MA German and Portuguese
About this course
MA (Hons) in German and Portuguese, a degree in German and Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies centred on language acquisition and cultural contexts. The course includes a compulsory year abroad in the third year, which can be spent studying or working across various destinations in Europe and South America. The first year covers option courses from a wide range of disciplines alongside core subjects, including linguistics and language sciences, along with philosophy, divinity and law. Year 2 explores various cultural and literary topics through options such as 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 consists of a full academic year abroad, allowing students to study at institutions or undertake work placements and volunteering opportunities in locations such as Berlin, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, and Lisbon. The final year focuses on advanced language proficiency, with modules covering presenting and discussing cultural, political and societal topics in both languages, advanced comprehension, summary writing, translation and composition, as well as film and literature.
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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What students say
Based on about 39 final-year students who answered, across similar courses at this university
- Teaching on my course: 83%
- Learning opportunities: 66%
- Assessment and feedback: 64%
- Academic support: 88%
- Organisation and management: 63%
- Learning resources: 86%
- Student voice: 58%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 60 students who started, across similar courses at this university
- Continued on course: 94%
- Left higher education: 4%
- Moved to a lower qualification: 1%
What graduates do next
Based on about 6 graduates who answered, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Working: 60%
- Working and studying: 5%
- Further study: 20%
- Unemployed: 10%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 55 graduates, across similar courses at this university
- North East: 2%
- North West: 8%
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 3%
- East Midlands: 6%
- West Midlands: 1%
- East of England: 2%
- London: 41%
- South East: 8%
- South West: 4%
- Wales: 1%
- Scotland: 23%
- Northern Ireland: 1%
Who gets in
Based on about 55 students who started, across similar courses at this university
- A levels: 96%
- Baccalaureate: 3%
- Other HE qualification: 1%
Modules
- 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
- Berlin
- Augsburg
- Hamburg
- Heidelberg
- Tübingen
- Freiburg
- Leipzig
- Mainz
- Vienna
- Rio de Janeiro in Brazil
- Lisbon and Coimbra in Portugal
- 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)
- presenting and discussing cultural, political and societal topics in both languages
- advanced comprehension, summary writing, translation and composition
- film
- literature
- history
- linguistics
- politics
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of MA German and Portuguese at University of Edinburgh earn?
The median salary is £29,000 after 3 years, £37,500 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £28,500 and £55,500. The £37,500 median after five years is £5,000 more than the UK median for German and Scandinavian studies.
What do graduates of MA German and Portuguese at University of Edinburgh do next?
80% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on MA German and Portuguese at University of Edinburgh?
83% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for MA German and Portuguese at University of Edinburgh?
The typical offer is ABB at A level, or 34 points in the IB. The average entrant had 175 UCAS points.
Does MA German and Portuguese at University of Edinburgh include a placement year or year abroad?
The course has a compulsory year abroad.
How many students continue on MA German and Portuguese at University of Edinburgh?
94% of students continued into their second year, and 4% left higher education.