German Studies and Modern Languages

Description

Our BA German Studies and Modern Languages allows you to study two or three languages, with two modules in German taken each year, which must be studied to mastery level. Additionally, the year abroad must be spent in a country where German is spoken.

Surprisingly, almost a quarter of the population of the EU speaks German as their first language. Countries include (apart from the obvious Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Italy and Belgium, where German has full or regional official status. Taking into account the number of people who speak German as a second or third language, we find that almost one third of the population of the EU is able to understand and communicate in German. In the EU, it is thus only second to English, and is spoken by more people than French, Italian, and Spanish.

Your chances of employability, certainly within the EU, will increase substantially if you speak German. Some companies pay their employees an extra bonus, if they can speak German and know about German culture. Your third year of study is spent abroad, during which you experience, engage with and integrate into German culture, either by a period of study at a partner institution (currently at Berlin and Trier) offering the opportunity to operate in a different academic, linguistic and cultural environment, or by working as a language assistant and thereby acquiring valuable vocational experience of working abroad.

During your studies, you acquire a variety of key skills, ranging from presentation and communication skills, to multimedia and research skills. In terms of personal development, our course is designed to widen your view on many topics, such as history, popular culture, politics, history and film, and to help build up your confidence through different levels of involvement in the classes, eg participation, presentation, leading of activities and researching projects.

We offer you small classes, close contact to your tutors, involvement with other native speakers, and a creative and an enthusiastic teaching environment. We have state-of-the-art laboratories, with specialist software not only for language learning but also for acquiring professional (eg multimedia) skills.

Detailed Course Facts

• GBP 9000 Year (EEA)
• GBP 11950 Year (Non-EEA)

• English

Course Content

The special characteristics of our course are flexibility and choice. In your first, second and final years you take two compulsory modules and two optional language modules. You spend your third year abroad. There is a great deal of choice for these optional modules due to the extensive range of modules offered by our departments.
With a small number of exceptions, if you successfully complete the first year of your BA, then you are qualified to enter the second year of that course and a range of other courses: for example, if you take economics, politics, philosophy and sociology, then you have a choice of at least nine possible single or joint honours courses at the end of your first year. This means you can change your course, providing you have taken the appropriate pre-requisites and places are available.
We operate a credit framework for our awards, which is based on principles widely used across the UK university sector. Each module has a credit rating attached and our standard three-year course consists of 360 credits (120 credits in your first year, and 240 credits across your second and final years).
Please note that module information on our course finder provides a guide to course content and may be subject to review on an annual basis.

Year 1

Advanced German;
German Professional and Multimedia Skills; and
two language options

Year 2

Proficiency Level German;
German Cinema and Culture; and
two language options

Year 3

Year abroad

Year 4

Mastery Level German;
German Translation, Interpreting and Subtitling Skills; and
two language options

English Language Requirements

IELTS band : 6

To study at this university, you have to speak English. We advice you to

Requirements

• A-levels: ABB-BBB
• GCSE English: C
• IB: 32-30 points (we consider IB certificates at the Higher Level on a case-by-case basis)
• Achievement of the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 6 level three credits at distinction and the remainder at merit (or above) or achievement of the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 45 level three credits at merit (or above).
• If French or Portuguese is taken as the major language, A-level French or Portuguese/Spanish (or equivalent) is required. German, Italian and Spanish can be studied as the major language either from scratch, via our intensive route, or via our post A-level route. All languages can be studied from scratch as the minor language.
• If you are interested in studying a language for which you consider yourself to be a native speaker, please contact our Undergraduate Admissions Office.

English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall with minimum 5.5 in each component (or equivalent). Different requirements apply for second year entry

Work Experience

No work experience is required.

Related Scholarships*

• Academic Excellence Scholarship

  "The Academic Excellence Scholarship can provide up to a 50 % reduction in tuition per semester. These scholarships will be renewed if the student maintains superior academic performance during each semester of their 3-year Bachelor programme. The scholarship will be directly applied to the student’s tuition fees."

• Access Bursary

  Bursary for UK students all subjects where the variable tuition fee rate is payable.

• Alumni Bursary

  Alumni Bursary for UK Undergraduate students

* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than University of Essex.

Funding

For up-to-date information on funding opportunities at Essex, please visit: www.essex.ac.uk/studentfinance.