MA German and Scandinavian Studies
About this course
MA (Hons) in German and Scandinavian Studies, an undergraduate degree combining the languages and cultures of German-speaking and Nordic regions. Core topics include Global & Comparative Perspective. The four-year programme includes a compulsory year abroad spent studying or working in one or two destinations. The first year introduces general subjects and language skills through options such as linguistics and language sciences, business, economics and informatics, and philosophy, divinity and law. The second year explores German literature, culture and film through modules like Researching Disability in German Literature and Society, Culture, Modernity and the City in the Weimar Republic, Reading Testimony in German, and Introduction to European Cinema, alongside Modern Icelandic and Scandinavian civilisation courses. The third year consists of a compulsory year abroad involving study or work placements. The final year focuses on advanced language proficiency and cultural study through modules including translation from German and the Scandinavian languages into English, Scandinavia and the World: Negotiating the North in the 21st Century, and Contemporary Scandinavian Literature: A Transnational Approach.
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 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 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 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 35 students who started, across similar courses at this university
- A levels: 90%
- Baccalaureate: 5%
- Other HE qualification: 5%
- No formal qualifications: 5%
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
- one or both of our Scandinavian Civilisation courses
- Modern Icelandic
- 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)
- essay, commentary and summary writing in your chosen languages
- translation from German and the Scandinavian languages into English
- spoken German and Danish, Norwegian or Swedish
- film and literature
- history and politics
- Comparative Literature in a European and Global Perspective
- From Girls in Uniform to Men in Drag: Gender, Sexuality and Ethnicity on the German Screen
- Scandinavia and the World: Negotiating the North in the 21st Century
- Contemporary Scandinavian Literature: A Transnational Approach
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of MA German and Scandinavian Studies 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 £1,500 less than the UK median for German and Scandinavian studies.
What do graduates of MA German and Scandinavian Studies 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 Scandinavian Studies 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 German and Scandinavian Studies 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.
Does MA German and Scandinavian Studies 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 Scandinavian Studies at University of Edinburgh?
95% of students continued into their second year, and 5% left higher education.