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German and Comparative Literature

Entry Year: 2024

Key information

Degree
BA (Hons)
Duration
4 years
Start
September 2024
UCAS code
QR22
Institution code
Q50
Typical A-Level offer
Grades BBB at A-Level. Excludes General Studies.
Full entry requirements (including contextual admissions)
Home fees
£9,250
Overseas fees
£23,350
Funding information
Paying your fees

Year abroad cost

Finances for studying abroad on exchange

View details

Overview

Explore connections and interactions between cultural traditions with our BA in German and Comparative Literature.

Your time is split equally between the two subjects, with an equal focus on each. No prior knowledge of German is required.

Studying German at Queen Mary involves intensive engagement with the language, in conjunction with learning about the cultures and histories of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. You’ll develop a high level of linguistic competence, together with analytical skills and an understanding of intercultural issues.

At the same time, you’ll gain a solid grounding in the discipline of literary studies, choosing from a range of topics from modern fairy tales to First World War literature, and a host of themes from madness to migration.

You’ll spend your third year abroad, an exceptional opportunity to develop your language skills through immersion and boost your intercultural competence.

Structure

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.

Year 1

  • Culture and Language
  • German language module (streamed according to entry level)
  • German I
  • The Scene of Learning

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year 2

Compulsory

  • Contemporary German Studies
  • German language module (streamed according to entry level)
  • German II
  • The Scene of Reading

Choose from a range of modules including

  • Colonial Literatures, Post-Colonial Perspectives
  • Literature and Philosophy
  • Madness, Past and Present
  • German Narrative Fiction: Text and Film
  • German Play

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year 3

  • Year abroad

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year 4

Compulsory

  • German language module (streamed according to entry level)
  • German III
  • The Scene of Writing

Choose from a range of modules including

  • Comparative Literature Research Project
  • Comparative Modernisms: the Case of China and India
  • The East in the West
  • Languages in the Classroom: Teaching German
  • Modern Languages Research Project

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year abroad

You will spend your year abroad in Germany, Austria or German-speaking Switzerland.

You have three options for how to spend your year abroad:

  • teaching English as a foreign language assistant
  • attending university
  • in the professional world, either on a work placement with our support, or independently with our approval.

Teaching

Teaching and learning

You’ll receive 10 to 15 hours of weekly contact time, in the form of lectures, seminars and language classes.

You will spend up to five hours per week in language classes – in small groups of no more than 20 for classroom or language lab teaching, and no more than 10 for oral and aural work.

For every hour spent in class, you’ll complete a further two to three hours of independent study.

Assessment

Assessment typically includes a combination of coursework and exams, or coursework only. You’ll also be assessed through oral exams for language modules (including producing a short radio programme), final-year dissertations, independent projects and creative journals.

Resources and facilities

The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:

  • the Queen Mary library
  • the Multimedia Language Resource Centre, equipped with digital labs and resource rooms, teacher and student workstations, interactive whiteboards, and software for viewing live international satellite TV broadcasts
  • language clubs and social activities, including film screenings, discussion groups and debates
  • subscriptions to foreign newspapers and journals
  • guest speaker seminars, which allow you to hear from academics, researchers and experts from institutions in Europe and North America.

Learn another language

If you’re interested in learning another language alongside German, you can sign up for a course at Queen Mary’s Language Centre, where you can choose from Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, Japanese, Bengali, Catalan, Italian or Spanish.

Entry requirements

A-LevelGrades BBB at A-Level. Excludes General Studies.
IBInternational Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 30 points overall, including 5,5,5 from three Higher Level subjects.
BTECSee our detailed subject and grade requirements
Access HEWe consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall, with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 15 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. Applications are considered on a case by case basis. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not make offers of study purely on the basis of meeting grade requirements.
GCSEMinimum five GCSE passes including English at grade C or 4.
EPQ

Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification.

For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq

Contextualised admissions

Our standard contextual offer: Grades BCC. This must include at least one essay based A-Level in a humanities or social sciences subject. 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 CCC. This must include at least one essay based A-Level in a humanities or social sciences subject. 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.

Non-UK students

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.

English language

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.

Further information

See our general undergraduate entry requirements.

Funding

Loans and grants

UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.

Scholarships and bursaries

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.

Support from Queen Mary

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:

  • additional sources of funding
  • planning your budget and cutting costs
  • part-time and vacation work
  • money for lone parents.

Careers

German and Comparative Literature graduates have a broad range of skills that can take them through to successful careers, such as analytical and critical thinking. Some apply their degree knowledge directly, entering careers such as translating, editing and teaching.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

  • American Academy (Rome)
  • Bloomberg
  • British Council
  • ESI International
  • Kulturbrücke (Frankfurt Main)
  • The Guardian.

Career support

The School of Languages Linguistics and Film offers a range of career support. Final-year students can attend two bespoke events: 'What a difference the year abroad makes', which highlights how the year abroad helps you stand out in the graduate job market, and 'Career avenues for literature students', which explains the wide range of career options and how studying comparative literature prepares students for these. Alumni share their own experience at both events.

Our careers team can also offer:

  • specialist advice on choosing a career path
  • support with finding work experience, internships and graduate jobs
  • feedback on CVs, cover letters and application forms
  • interview coaching.

 

Course data

The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats)

About the School

The School of Languages, Linguistics and Film explores global culture and communication through a vibrant interdisciplinary environment with five distinct but interconnected areas of academic excellence. Our multilingual community brings together brilliant minds from across the world to share a wealth of expertise – from practical film-making and contemporary literature to experimental neurolinguistics and 11 different modern languages – so that students can become truly global citizens.

Our School’s five Departments are united by the common threads of communication and culture, opening the doors to new worlds of opportunity. Both a single and richly varied entity, our School’s work enables creative thinking that goes beyond national, linguistic and cultural boundaries. We combine research excellence with an unrivalled commitment to social justice and social mobility, true to the Queen Mary spirit, achieving the previously unthinkable through our School’s unique mix of bright minds.

 

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