BA

German / History

BA German / History Code RV21 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Studying for a Joint Honours degree in German and History at Aberystwyth University will allow you to pursue your interest in German history, language and culture. You will combine two valuable subjects. You will immerse yourself in a broad range of historical periods, and gain an understanding of how and why the world has evolved the way it has.

This course is student-focused and you will be able to build on your existing knowledge of history while pursuing what fundamentally interests you. Our History graduates are sought by employers for their highly-developed research, analysis, teamwork and communications abilities.

This degree will also provide you with a thorough understanding of the German language, and a deep understanding of the literature and culture. You will benefit from the experience and enthusiasm of the expert staff in both departments. You will emerge with real world capabilities, enabling you to shape your future and develop the career you deserve.

Course Overview

 

Why study German and History at Aberystwyth University?

  • History at Aberystwyth has been taught since 1872, making our department the most established and the foremost in Britain.
  • Teaching in the Department of History and Welsh History is innovative, research-based and designed to develop your transferable skills in areas such as analysis, interpretation and communication. This prepares you for a wide range of careers.
  • From the beginning of your degree, you will receive 4 hours of language work per week within the Department of Modern Languages. This includes reading/writing, aural, listening and translation. These four areas of linguistic development will provide you with a solid foundation from which to increase your fluency competencies in German.
  • This degree is also available to you if you wish to study German as a beginner. At beginners level and in your first year, you will be taught differently from the students who are entering the course at an advanced level (A level or equivalent). You will receive intensive language classes bringing you to the same linguistic level as our advanced students. In your second and final year, you will continue the course with the advanced students.
  • In addition to linguistic classes, you will have the opportunity to study core and optional modules within the Department of Modern Languages in a broad range of topics, from literature and culture, to language, politics, and business.
  • As a vibrant, international university, we attract students from all corners of the world. Many of the staff who will teach you are native German speakers. We also teach most of our modules and classes through the target language, which means that you will have a broad exposure to the target languages that you are learning.
  • The highlight of this degree for all of our students is the year abroad. You will be required to spend your year abroad (your third year) in Spain or a Spanish speaking country. Some students opt to spend their time studying with one of our partnered universities. Others have spent their time undertaking a paid or unpaid work experience. Find out what your options are by visiting our page Modern Languages - Where can I go?
Our Staff

All of the lecturers in the Department of Modern Languages are qualified to PhD level and are research active specialists in their chosen field. We also employ highly qualified and experienced language tutors, and native-speakers, who will ensure that your learning is of the highest possible quality and who will provide you with constant support through your years of study.

Staff in the Department of History and Welsh History are active researchers and experts in their field of History. Most are qualified to PhD level and hold PGCHE. To find out more about our staff, please visit our departmental staff page.

Modules September start - 2025

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

What opportunities exist after graduating?

Many of our students go on to teach the language they themselves have learned and a high proportion of our graduates go into administrative and managerial posts. A degree from the Department of Modern Languages is a qualification which opens the door to many professions in Britain, such as the civil service, tourism, social work, librarianship, publishing and broadcasting, and our degrees also take our students across the world.

While many History graduates take up careers directly linked to their subject such as working in the fields of archive, heritage or museum management, others find employment in a wide range of related and non-related professional employment, including librarianship, records management, journalism, media, advertising, the legal profession, local government, business and finance, a range of jobs which incorporate research, professional writing, the police force, the military, public relations and personnel management. The research and analytical skills you will develop during your degree also provide a sound basis for postgraduate study and for a career in academia.

Your year abroad will set you apart from the majority of graduates, demonstrating your ability to live in a foreign environment, and immerse yourself in a different culture. Alongside this, the university will offer you a range of initiatives to help improve your employability skills. Paid work and work experience opportunities are available in the University and the town, and the Careers Advisory Service are able to assist you in planning your future, putting together a CV, and looking for work during and after your studies. Furthermore, the University’s Personal Development Portfolio, in which you record and reflect on your academic studies, the development of your skills and your plans for the future is a useful way of tracking your progress through your studies, and can help you to decide what career might be suitable for you.

Transferable Skills

Studying for a degree in German and History will equip you with a range of transferable skills which are highly valued by employers. These include:

  • the ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form
  • effective problem-solving and creative thinking skills;
  • The ability to work independently
  • time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines
  • self-motivation and self-reliance
  • team-work, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement
  • Research skills.

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the four year degree scheme.

In every year you will take a core language module and a range of optional modules. The language modules will cover oral, aural and writing skills. In the first year option modules may cover:

  • Introduction to literary studies and civilization
  • New Historical skills and concepts, and a comprehensive introduction to university-level study skills, through our Year 1 coure module Introduction to History
  • European Film
  • New Historical periods, themes and subject areas, through our wide choice of Year 1 optional modules
  • Language, Culture and Identity in Europe.

In your second year you may choose from:

  • An independent research project
  • Specialised languages modules (language of business etc)
  • The way in which the meaning, methods and writing of History have changed over time, through our year 2 core module Making History
  • Insights into the historian's craft, through practice-based seminar classes
  • A large choice of content modules on literature, film and art
  • Different topics and periods from our extensive list of year 2 optional modules
  • Teaching of English to Speakers of other Languages.

In your third year, you will study or work abroad in a German-speaking country.

In your final year, you can choose from modules such as:

  • Semantics and Lexicography
  • Two optional modules of your choice from the Department of History and Welsh History
  • Variations in the German language
  • a special subject, in which you undertake in-depth research, using original sources and engaging with cutting edge scholarship
  • German prose and literature
  • Your History dissertation, independently researched by you on a subject of your choice, supervised by an expert historian in the department
  • Teaching of English to Speakers of other Languages
  • Independent research project.

How will I be taught?

A variety of teaching formats are used in class. Lectures will introduce you to topics, while in seminars you will be expected to participate in the discussion. 

You will be assessed in a variety of ways in your modules. You will have to give oral presentations, sit listening tests, write reports and undertake increasingly complex translations in language classes, as well as sit oral and written exams. In content modules, you might be asked to write an essay, undertake a research project, give an oral presentation, or sit an exam. 

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 104

A Levels BBB-BCC to include B in German (unless to be studied as a beginner)

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English or Welsh

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-DMM to include B in A level German (unless to be studied as a beginner)

International Baccalaureate:
30-28 with 5 points in German at Higher Level

European Baccalaureate:
75% - 65% overall with 7 in German

English Language Requirements:
See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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