MA French and German

The programme details of this course are provided by School of Modern Languages. The School of Modern Languages houses seven subjects – Arabic, Comparative Literature, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish – and three Research Institutes – European Cultural Identity Studies, Contemporary and Comparative Literature, and Linguistics. We are one of the leading Schools of Modern Languages and Literatures in the UK and we are the first in Scotland. Our results in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008) were excellent, with German rated second in the UK, French fourth and Spanish ninth. Our teaching and research are inextricably linked through a combination of high-powered training in languages, literatures and cultures and modern pedagogic methods and world leading scholarship in subjects ranging from medieval to twenty-first century texts.

As a Joint Honours degree student you can expect the teaching, learning and assessment of and in French and German to be to a high level. You can expect to have the opportunity to engage with a number of specialist topics including for example French language, literature, culture, history, politics and film in both French and English, German language, literature, culture, history, politics and film in both English and German. All languages in the School require students to take specialised Senior Honours modules specific to the languages. It may be possible to spend a semester or year studying abroad as part of this degree programme.  

Students put together their programme of studies by selecting a combination of compulsory and optional modules from our Course Catalogue. The Catalogue describes each module and gives information about the learning, teaching and assessment methods used. Some courses available for the program are:

• FR3001 French Language 1. The module aims to give a fundamental training at Honours level in written and aural comprehension skills, objective résumé writing, oral and written fluency, and in translation from French to English. It is intended as the basic practical language unit for all categories of student.
• FR3002 French Language 2. Building on FR3001, the module aims to complete foundational training at Honours level, taking in written and aural comprehension skills, analytical résumé writing, oral and written fluency, and translation from English to French. It is intended as the basic practical language unit for all categories of student and may be a specific prerequisite for FR4105. This module may be replaced by Junior Honours second semester abroad at a partner institution. It may not be omitted for any other reason.
• FR3021 An Introduction to the French Classical Period. This module aims to give a general introduction to the broader concerns of the literature of seventeenthcentury France, looking at elements of development in the literary genres, while relating them to fundamental changes in the society of the time. Prescribed texts will be drawn from authors such as Corneille, Racine, Molière, Madame de la Fayette and La Fontaine.
• FR3063 De Gaulle and Since: Topics in the Politics, Culture and Society of the Fifth Republic (1). Taught entirely in French, this module explores through literary texts, but also films, press extracts and video documents, the politics, culture and society of the Fifth Republic instituted by Charles de Gaulle. Major themes include: wartime France (collaboration and resistance); the Algerian War; de Gaulle's political thought; the Constitution of the Fifth Republic.
• FR3077 Twenty-First-Century French Fiction. The aim of this module is to introduce students to representative works of contemporary French fiction, where 'contemporary' indicates a period of time no greater than fifteen years from the present day. At least two texts will be published in the 21st century. Set texts will be selected with a view to revealing emerging thematic and stylistic trends in French literature, which might currently include: literature post 9/11; representations of 'the Far East' (China and Japan); new perspectives on WWII; faith(s) today; influence of the visual (e.g. film) on the written text.
• FR3078 Writing the Self in Twentieth- and Twenty-first Century French literature. This module explores critical theories relating to écriture de soi as well as a variety of recent autobiographical and autofictional practices, reflecting significant trends in twentieth- and twenty-first century French literature. Texts included in the corpus will prompt discussions on childhood, memory, (life)-writing, language, education and identity. Students will be encouraged to adopt a comparative approach in order to reveal the interdisciplinary nature of life-writing, the use of photography, fiction and imagination in autobiography and autofiction, and to conceptualise potential links between genre and gender.
• FR3101 French Integrated Year Abroad. The objective of the module is language learning and cultural familiarisation through a work placement in a French-speaking country. Placements will be as Language Assistants in schools or on other assignments approved by the department. Formal learning and assessment will be through: (i) a supervised project of 5,000 words in French chosen in consultation with the module coordinator. Guided stages (unassessed) of the dissertation to be submitted at various specified points during the year, across both semesters. The dissertation to be submitted in May. (ii) a 10-minute oral exam in French to be sat upon the student’s return to St Andrews after the WIYA year, during which the year abroad experience will be presented and discussed.
• FR4103 Translation Methodology 1. The module gives a progressive, intensive training in the method and practice of translating from French into English. Topics covered include: translation as process and product; cultural issues in translation; translation and the formal properties of texts. A wide range of material is used, from technical texts, through consumer-oriented texts to poetry and song.
• FR4104 Translation Methodology 2. The module gives a progressive, intensive training in the method and practice of translating from French into English. Topics covered include: translation and language variety, translation and textual genres, technical translation, editing, aspects of contrastive linguistics. A wide range of material is used, from technical texts, through consumer-oriented texts to literary texts.
• FR4105 Communication Skills in French 1. The module aims to develop communicative skills, both written and spoken. It follows a text- and videobased method designed by the department which enables students to present ideas and opinions clearly and persuasively, in appropriate registers of French. 
• FR4111 Discovering the Renaissance: Imitation, Interpretation and Imagination. The sixteenth century is a time of invention and discovery: it is a time of broadening horizons, both literally - following Columbus's discovery of the New World - and metaphorically, as the wide-scale dissemination of knowledge becomes possible through the new medium of print. Yet it is also a time of instability and conflict, marked by the "invention" of gunpowder and by the growing schism between Catholics and Protestants, culminating in the horrors of the French religious wars. This module introduces students to a range of French Renaissance writers - from the seminal to the quirky - and examines how they respond to these shifting perspectives, which offer exciting intellectual and imaginative possibilities while casting serious doubt on ancient sources of knowledge and belief. The radical shift in literary authority that ensues encapsulates the humanism, scepticism and questions of identity that define the Renaissance.
• GM3005 German Language 1. This is a core language module for all students in the first semester of the first year of the Honours programme. It aims to develop written and spoken German language skills. Two weekly classes are taught by native-language tutors. The module is based on a textbook which includes a wide range of different activities and registers. Students' work includes reading comprehension, discussion of issues raised by texts and audio-visual, a variety of written responses, and revision of aspects of grammar.
• GM3073 The Mediaeval Short Story. The earliest German short stories, know as Maren, were funny tales about beautiful princesses, clever wives, stupid priests, wandering body parts, crossed-dressed knights, intrigue and mayhem. Using comedy, they explore some of the most problematic aspects of mediaeval culture, such as class, gender and religion. Long disregarded as popular culture, Maren have recently emerged as one of the most fascinating areas of mediaeval fiction. This module introduces students to the genre and some of its key topics.
• GM3080 Grammatical Rules and Lexical Exceptions in Modern German. Grammatical rules and lexical exceptions in modern German are considered against the background of Saussurean structuralism and in relation to language teaching. Saussure said that a language is a system, and languages do indeed have rules, in their grammar. But most rules of grammar have a long list of unexplained exceptions - why? The view taken in this module is that unexplained exceptions indicate that the grammarians have got the rule wrong. We look at two rules of modern German to see how a close examination of their unexplained exceptions can point to a new and better rule: the passive and nonpassivisable transitive verbs; and tense formation and strong verbs.
• GM3081 Words and their Functions in Modern German. This module focuses on vocabulary in modern German (in contrast to GM3080, which focuses on grammar), on words and their categorisation, structure and functions. We begin by looking at the functional (as opposed to structural) approach to language, which sees language as action and effects rather than as a static grammar + lexicon. We consider three approaches to the categorization of German vocabulary, i.e. the parts of speech: categorisation by syntax, by morphology, and by semantics. Two areas of language and politics are discussed: feminist linguistics, and Nukespeak. Finally, we examine word formation in German, covering compounds, prefixes, suffixes, conversion, and morphological transparency versus opacity.
• GM3101 German Integrated Year Abroad. The objective of the module is language learning and cultural familiarisation through a work placement in a German-speaking country. Placements will be as Language Assistants in schools or on other assignments approved by the department. Formal learning and assessment will be through: (i) a supervised project of 5,000 words in German chosen in consultation with the module co-ordinator. Guided stages (unassessed) of the dissertation to be submitted at various specified points during the year, across both semesters. The dissertation to be submitted in May. (ii) a 10-minute oral exam in German to be sat upon the student’s return to St Andrews after the WIYA year, during which the year abroad experience will be presented and discussed.
• GM4072 German Classicism. Whether it is in authors like Goethe and Schiller, or works like Iphigenie, and Maria Stuart, or concepts like 'Bildung', the cultural legacy of the short period of 'Weimar Classicism in Germany and Europe is undeniable and omnipresent. This module assesses the scope of this literary achievement and what lay behind it. The focus of the module will be on the close analysis of a range dramatic and poetic texts (such as Tasso, Tell, and Hölderlin's odes) studied in their intellectual and biographical contexts. In reading the 'classics' of German literature, we will be asking, what makes a 'classic'? Why did Germany feel it had to have a classical age at the end of the eighteenth-century? And what is specific about German Classicism in the context of other European 'Classicisms'?
• GM4098 Dissertation on German Topic. The dissertation offers students the possibility of personal advanced study on a topic on which they already have adequate basic knowledge and for which a suitable Supervisor can be found. Guidance will be offered on research methods and on presentation. The dissertation can be either a) a study of a given body of primary material in a given perspective, or b) a critical review of a range of secondary material on a given subject. It should be no more than 5,000 words in length, be submitted in accordance with guidelines and deadlines, and normally be written in English. 

General Requirements for International Students

All places at the University are subject to availability. Selection for the offer of a place will include consideration of some or all of the following information as part of the candidate's application. The information required can differ between Schools.

• academic qualifications (actual or predicted) appropriate for the proposed course
• academic references
• a sample of written work (where appropriate)
• evidence of appropriate levels of English language ability
• a CV and relevant experience for the proposed programme of study or research (where appropriate)
• an ATAS certificate (where appropriate)
• a research proposal (for research degrees, where required by the School)

Consideration will also be given to the following:

• whether the proposed programme of study can reasonably be completed within the designated timeframe
• whether there are appropriate resources and supervision available

Confidentiality will be appropriately maintained throughout the admissions process.

Decisions regarding admission are based upon a recommendation by the Head of the relevant School. Decisions will be:

• consistent
• based on the judgment of appropriately trained and experienced members of staff
• communicated to the applicant in an appropriate and timely manner
• clear and unambiguous

Entry qualifications

The University of St Andrews is not obliged to make an offer of a place to any candidate, even if he/she has gained published grades for entry. No applicant will be guaranteed admission on the basis of examination grades alone.

• Candidates will usually have, or be expected to obtain, an undergraduate degree at upper second-class level or higher (or the overseas equivalent) in the relevant subject, or a relevant postgraduate qualification.
• Where a candidate lacks a suitable first degree, alternative mechanisms for assessing qualifications and preparedness, reflecting professional or other work experience, may be used.
• Interviews with candidates may be used as part of the admissions process. Applicants will be clearly informed whether and when an interview is required.
• All students whose first language is not English must satisfy both the UKBA’s regulations for entry to the UK as an overseas student and the University's English language proficiency requirements. Pre-sessional courses run by English Language Teaching are designed to develop students’ language and study skills before the start of their degree programme.  Attendance should be a condition of admission whenever language proficiency is not assured. These courses will also provide an enhanced awareness of academic culture and scholarship skills required for successful engagement with programmes at the University.
• Before the start of a co-tutelle or collaborative PhD, an agreement signed by the relevant authorities in both Universities must already be in place.

Requirements for Applicants from Russia

Postgraduate candidates from Russia will be expected to hold a Russian Bachelor’s degree - Diplom Bakalavra/ Bakalavr Diploma or a Specialist Degree issued by the Russian Federation -  Specialist Diploma / Diplom Specialista.  In either case, students should have completed their degree with an average mark (grade) of 4 or higher on the Russian 5-point marking scale. Students with higher level qualifications such as Magistr, the Kandidat Nauk, would also be considered for postgraduate study.

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

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Funded by the University

The following scholarships are funded by the University of St Andrews and generous donations are made by alumni and friends of the University of St Andrews, charitable trusts and other organisations and companies.

• Accommodation Award
  For all new postgraduate students, based on financial need. This scholarship can only be used to reduce the cost of University accommodation.
• Carnegie/Caledonian Postgraduate Scholarships 
  For students born in Scotland, of Scottish descent or who have been resident in Scotland for at least three years.
• Commonwealth Scholarships: Developed Countries 
  For students who are permanently resident in the Bahamas, Brunei Darussalam, Cyprus, Malta, New Zealand, or Singapore and meet the application criteria. 
• Commonwealth Scholarships: Developing Countries 
  For students who are permanently resident in a developing Commonwealth country and meet the application criteria.
• Recent Graduate Discount 
  For postgraduate students who have graduated from the University of St Andrews in the last three years.
• Sheana and Pierre Rollin Scholarship 
  For postgraduate students who are studying any research course within the Faculty of Arts.
• Thomas and Margaret Roddan Trust Bursary 
  For all new and current postgraduate students; based on financial need and academic excellence.

Offered by Academic Schools and Units

The following scholarships are offered by Academic Schools and Units within the University.

• Music Centre scholarships 
  For students who have been accepted at the University and can demonstrate musical merit.
• Saints Sports scholarships 
  Funding may be available to students who show exceptional abilities and potential in sport whilst studying at St Andrews.
• School of Modern Languages Awards 
  A range of scholarships for students studying within the School of Modern Languages.

External

The following scholarships are administered and funded outside the University of St Andrews but may be available to eligible students who wish to attend the University.

• Aga Khan Foundation 
  For outstanding students from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar or Mozambique who have no other means of financing their studies.
• Azerbaijan Ministry of Education scholarship 
  For students from Azerbaijan who have applied to St Andrews.
• Bolashak Scholarships 
  For students from Kazakhstan.
• Civil Society Scholar Awards 
  For students undertaking doctoral studies in the humanities or social sciences who normally live in one of the following locations: select countries of Eastern and Central Europe, the former Soviet Union and Mongolia, the Middle East/Near East, and South Asia.
• Entrepreneur Scholarship Programme 
  For undergraduate and postgraduate students who can demonstrate academic excellence and entrepreneurial potential.
• Georgia IEC Academic Scholarship
  For graduate students from Georgia who commit to work in civil service.
• Russia Global Education Program (GEP)
  For Russian Federation citizens seeking to undertake postgraduate studies. 
• The Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association 
  For eligible students who can demonstrate academic excellence.