MA German and Italian
About this course
German and Italian together offer access to two of Europe's most significant cultural and intellectual traditions, as well as two languages that are widely spoken in major European economies and beyond. German is spoken by some 100 million people across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and beyond, and carries with it a literary, philosophical, and scientific tradition of enormous richness. Italian is the language of a major Mediterranean economy and one of the world's great art, architecture, music, and literary cultures. Studying both to a high level gives you genuine cross-cultural depth and a profile that is genuinely unusual in the graduate market. At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time MA (Hons) develops language skills and cultural knowledge across both traditions to an advanced level. You will pursue language development in both German and Italian systematically, working towards high-level proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Alongside the language work, you will study literature, cinema, history, and cultural thought from across the German-speaking world and the Italian tradition, developing an understanding of how these cultures have shaped and been shaped by European and global history. St Andrews offers a wide range of course options within the German strand, allowing you to follow your own interests through the cultural heritage of German-speaking lands. A year abroad is built into the programme, giving you extended experience of living and studying in one or both of your language environments, which is essential for achieving genuine fluency and cultural immersion. The typical entry tariff is 200 UCAS points. Graduates with high-level competence in German and Italian are sought after in diplomacy, international business, translation and interpreting, journalism, law, academia, and the cultural sector. The rigorous analytical and communicative training that a languages degree provides is also valued in management consulting, finance, and the civil service. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in linguistics, translation, European studies, or a related field.
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