Comparative Literature and Culture with German

Comparative literature and culture with German is a combination that gives you access to the full richness of literary and cultural expression across linguistic traditions, while also developing the deep engagement with German language and culture that a modern language specialism provides. Comparative literature examines texts and cultural objects across national and linguistic boundaries, asking how stories, ideas and forms travel, transform and illuminate each other across different traditions. Adding German as a language of study means you can read some of the world's most important literary and philosophical texts in the original, and engage directly with German-speaking culture from the inside.

At the University of Aberdeen, this four-year full-time degree develops your capacity to read and analyse literature and culture from across the world, examining works from different languages, periods and traditions with sophisticated critical tools. The German language component develops your proficiency across all registers, from spoken communication to literary analysis, and deepens your engagement with German culture and contemporary German-speaking society. You will learn to think comparatively, to bring theoretical frameworks from literary criticism, cultural studies and philosophy to bear on specific texts, and to understand how cultural context shapes literary production and reception.

Research, close reading, critical writing and the ability to sustain an argument across different kinds of evidence are all developed throughout the degree. The combination of linguistic proficiency, cross-cultural literary knowledge and analytical rigour that this degree provides is distinctive and genuinely valued.

Graduates move into careers in publishing, teaching, translation, journalism, international business, diplomacy, the cultural sector, academic research, and a wide range of roles in organisations with significant international and cross-cultural dimensions. Postgraduate study in comparative literature, modern languages, literary theory, or cultural studies is a natural pathway.