BA German Studies

    At undergraduate level students can take German in combination with another subject for a Bachelor of Arts degree or a BA in European Studies. Students planning a career in business can take German as Minor for the BA in Finance. All undergraduate students are encouraged to spend a year living in a German-speaking country, and we have links with over twenty universities in Germany and Austria to facilitate this.

    • 2021-2022 First year German modules 1st yr information           
    • 2021-2022 Second year German modules 2nd yr information               
    • 2021-2022  Residence Abroad Arrangements+log+ELA form
    • 2021-2022 Final year German modules final yr information                   

    At postgraduate level, there is a choice of courses available to suit a wide variety of interests and needs. Members of the department are active in Irish and international associations for specialist research and organise research conferences on topics related to their areas of interest. The Department also frequently hosts guest lectures by German, Austrian and Swiss specialists in various aspects of linguistics, literature and civilisation.

    MA German Studies

    If you are someone who is intensely interested in and passionate about German Studies then this is the programme for you!
    While studying with us, you’ll have the opportunity to explore different aspects of German Studies, from Literary and Cultural Studies and Translation to Intercultural Studies and Teaching German as a Foreign Language. You won’t find a more varied Masters programme in German Studies in Ireland!
    This course offers a well-rounded education in the discipline. Through in-class discussions, group work, presentations, and essay and thesis writing, you’ll develop strong interpersonal skills, written and spoken communications skills in English and German. You will also apply deep critical thinking and develop original ideas and approaches to an array of topics.
    Past graduates from this programme have gone into different kinds of further study such as PhD studies at Maynooth University and other universities, but many also go into teaching at post-primary and university levels nationally and internationally and into industry, oftentimes for large global companies where language specialists are in demand.

    German for Teaching at Post-Primary Level

    Are you a native or proficient speaker of German? Have you completed or intend to complete a teacher training programme? Do you want to become a German teacher but don’t have sufficient German Studies credits for Teaching Council accreditation? If you answered “yes” to the above questions, we may have the right programme for you!
    The School of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures offers the following three programmes in German Studies for prospective teachers who would like to complete the subject-specific credits required to submit themselves for accreditation with the Teaching Council of Ireland:

    Postgraduate Diploma in German for Teaching at Post-Primary Level (60 ECTS)
    Postgraduate Certificate in German for Teaching at Post-Primary Level (30 ECTS)
    Professional Certificate in German for Teaching at Post-Primary Level (20 ECTS)

    Our suite of modules in German for Teaching at Post-Primary Level allows you to choose from a range of options in Translation, Literature, Film, and Teaching German as a Foreign Language and put together your own programme to meet the requirements for Teaching Council accreditation. You’ll even be able to take all your classes on one day per week so you can meet your other professional and personal commitments at the same time! Past graduates have been successfully accredited by the Teaching Council and continued their professional journeys as fully accredited post-primary teachers of German, including some who subsequently also completed their postgraduate teacher training (e.g. through the PME).

    Prospective candidates may qualify for partial funding of this programme through the Post-Primary Languages Initiative (PPLI).

    MA Applied Linguistics and Intercultural Studies

    If you have ever wondered what language is and how language shapes and is shaped by human existence or if you have ever asked the question what is culture and how culture shapes and is shaped by increasing intercultural and cross-cultural interaction, then this is the programme for you! Through the degree, you’ll learn about how we acquire and learn different languages in the real world and the classroom setting; how language shapes and is shaped by things like age, gender, race, biological sex, identities, sexuality etc; how the global move towards English is affecting and affected by multilingualism and multiculturalism.
    By engaging with different areas of Applied Linguistics and Intercultural Studies and other students on the programme, you’ll get a well-rounded education in the disciplines. Through in-class discussions, group work, presentations, and essay and thesis writing, you’ll develop strong interpersonal skills, written and spoken communications skills applying deep critical thinking and develop original ideas and approaches to existing and new topics. Language evolves on a daily basis so there’s a never-ending number of new developments to explore!
    Past graduates from this programme have gone in multiple areas of further study and employment, ranging from PhD studies at Maynooth University, as well as Georgetown University and Yale University in the USA, to teaching at post-primary and university levels nationally and internationally as well as in industry in the areas of publishing, working on natural language processing (e.g. Alexa and Google Home) for large global companies as well as international client relationship management in financial services and global commerce.