MA French and German
About this course
MA (Hons) in French and German, a French and Francophone Studies and German degree focusing on the language, literature, and cultural contexts of both nations. Students spend the third year abroad studying or working in one or two destinations. The first year covers introductory historical and cultural topics through modules such as resistance and collaboration, the Fifth Republic, colonisation and decolonisation, and May 1968. The second year shifts focus to specialized literary and cultural themes including Researching Disability in German Literature and Society, Culture, Modernity and the City in the Weimar Republic, Reading Testimony in German, and The Contemporary Short Story in German. The third year involves a period abroad spent studying at a partner institution or completing a work placement. The fourth year advances linguistic proficiency alongside specialized study in film, literature, history, and politics.
Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.
Entry requirements
A level: from AAA to ABB (required: a language other than English at B) IB: 34 points with 655 at HL
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Admissions (2022 entry, home applicants)
Offer rate 73%: 35 offers from 48 applications, from the university's Freedom of Information return.
What students say
Based on about 33 final-year students who answered, across similar courses at this university
- Teaching on my course: 80%
- Learning opportunities: 69%
- Assessment and feedback: 70%
- Academic support: 91%
- Organisation and management: 56%
- Learning resources: 89%
- Student voice: 67%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 30 students who started, across similar courses at this university
- Continued on course: 95%
- Left higher education: 5%
What graduates do next
Based on about 7 graduates who answered (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Working: 80%
- Working and studying: 10%
- Further study: 10%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 20 graduates, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 5%
- East of England: 5%
- London: 30%
- South East: 5%
- Scotland: 45%
- Northern Ireland: 5%
Who gets in
Based on about 10 students who started (a small group: a rough guide only)
- A levels: 90%
- No formal qualifications: 10%
Modules
- resistance and collaboration
- the Fifth Republic
- colonisation and decolonisation
- May 1968
- feminism
- practise professional communication
- discover the value of languages in the workplace
- gain insights into possible career options
- linguistics and language sciences
- business, economics and informatics
- politics, social policy, social anthropology and international relations
- art and architectural history
- history, classics and archaeology
- Celtic and Scottish ethnology
- philosophy, divinity and law
- Researching Disability in German Literature and Society
- Culture, Modernity and the City in the Weimar Republic
- Reading Testimony in German
- The Contemporary Short Story in German
- Screening Sex: Gender, Sexuality, and Identity on the German Screen and Beyond
- German Colonialism: History, Memory, Controversy
- Cultural Responses to War
- Migration, Exile, Diaspora
- Crime and Detection in Literature
- Gender and Culture
- The Coming-of-Age Narrative
- Introduction to European Cinema
- Dynamics of Language and Power
- Languages Beyond University
- Belgium
- France
- Switzerland
- Berlin
- Augsburg
- Hamburg
- Heidelberg
- Tübingen
- Freiburg
- Leipzig
- Mainz
- Vienna
- study in one or two destinations
- work in one or two destinations
- study in one destination and work in another
- two semesters at a single institution
- one semester at two different institutions (in different destinations)
- arrange to work or volunteer with a private company or charity
- apply to an established placement scheme, such as the British Council’s English Language Assistants programme
- Student Wellbeing Service
- Student Counselling
- Student Disability and Learning Support
- University emergency helpline (available 24 hours a day)
- film
- literature
- history
- politics
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of MA French and German at University of Edinburgh earn?
The median salary is £27,000 after 3 years, £31,000 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £26,500 and £41,000. The £31,000 median after five years is £3,000 less than the UK median for French studies.
What do graduates of MA French and German at University of Edinburgh do next?
100% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on MA French and German at University of Edinburgh?
80% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for MA French and German at University of Edinburgh?
The typical offer is ABB at A level, or 34 points in the IB. The average entrant had 170 UCAS points.
What is the offer rate for MA French and German at University of Edinburgh?
73% of home applicants received an offer for 2022 entry: 35 offers from 48 applications, according to the university's Freedom of Information return.
Does MA French and German at University of Edinburgh include a placement year or year abroad?
The course has a compulsory year abroad.
How many students continue on MA French and German at University of Edinburgh?
95% of students continued into their second year, and 5% left higher education.