Gain advanced linguistic skills in French and German and discover the culture and history of two major European languages and their influence on the world.
French is native to France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and the French Caribbean, and is an official language in much of Africa and Asia. German is the most widely spoken language in Western Europe, and German history, science and culture have had a huge impact across the world.
Studying French and German gives you the opportunity to become proficient in two major international languages, and complement your language learning with a broad understanding of history, literature and culture. Fluency in the these two languages, combined with knowledge of political and cultural developments in German- and French-speaking countries, opens up international career opportunities.
Studying at our Canterbury campus gives you a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in both languages. There is a large community of French and German-speaking students on campus, and our proximity to airports, the Channel ports and the Eurostar terminals at Ashford and Ebbsfleet make it quick and easy to get to Paris, Brussels and Lille, and from there to the rest of mainland Europe.
A number of our staff are native speakers and our facilities include multimedia laboratories, which offer a variety of interactive language learning programmes and dictionaries, and access to audio, video and computer-assisted language learning.
You also have the opportunity to take part in a mentoring scheme for secondary school pupils. By helping them to increase their ability to speak, read and write fluently in a foreign language, you will gain valuable work experience for future careers in education or leadership roles in any field.
You are required to spend a year working or studying abroad between your second and final year of study. In previous years, students have studied at our partner institutions in a country appropriate to their programme of study (for French and German this is usually six months in each country). You’ll develop your language skills, grow in self-confidence, gain a new academic perspective, and enhance your employability.
French and German is an ideal combination of subjects to enable you gain a broad cultural understanding and to embark on an international career.
Dr Tobias Heinrich, Lecturer in German, talks about his research into the role of the media in German culture, and what he enjoys most about teaching at Kent.
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Typical requirements are listed below. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice.
Please note that meeting this typical offer/minimum requirement does not guarantee an offer being made.Please also see our general entry requirements.
If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.
BBB including French or German at grade B
The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis.
If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above.
The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances. A typical offer would be to achieve DDM.
34 points overall or 15 points at HL including French or German HL A1/A2/B at 4/5/5 or SL A1/A2/B at 5/6/6
The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.
However, please note that international fee-paying students cannot undertake a part-time programme due to visa restrictions.
If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.
For more advice about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
Duration: 4 years full-time
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.
Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally. You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability.
All German and French BA students are required to spend a Year Abroad between Stages 2 and 3, evenly split between two countries where the respective languages are spoken. You are expected to adhere to any academic progression requirements in Stage 2 to proceed to the Year Abroad. If the requirement is not met, you may have to postpone your Year Abroad.
The Year Abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will not count towards your final degree classification. You spend the year working as an English language assistant or in approved employment, or studying at one of our partner universities. For a full list of our partner universities, please visit Go Abroad.
The 2020/21 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £9,250.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £1,385.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £1,385.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Compulsory language modules typically involve three to four hours of classes per week, including one hour of small group work with a native speaker. We also make extensive use of computer-assisted language learning packages and audio and video materials. Culture and literature modules typically involve a weekly two-hour seminar plus essay supervision. We employ six French language lectors to help students improve their fluency.
At all stages, assessment is based 100% on coursework (essays, oral presentations) in the first half of the year, and a combination of coursework and examination in the second half of the year. Credits from your year abroad count towards your final degree.
Teaching is by a combination of lectures and seminars. You 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, 70:30.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
For programme aims and learning outcomes please see the programmes specification for each subject below. Please note that outcomes will depend on your specific module selection:
German at Kent scored 92% overall in The Complete University Guide 2021. Over 89% of final-year Modern Languages and Linguistics students were satisfied with the quality of teaching on their course in The Guardian University Guide 2020.
French at Kent was ranked 8th for graduate prospects and scored 92% overall in The Complete University Guide 2021. 94% of French graduates who responded to the most recent national survey of graduate destinations were in work or further study within six months (DLHE, 2017).
The ability to speak a European language other than English is a key asset in the global employment market, and many employers view a graduate with overseas experience as more employable. Through your studies, you also acquire many of the transferable skills considered essential by graduate employers. These include the ability to work independently and as part of a team, the confidence to offer creative solutions when faced with challenges and the ability to express your ideas with clarity and passion.
Students of German have successfully completed work placements at a variety of different companies, including international giants such as Siemens and Bosch. Other recent examples of internships include: the Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen in Mainz, a translation agency in Berlin, an oil company in Munich, and the German Bundestag (parliament).
There are numerous employment prospects open to languages graduates, and popular choices include teaching; translation and interpreting, working in international organisations and going into the Armed Forces. Further study options include a PGCE, TEFL, a PhD or Master's in various aspects of French or German language and culture, or another subject altogether.
This course page is for the 2020/21 academic year. Please visit the current online prospectus for a list of undergraduate courses we offer.
T: +44 (0)1227 768896
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk
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