German
Entry requirements
A level
If you have grade B in German at A-level you will have access to the languages advanced pathways.
Extended Project
For applicants taking the EPQ qualification, an A in the EPQ can be recognised to lower the entry requirements by a single grade. For example an AAB offer would be "AAB from 3 A levels or ABB from 3 A levels and a grade A in the EPQ". Please note that any subject specific requirements must be met.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
You must have or be working towards: - English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade C/4 or an equivalent (such as A-levels). If you require a Tier 4 visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
32-31 overall or 665 in 3 HL subjects. If you have grade 6 in HL German you will have access to the languages advanced pathways.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Accepted subjects: Arts, Humanities, Science, and Social Science. If you have grade B in German A-level in addition to or in combination with a BTEC you will have access to the languages advanced pathways.
T Level
M in a T Level in any subject.
The Advance Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in lieu of one A Level at the A Level grades specified, excluding any subject specific requirements.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
The School of Modern Languages aims to develop and educate its students to become ‘global citizens’. By studying German you will gain a wealth of transferable skills and knowledge beneficial to the world of employment, making you competitive and attractive in an increasingly global workforce and opening the doors to a variety of career paths.
German is the native language of nearly 100 million people. To speak German is to be part of a vibrant cultural, economic and political world. A recent survey by the UK's leading employers' organisation, the CBI, rated German as the language most valued by UK managers. Germany is considered to be the lynchpin of the European Union, making knowledge of the language as important in Brussels as in Berlin.
We offer German for both advanced students and beginners. The linguistic skills you acquire will give you direct access not only to contemporary society, but also German history, literature, drama, music and film.
In terms of language acquisition, this course will enable you to develop your writing, oral and aural skills through a range of learning activities, and using a variety of audio-visual materials.
In your first year, in addition to your language tuition, an Introduction to German history and culture module seeks to provide a solid foundation for more specialised studies. From the second year onwards, you choose from a variety of optional modules that, as a supplement to German-specific topics, normally include modules on comparative literature and cultural history, as well as Business German and translation theory and practice.
Your understanding of the language will be further developed and refined during your year abroad, when you will experience life in a German-speaking country at first hand.
In the final year, you have the opportunity to write a dissertation, which stimulates initiative, and can serve as a useful preparation for postgraduate study.
It is important to remember that studying languages is not just about the language itself. It involves exploring many aspects of a country. We aspire to offer a genuinely broad programme that offers challenging and stimulating modules covering not only history and language expertise, but also the practical skills of Business German and Translation Studies
On completion of this four-year programme, you will have a high level of proficiency in the language, as well as a critical understanding of key aspects of German history, culture, literature, politics and contemporary society.
Our core offerings are supplemented by a wide variety of extracurricular activities including a film series, workshops, conversation groups, and Goethe Institute language exam preparations. The student-run German Society organises a programme of seasonal social events and trips, which presently includes an annual trip to Germany.
**Distinctive features**
- the option to begin your study at either beginner or advanced level (meaning an A-level in your chosen language may not be required)
- optional modules in film, literature, history of art, politics and history
- emphasis on strengthening reading, writing, oral and aural skills through regular classwork exercises, written work, use of video and audio material, and interaction with native speakers (including Erasmus students hosted by the department)
- core language modules delivered by native speakers
- the chance to spend your third year either studying or working in a country that predominantly operates in your chosen language of study
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Cardiff University has many scholarships on offer to our prospective students. Please see our website at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/funding/scholarships for further information.
The Uni
Main Site - Cardiff
School of Modern Languages
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
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German and scandinavian studies
Teaching and learning
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Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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German and scandinavian studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
It's often said the UK doesn't produce enough modern language graduates, and graduates from German courses have a lot of options available to them when they complete their courses. The unemployment rates last year was lower than graduates in general. Nearly a quarter of working graduates from 2015 got jobs outside the UK — mostly as English teachers — which is much higher than for most subjects. The relative strength of the German economy means there will continue to be opportunities there in the future. But more graduates went to work in London, and those who want to stay at home to work find jobs anywhere where good communication skills are a must, particularly in education, in marketing, in the arts and in business and finance as teachers, writers, personnel officers, financial advisors, analysts, sales people and marketers.. But remember — whilst employers say they rate graduates who have more than one language, you need to have them as part of a whole package of good skills.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
German and scandinavian studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£27k
£27k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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