German and Spanish MA (Hons)

German

If you have not studied German before, you will take German 1A, an intensive language course. 

If your entry qualification for German is a Scottish Higher, A level, or equivalent, you will take German 1B. This course covers language as well as literature and culture from 1770 CE to the present day. 

On our German 1B course, you will also have the chance to interview a German-speaking professional working in Edinburgh or Glasgow. This will give you the opportunity to:

• practise professional communication 
• discover the value of languages in the workplace 
• gain insights into possible career options

Read 'Conversation to career starter' - our feature on the German interview

Spanish

You will study either Spanish 1A or 1B, depending on your language skills. Typically, students on Spanish 1B come to University with substantially more experience of studying Spanish than students on Spanish 1A.

As well as developing your language skills, both the 1A and 1B courses will introduce you to a diverse selection of cultural texts and films from across the Spanish-speaking world.

Option courses

You will complete your Year 1 studies with option courses chosen from a wide range offered by the University.

You can, for example, opt to study another language. We offer one of the widest ranges of languages of any UK university, including Basque, Catalan, Dutch and Portuguese. The majority are suitable for complete beginners and include cultural study. 

Other options include, but are not limited to, courses in:

• linguistics and language sciences
• business, economics and informatics
• politics, social policy, social anthropology and international relations
• art and architectural history
• history, classics and archaeology 
• Celtic and Scottish ethnology
• philosophy, divinity and law

German

You will further develop your oral language skills. You will also practise translation, grammar, and writing different types of texts in German. 

You will continue to study German-language literature and culture, choosing at least two courses from a range of options. These are likely to include:

• Researching Disability in German Literature and Society 
• Culture, Modernity and the City in the Weimar Republic 
• Reading Antisemitism in Modern German Literature 
• The Contemporary Short Story in German 
• Screening Sex: Gender, Sexuality, and Identity on the German Screen and Beyond
• Migration in German-Language Discourse 
• German Colonialism: History, Memory, Controversy 

Spanish

Students of 1A and 1B will come together in our Spanish Language 2 course. This course will help you communicate your ideas in Spanish using more nuanced grammatical structures, vocabulary and syntax. In both your spoken and written work, you will gain confidence in expressing yourself in Spanish, ready to study or work abroad in Year 3.

You will also take a further course on the literatures and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. You'll be introduced to different genres and artistic currents which demonstrate how culture has reflected, shaped and contested reality from the sixteenth century to the present day.

Option courses

As in Year 1, you will choose from a range of option courses. 

These option courses include a great selection in European languages and cultures that explore literature, film and theatre in themed and comparative contexts.

Typical option courses include:

• Cultural Responses to War 
• Migration, Exile, Diaspora 
• Crime and Detection in Literature 
• Gender and Culture
• The Coming-of-Age Narrative 
• Introduction to European Cinema 
• Dynamics of Language and Power 
• Languages Beyond University

Alternatively, you can opt to study:

• another language such as Basque, Catalan, Dutch or Portuguese
• different aspects of linguistics (depending on what you have studied in Year 1)

You will spend Year 3 abroad, dividing your time between two countries. This is when you will really deepen your knowledge of German and Spanish by speaking them daily and immersing yourself in local cultures.

Living abroad will also give you the wider perspective, experience and skills to embrace the opportunities and challenges of life after university.

How much time will I spend abroad?

You will spend a minimum of 30 weeks abroad. You will divide your time between a country in which German is spoken and one in which Spanish is spoken.

To give you a balanced experience, you will spend at least eight weeks in each of your two destinations. How you further divide your time abroad is typically based on whether you study, work or combine the two.

Where can I go?

Transforming classroom learning into a lived experience, you will study or work in countries where either German or Spanish is spoken.

For German, we currently have exchange places with partner universities in:

• Berlin
• Augsburg
• Hamburg
• Heidelberg
• Tübingen
• Freiburg
• Leipzig
• Mainz
• Vienna

For Spanish, you can typically study at partner universities in Spain and Latin America countries; Argentina, Chile and Mexico.

It may also be possible to work in a wider range of countries in which either German or Spanish is spoken. If you are considering working abroad, the first step is to start thinking about where you would like to go. Visa requirements and application processes vary between countries, so it is a good idea to find out what documentation you will need and whether you are eligible to get it.

Study or work?

When you are abroad, you can typically choose to either:

• study in one or two destinations
• work in one or two destinations
• study in one destination and work in another

If you choose to study, you will take classes at one or two of the universities where we have available exchange opportunities. This means that you will spend either:

• two semesters at a single institution 
• one semester at two different institutions (in different destinations)

A work placement abroad is another way to gain an international perspective, build professional networks and prepare you for your career after university.

Once you have checked if you are eligible to work abroad, and have talked through your plans with us, you might choose to do one or more placements. For example, you could:

• arrange to work or volunteer with a private company or charity
• apply to an established placement scheme, such as the British Council’s English Language Assistants programme

Whatever you decide to do, your time abroad is a chance for you to evolve and grow beyond Edinburgh. It adds an international dimension to your studies, showing future employers that you are open to new ideas and experiences.

Coursework while abroad

We will aim to ensure your experience abroad is as beneficial as possible to your final year, as well as to your wider language learning and cultural awareness.

Regardless of whether you study or work abroad, you will take e-learning courses in both German and Spanish to prepare you for your Year 4 language courses. These courses will count as part of your Year 3 marks, alongside any coursework arranged by your host university (if studying abroad).

Depending on your Year Abroad activities, you also begin preparing for your dissertation while abroad, guided by your dissertation supervisor.

You will take advanced German and Spanish language classes covering:

• spoken German and Spanish 
• essay and précis writing 
• German-to-English and Spanish-to-English translation of literary and journalistic texts

In addition to these core courses, you will also choose from a wide range of specialist, honours-level courses on German, Spanish and Latin American:

• film
• literature
• history
• politics 
• language
• linguistics
• media and cultural production

Building on all the knowledge and skills you have developed over four years, including in independent research, you will complete a dissertation or long essay in either German or Spanish.