Subject guide to German
German at Manchester
From Weimar culture to contemporary Berlin, German-speaking countries offer rich cultural and historical perspectives. Though our connections with the Goethe Institute and the Austrian Cultural Forum, students can engage with a range of cultural events that add further depth to their university studies.
Students gain a comprehensive grounding in the German language, while deepening their understanding of German culture, linguistics, history and literature. In addition to the language component, the course integrates various subjects including linguistics and a wide range of German-language cultural and historical sources. Specialisms include historical and contemporary linguistics, literary studies, screen studies, gender and sexuality, modern cultural history, minority cultures and Holocaust studies.
In the third year, students live in a German-speaking country. They can apply for a work placement, such as teaching English through the British Council's English Language Assistants programme, or apply to study at one our prestigious partner institutions in Berlin, Freiburg, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Leipzig, Basel, Innsbruck, or Vienna.
The year abroad was also fantastic. I have really noticed a major improvement in my German language skills and cultural understanding. I worked abroad, so the experience I got from working in Germany has boosted my confidence when it comes to working abroad in the future.
Magdalena Smith / MBLM German, 2025.
Video: Discover more about studying here
Courses - 2027 entry
German is available as a specialism in the following 4-year degree courses:
- BA English Literature and Modern Languages
- BA History and Modern Languages
- BA Linguistics and Modern Languages
- BA Modern Languages and Business and Management
- BA Modern Languages
- BA Politics and Modern Languages
- BA Sociology and Modern Languages
BA Modern Languages has 3 pathways for German and students on this course must choose one:
- German
- German with Digital Humanities
- German and a language chosen from French, Russian or Spanish
The degree title on the graduation certificate will state the language(s) that have been studied. For example: BA Modern Languages (French and German), BA Modern Languages (German) and Business and Management, BA Politics and Modern Languages (German).
For information about entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships and bursaries, please visit the online prospectus.
Course structures
Single and joint honours degree courses in German provide students with a range of choices. When considering the choices you’d like to make, please note:
- German has 2 language learning pathways – beginner and intermediate.
- Each year, all students study a total of 120 credits. Each course unit is 20 credits unless indicated.
- The course unit titles for each year of study have been listed.
- Joint honours. In Year 1 students take 60 credits from German. In Years 2 and 4, students can take 40, 60 or 80 credits from German. The remaining credits are taken from the other subject or language.
- Single honours. In Years 1 and 2 students take 80 credits from German. In Year 4 students can take 80 or 100 credits from German. The remaining credits are chosen from a range of subjects in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, including digital humanities, or the University College for Interdisciplinary Learning.
- Digital Humanities. Students on BA (Hons) Modern Languages that take 40 credits of digital humanities course units each year will graduate with BA (Hons) Modern Languages (German) with Digital Humanities.
- Essential course information for students studying a 4-year degree.
Course content
Each language learning pathway builds students’ knowledge and skills. Skills developed through the beginner pathway include understanding short texts about everyday life and current affairs, engaging in conversations, understanding media reports (television, radio, social media), and writing short pieces of text about a range of subjects.
On the intermediate pathway, language sessions are seminar-based and are mostly taught in German. Session content is structured around Grammar and Translation, Sprachpraktische Übung, and Landeskunde. The German Study Project focuses on German literature - short stories, poems, novels, films. The Study Project is delivered through small-group tutorials and one-to-one sessions. Contact hours are lower (9 hours) and independent study hours are higher (166 hours).
Students from the beginner and intermediate language learning pathways study together on the 20-credit course units about German history, politics, culture, and linguistics.
All students
German (joint honours) students take 60 credits. German (single honours) and German with Digital Humanities students take 80 credits from one of the language learning pathways:
◆ Beginner pathway: German Language 1
◇ Beginner pathway: German Language 2
◈ Beginner pathway: Revolution and Reaction in German Culture
◈ Beginner pathway: Introduction to German Linguistics. Joint Honours German students must choose either Revolution and Reaction in German Culture or Introduction to German Linguistics.
◈ Intermediate pathway: German Language 3
◈ Intermediate pathway: Revolution and Reaction in German Culture
◈ Intermediate pathway: Introduction to German Linguistics
◈ Intermediate pathway: German Study Project. German Study Project is only available to students taking German (single honours) or German with Digital Humanities.
German
40 credits chosen from:
◆ Free choice units in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures or the University College for Interdisciplinary Learning. Some course units are delivered in semester 1, some are delivered in semester 2.
◆ Course units from Digital Humanities. Some course units are delivered in semester 1, some are delivered in semester 2.
German with Digital Humanities
40 credits taken from:
◆ Course units from Digital Humanities. Some course units are delivered in semester 1, some are delivered in semester 2.
KEY:
◆ Semester 1
◇ Semester 2
◈ Full Year
Students continue learning German on the beginner or intermediate pathway and prepare for the Residence Abroad year. They also choose from a range of course units covering German culture, history and politics. Course units are 20 credits unless indicated.
The German Long Essay is a guided research project leading to a 4,000-word essay and a short presentation. Students develop a research question on a topic that is not covered by the taught course units. Typically, the topic is an aspect of German history, society, thought, language, literature or culture.
Contact hours are low (6 hours) and independent study hours are high (194 hours).
All students
20 credits taken from one of the language learning pathways:
◈ Beginner pathway: German Language 3
◈ Intermediate pathway: German Language 4
German (joint honours) students choose 20, 40 or 60 credits. German (single honours), and German with Digital Humanities students take 60 credits from:
◆ Spectres of Fascism: Literature, Film and Visual Arts in Germany and Austria since 1945
◇ German Long Essay
◇ Weimar Culture? Art, Film and Politics in Germany, 1918-33
German
40 credits chosen from:
◆ Free choice units in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures or the University College for Interdisciplinary Learning. Some course units are delivered in semester 1, some are delivered in semester 2.
◆ Course units from Digital Humanities. Some course units are delivered in semester 1, some are delivered in semester 2.
German with Digital Humanities
40 credits taken from:
◆ Course units from Digital Humanities. Some course units are delivered in semester 1, some are delivered in semester 2.
KEY:
◆ Semester 1
◇ Semester 2
◈ Full Year
This is the Residence Abroad year and students live in a German-speaking country. In 2025/26, there were study or work abroad placements available in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. Opportunities vary from year to year, and some opportunities are selective.
Students studying two languages usually divide their time between two countries.
Please see Residence Abroad for information about funding and finance, the support provided to students to find suitable study or work placements, and for videos and blog posts from current students.
Returning from Residence Abroad, all students have a good level of language fluency and everyone takes the same language learning course unit.
The Dissertation in Modern Languages and Cultures course unit is compulsory for students taking German or German with Digital Humanities. It is optional for Joint Honours students. The dissertation is a guided research project and students develop their own research question and receive support and advice from a supervisor.
Contact hours are low (less than 10 hours) and independent study hours are high (391 hours). The dissertation will be written in English but students must demonstrate they analysed or used primary or secondary sources in German.
All students
20 credits of language learning:
◈ German Language 5
0 or 40 credits:
German (joint honours) students choose 20, 40 or 60 credits. German (single honours) choose 60 or 80 credits. German with Digital Humanities students choose 60 credits from:
◈ Dissertation in Modern Languages and Cultures (40 credits)
◆ German Dialects
◇ Sex, Money, Power: Mapping Modernity from Marx to Arendt
German
20 or 40 credits chosen from:
◆ Free choice units in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures or the University College for Interdisciplinary Learning. Some course units are delivered in semester 1, some are delivered in semester 2.
◆ Course units from Digital Humanities. Some course units are delivered in semester 1, some are delivered in semester 2.
German with Digital Humanities
40 credits taken from:
◆ Course units from Digital Humanities. Some course units are delivered in semester 1, some are delivered in semester 2.
KEY:
◆ Semester 1
◇ Semester 2
◈ Full Year