About German, BA - at University of Exeter
Studying German at the University of Exeter gives you the opportunity to learn about the culture, literature and society of the German-speaking countries, in particular Germany and Austria. These countries have a rich cultural past and play a vital role at the heart of today’s Europe, where the old European Union meets the new EU accession states. The German language is a passport to a rich and diverse community of 120 million speakers, to a treasure house of European culture and to a major economy whose influence reaches out across the world.
We are an enthusiastic team of dedicated researchers and teachers and pride ourselves on the friendly, supportive environment we provide for our students. We offer the opportunity to develop excellent written and oral language skills with the support of trained native speakers as well as the chance to engage in an unusually varied and intellectually stimulating programme of study. This reflects the distinctive breadth of our research interests which cover a wide area of German language, literature and culture, ensuring that you have access to the latest knowledge and ideas, taught by experts in their fields.
Our first-year course, especially designed to help in the transition from A level to university, introduces key developments in the history, culture and literature of Germany and Austria from the late Middle Ages to the present day. Lectures are supported by seminars in which students are guided on how to develop their expertise in essay writing and critical analysis.
Second and final-year students select from a range of options covering diverse subject matter – from Luther to German cinema, from Goethe to the political and cultural history of 20th-century Berlin. Students who go to a German-speaking country in their third year choose one of three options: either they take part in one of our numerous exchanges with universities such as Vienna, Frankfurt or Kiel, or they teach English under the scheme run by the British Council, or take a work placement, which may be part-funded by the Erasmus scheme.
We’ll train you to a high level of proficiency in reading, writing and speaking German. Our programme is also designed to help you develop personal and transferable skills such as analysis, communication, oral presentation and independent learning. Our students leave with the intellectual training and analytic skills required in today’s workplace. Career paths include the diplomatic service, law, employment with German firms, journalism, education, the finance sector and translation/interpreting.
