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Develop high-level German language skills and gain insight into the workings of today’s increasingly globalised world.
This four-year degree programme is jointly taught by the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film and the School of Politics and International Relations, and combines two different, but often complementary, areas of interest. No prior knowledge of German is required.
You'll divide your time equally between the two subjects, with the flexibility to tailor your degree from a wide choice of modules. You’ll learn to engage with political theories, ideas and ideologies, governments and institutions, and comparative politics. You'll become fluent in the German language, taking core modules in written and spoken German at the appropriate level, and study the cultures and histories of Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland.
You’ll spend your third year studying or working in a German-speaking country – immersing yourself in their rich language, culture, politics and history.
The German language modules you take will depend on your entry level. We offer separate classes for beginner, post-GCSE, post-A-level and native speakers.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
You will spend your year abroad in Germany, Austria or German-speaking Switzerland.
You have three options for how to spend your year abroad:
You'll receive approximately 16 hours of weekly contact time, in the form of lectures, seminar group sessions and language classes.
For every hour spent in class, you'll complete a further two to three hours of independent study.
Assessment typically includes a combination of written exams and coursework, final-year dissertations, independent projects and creative journals.
The Schools offer excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:
If you’re interested in learning another language, you can sign up for a course at Queen Mary’s Language Centre, where you can choose from Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, Japanese, Russian, Bengali, Catalan, Italian or Spanish.
Our standard contextual offer: Grades BBC. This must include at least one essay based A-Level in a humanities or social sciences subject. at A-Level. Excludes General Studies, Critical Thinking.
Our enhanced contextual offer (for care experienced students, refugee/asylum seekers or students who have completed Realising Opportunities or Access to Queen Mary): Grades BCC. This must include at least one essay based A-Level in a humanities or social sciences subject. at A-Level. Excludes General Studies, Critical Thinking.
More information on how this information is used for a contextual offer can be found on our contextualised admissions page.
We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.
If your qualifications are not accepted for direct entry onto this degree, consider applying for a foundation programme.
Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.
You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.
See our general undergraduate entry requirements.
UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.
Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.
Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.
Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.
We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.
Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:
German and Politics graduates are highly employable, with invaluable political knowledge and research, analytical and communication skills that open doors to a huge variety of roles. They move into domestic and international careers in government, translating, policy research, education, journalism, media, marketing and business.
As German is an official, procedural and major working language of the EU, knowledge of German gives our graduates an additional advantage in European job markets.
Recent graduates from German and Politics have been hired by:
You’ll have access to bespoke careers support every step of your degree, including personal academic support from the German and Politics Departments. You’ll benefit from regular careers events for language students, including a workshop for students returning from their year abroad, and a Make Languages Work For You speedmeet with alumni.
Our careers team can also offer:
Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.
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The School of the Arts combines innovation, discovery and excellence in education and research in Drama, Film, Modern Languages, English & Comparative Literature, Creative Writing, Linguistics and Liberal Arts. We rank in the top 100 worldwide for Arts and Humanities (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024)
We’re a growing School invested in high-quality teaching, and we pride ourselves on our friendly and informal approach. Our London location is home to the nation’s Parliament, political think tanks and economic powerhouses, we host high-profile speakers, and we offer students regular contact with Westminster, Whitehall and the third sector.
Our staff are active researchers with diverse interests, from British politics to the Middle East, which is reflected in our teaching and the breadth of our programmes.