German and Persian

German and Persian bring together two of the world's great literary and intellectual traditions, offering a genuinely unusual combination that rewards curiosity about how very different civilisations have understood the world. German is the language of Goethe, Kafka, Nietzsche and Freud, the vehicle of one of Europe's most influential philosophical, scientific and literary cultures, and today the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Persian, one of the oldest continuously used languages in the world, is the tongue of Rumi and Hafez, the classical poetry tradition of Iran, and a major literary language across Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Studying both develops exceptional linguistic range and genuine cross-cultural insight.

At the University of Oxford, this four-year full-time degree is taught within a rigorous tradition that values close reading, intellectual precision and the capacity to engage deeply with primary texts. You will develop high-level proficiency in both German and Persian, working with literature, history, culture, philosophy and linguistics in both languages. Oxford's faculty in modern languages and in Oriental Studies are world-renowned, and you will have access to specialists across both traditions.

The typical entry profile for this programme is around 184 UCAS tariff points, consistent with Oxford's academic requirements.

Language learning at Oxford is intensive and immersive, supported by tutorials that demand independent critical engagement with texts and ideas. You will read across periods and genres, developing the ability to interpret, translate and analyse materials from very different historical and cultural contexts.

Graduates of this combination are exceptionally well placed for careers requiring linguistic rarity and cultural intelligence. Diplomatic and foreign service roles, particularly those requiring expertise in German-speaking or Persian-speaking regions, are a natural fit. Translation, interpreting, international law, security and intelligence services, academic research, international journalism and policy roles in think tanks and NGOs are all well-trodden paths.

Business roles requiring engagement with the German economy or with Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia also benefit from this distinctive language pairing. Postgraduate study in linguistics, area studies, literary criticism or translation studies is strongly supported by the research environment at Oxford.