German
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Location: | Canterbury |
| Award: | BA (Hons) |
| Type: | Full-time |
| Options: | A year studying in Europe. |
| Further information | |
| Download: | Subject leaflet |
| Online: | Department |
German is a culturally and commercially extremely important language. Within Europe, it is spoken by more people than English or French. Worldwide, it is the third most widely used language on the internet, after English and Japanese. It is frequently used as a second language in Eastern Europe, where it serves as a means of communication across international boundaries. Fluency in the German language, combined with knowledge of the political and cultural development of the German-speaking world, opens up career opportunities in many parts of the continent. We specialise in teaching the language, literature and culture of the German-speaking world of today, and exploring its literary and social history.
Along with the other European language sections, German has state-of-the art computing and audio-visual facilities and many modules make extensive use of the internet. We benefit from having a full-time Lektorin supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). All our courses offer the opportunity to spend a year either studying at a partner university, or teaching English, or working in a Germanspeaking country.
Degree programmes
Single honours
Did you know?
Kent was ranked 7th in the UK for Other Languages and Area Studies in the 2009 National Student Survey.
- German (R220)
Joint honours
These are some of the more popular joint honours degrees. For other combinations, see the Honours Degree Quick Reference Guide (pdf).
German and…
- Business Administration (NR22)
- Computing (RG24)
- Drama (RW24)
- English and American Literature (QR32)
- French (RR12)
- Hispanic Studies (RR24)
- History (RV21)
- Italian (RR23)
Core modules
Stage 1
You take 60 credits of compulsory modules and 60 credits of options.
Core modules
- German post A Level
- Images of Germany 1945-2000
- Speak Proper German!
- Varieties of German Writing
Options
A wide range of options drawn from the list in the Faculty of Humanities.
Stage 2/3
Core modules
- German Advanced
Options
- Contemporary German Literature
- Desire and Identity in Modern Germany
- Gender and Identity in the Age of Goethe
- German Dissertation
- German Fiction and the Third Reich
- German Modernism
- The German Novelle and Short Story
- German Past, Present and Future
- Looking into German 1 and 2
- The Lyric Imagination
Plus modules drawn from a wide range in the Faculty of Humanities.
Year abroad
You spend a year in Germany or Austria studying at a university of your choice, including the exchange universities with which we have partnership agreements: Erlangen, Freiburg, Jena, Marburg and Heidelberg; or working as an English language assistant in a school; or possibly working in some other types of employment (excluding factories, hotels and work with families).
Teaching and assessment
Teaching is by a combination of lectures and seminars. You also have regular teaching and conversation sessions with German native speakers.
Assessment at Stage 1 is by 100% coursework (essays, class participation) in the first half of the year, and a 50:50 combination of coursework and examination in the second half of the year. At Stage 2/3, depending on the modules you select, assessment varies from 100% coursework (extended essays or dissertation), to a combination of examination and coursework, in a ratio that will normally be 50:50, 60:40.
Entry requirements
Passing the Kent Foundation Programme for International Students guarantees you entry onto the first year of these degree programmes.
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Offer levels
Single honours: A/AS level 320 points (3.5 A level equivalents) inc AB at A level, IB Diploma 33 points inc 4/5/5 in HL German A1/A2/B or 5/6/6 in SL German A/A2/B or IB Diploma with 16 points at Higher 4/5/5 in HL German A1/A2/B or 5/6/6 in SL German A/A2/B.
Joint honours: A/AS level 300/320 points (3.5 A level equivalents) inc BC/BB/AB at A level, IB Diploma 33 points inc 4/5/5 in HL German A1/A2/B or 5/6/6 in SL German A/A2/B or IB Diploma with 15/16 points at Higher 4/5/5 in HL German A1/A2/B or 5/6/6 in SL German A/A2/B.
Required subjects
- A level German grade B
Careers
Recent graduates have gone into careers such as teaching German, teaching EFL, translation, accountancy, law, customs, finance, publishing and journalism.
