first editions
• A packed campus programme of student and public events, exhibitions, seminars, invited speakers and the annual WayWORD Festival, welcoming internationally acclaimed authors to discuss literature, including European writers
• Research centres include the nationally recognised Centre for the Novel, the Centre for Modern Thought, and the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies

Why German

• A vibrant international community on campus and across the region, with many German-speaking students, staff and activities to get involved in and practise your language skills
• German Society open to all students interested in German and the German-speaking countries, organising drama performances and other events such as Kaffee and Kuchen, a German Stammtisch, film showings, and visits by German speakers and writers
• German Drama Group providing a great opportunity to produce an annual play, widen your language skills and meet other German students studying in Aberdeen
• Opportunities to study the rich literature and culture of Austria and Switzerland in addition to Germany
• A packed campus programme of events, exhibitions, seminars, invited speakers and the popular annual WayWORD festival, welcoming international figures, experts, authors and scientists to campus
• Your period abroad as a language assistant or visiting student - we have exchange scholarships with the Universities of Zurich, Kiel and Greifswald, and Erasmus partners including Leipzig, Cologne, Bonn, Trier and Graz in Austria

Entry Requirements

Qualifications

• SQA Highers:
  • Standard: AABB
  • Minimum: BBB
  • Adjusted: BB
• A LEVELS:
  • Standard: BBB
  • Minimum: BBC
  • Adjusted: CCC
• International Baccalaureate: 32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL
• Irish Leaving Certificate: 5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3

English Language Requirements

• IELTS Academic: OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
• TOEFL iBT: OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
• PTE Academic: OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
• Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169

Fees and Funding

• EU / International students: £20,800
• Home Students: £1,820
• England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland: £9,535

Careers

There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success. The Careers and Employability Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us, from first to final year – and beyond.