German Studies and English Literature BA (Hons)

Lancaster’s joint German Studies and English Literature degree is taught by the Department of Languages and Cultures in conjunction with the Department of English and Creative Writing. The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 ranks Lancaster 1st for German and 8th for English.

Your German Studies programme enables you to acquire high-level language skills and gain a thorough understanding of the country’s historical, cultural, social and political background in a global context. In English Literature you will study a wide range of authors, genres, historical periods, literary movements, techniques and critical approaches.

Your first year comprises an exploration of the German language and its cultural context, as well as a core module in English Literature. Alongside this, you can choose another English module such as World Literature or Creative Writing, or alternatively a minor subject that complements your degree.

Building on your language skills in Year 2, you will study the culture, politics and history of Germany and Austria in more depth, as well as selecting modules which are international in scope and promote a comparative understanding of Europe and beyond. You will combine these with the core English module, ‘The Theory and Practice of Criticism’ and choose options such as ‘British Romanticism’, ‘Literature and Film’ and ‘American Literature to 1900’.

Spending your third year abroad in a German-speaking country gives you the opportunity to develop your language proficiency while deepening your intercultural sensitivity. You can study at a partner institution or conduct a work placement.

Careers

As well as language and subject-related skills, a degree in languages can help you to develop rich interpersonal, intercultural, cognitive and transferable skills. Combined with the communication, self-expression, research and critical understanding skills that can be gained by studying English Literature, a wide range of business and public-sector roles will be open to you. Some of our graduates go on to work in publishing, journalism, librarianship, television and the media, IT, business development, civil service, events management, finance, research and sales, as well as teaching and translating both in the UK and abroad.

The Complete University Guide 2020 ranked English joint 8th in the UK for graduate prospects.

Some graduates continue their studies at Lancaster, making the most of our postgraduate research facilities. We offer Masters degrees in Translation, Languages and Cultures, English Literary Studies and Creative Writing, as well as a range of PhD research degrees.