German

Welcome to the German Department!

Welcome to the discipline of German, where we teach and study the cultures and languages of the German-speaking world. We are proud to be part of UCC’s active and diverse research community, with staff members working in a broad range of areas where their research enjoys international recognition. When you come to UCC to study German, you will enjoy the benefits of a small but vibrant department where students can avail of small group teaching, lively class discussions and personal feedback on your studies. 

We participate in a wide range of degree programmes: BA in Languages and Cultural Studies, BComm International, BA in European Studies, BA in Drama & Theatre Studies International, as well as the more traditional BA route, all of which you can also do as a complete beginner in German language. Many of these degrees include the option of studying for a year in a German-speaking country. We offer courses on the language, culture, history, politics, philosophy, film and literature of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. For further details, please see the overview of our current undergraduate courses here.

For students with degrees in other areas and with some previous knowledge of German, we offer the Higher Diploma in Arts (German), which allows you to reach degree standard in a year-long intensive course. We also offer a taught MA in German Studies, and we teach on MA programmes in Film Studies, Applied Linguistics, and Drama and Theatre Studies. (click on MA link above)  If you are interested in learning or improving your German outside of a degree programme, we offer evening courses for learners of different levels.

Studying German opens the gateway to the intellectual, economic and cultural riches of Central Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). German is the language of many "international icons" in the areas of, for example, philosophy (Kant, Hegel, Heidegger), economic and political philosophy (Marx), literature (Goethe, Kafka, Grass), music (Mozart, Bach, Beethoven), psychology (Freud, Jung), science (Einstein), religion (Martin Luther) - to name but a few.

Learning a language like German (the most widely-spoken language in the EU) to degree level also opens up career opportunities for Arts students that they might not otherwise have. In the German Department you will learn not only content (for example the history and politics of Germany), but also simultaneously an invaluable skill (language fluency) that equip you, for example, for careers not only in language teaching, but also in, for example, translation (an estimated 70% of all translation work in Europe is from German into English), or in international relations. There are also some surprising career opportunities. Stephen Daldry, the director of the recent film The Reader, learned German in his youth. For further information on the career opportunities arising out of language degrees, click here 

Our job, as members of the discipline of German, is to support you on your journey to acquiring the skills and knowledge that will make you versatile members of an increasingly mobile European labour force in the future. We teach eminently transferable skills that are in increasingly short supply, and we offer an excellent student-staff ratio as well as operating in a very student-friendly fashion to ensure that each student reaches his or her full potential.

Dr Manfred Schewe  (Head of Department)

News Archive

Students give feedback on German Department

The German Department was the best. I really enjoyed my [final] year and look forward to doing my masters in German. Thank you for an enjoyable year! (K.R.)

 The German Department has been incredibly supportive over the past four years. Since beginning at UCC I have never regretted my choice to study German. The opportunity to study abroad on the Erasmus programme was an added bonus and gave me a taste of what daily life in Germany is actually like. The country made such a good impression that I will travel back next year and stay for who knows how long! The choice of modules in final year was also wide with no shortage of interesting modules on offer (Anonymous).