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Psychology and German Studies

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,B

A level German, or if this is to be studied from beginners’ level, AS grade B or A level grade B in another foreign language, or GCSE grade A or 7 in a foreign language. Native German speakers will not be accepted onto this scheme.

Access to HE Diploma

D:36,M:9

in a relevant subject alongside appropriate evidence of language ability

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

35

with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects including appropriate evidence of language ability

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

accepted alongside appropriate evidence of language ability

UCAS Tariff

136

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time with time abroad | 2024

Subjects

German studies

Psychology

A working knowledge of German and an advanced understanding of psychology will prepare you for a rewarding career. And, the chance to explore a new culture overseas will prepare you for life working in the UK and abroad.

Through this programme, you will develop a detailed understanding of psychology, while gaining the skills and knowledge to engage with the discipline in preparation for a placement year overseas in a German speaking country. During the four years, you will be able to draw on expertise from two specialist departments: Languages and Cultures; and Psychology. This degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society and provides the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the Society.

You will learn and develop a solid grasp of German language and culture, while studying the main themes of modern psychology:

- Brain and Behaviour: how neural disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease affect behaviour

- Cognitive Psychology: our reactions to colours, smells, speech and music

- Developmental Psychology: the ways in which infants perceive space, patterns, objects and events

- Social Psychology: how our thoughts, emotions and behaviours are shaped by the presence of others

In the first year, you will gain an in depth overview of the main study themes through our Understanding Psychology module. You will explore the theories underpinning these areas, learn to evaluate scientific journals, and develop your ability to construct formal arguments. Running parallel to this, you will also undertake the Investigating Psychology module, which will equip you with important practical skills for conducting research in psychology, such as data analysis and report writing. In addition, you will take language classes, determined by your current level of ability. These are taught by native speakers and will ensure you have a solid grasp of the written and spoken language.

During the second year of your degree, you will develop upon the key themes introduced in Year 1. You will study specialist modules on topics such as cognitive, developmental and social psychology; deepening your understanding and testing your knowledge. You will also benefit from specialist German modules, which will develop your foreign language oral and written communication skills further.

In addition to these themes, Research Methods and Statistics modules will be covered this year. These will expand your knowledge of research methods, develop key skills and enable you to gain a detailed understanding of analysis and reporting.

You will spend your third year at one of our partner institutions in a German speaking country, where you will practise and develop your language abilities, while continuing to enhance your psychology skills and knowledge.

Returning to Lancaster for your fourth year, you will further develop your knowledge and understanding of the core aspects of modern psychology, taking modules in Brain and Behaviour; and Personality and Individual Differences. You will also carry out your own research project under the supervision of an experienced researcher.

**Structured Work Experience**
Alongside your academic study, you will have the opportunity to gain voluntary work experience through our Psychology Employability Programme, allowing you to develop invaluable skills for either a career in psychology or a graduate programme. You can choose between working part-time in the community with charities and organisations that support vulnerable people, or working alongside staff in the Psychology Department on their ground-breaking research projects.

**Beginners Languages**
Studying a language from beginners level is somewhat intense in nature so we only allow students to study one language from beginners level. If you apply to study a degree with a language from beginners level, your optional modules will only include higher level languages and modules in other subject areas.

The Uni


Course location:

Lancaster University

Department:

Languages and Cultures

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

78%
Psychology

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

German and scandinavian studies

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

95%
UK students
5%
International students
37%
Male students
63%
Female students
99%
2:1 or above
3%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

Psychology (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

80%
Staff make the subject interesting
89%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
76%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

80%
Library resources
91%
IT resources
90%
Course specific equipment and facilities
74%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

80%
UK students
20%
International students
19%
Male students
81%
Female students
91%
2:1 or above
4%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
B
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

German and scandinavian studies

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£20,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

22%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
13%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
11%
Teaching and educational professionals

It's often said the UK doesn't produce enough modern language graduates, and graduates from German courses have a lot of options available to them when they complete their courses. The unemployment rates last year was lower than graduates in general. Nearly a quarter of working graduates from 2015 got jobs outside the UK — mostly as English teachers — which is much higher than for most subjects. The relative strength of the German economy means there will continue to be opportunities there in the future. But more graduates went to work in London, and those who want to stay at home to work find jobs anywhere where good communication skills are a must, particularly in education, in marketing, in the arts and in business and finance as teachers, writers, personnel officers, financial advisors, analysts, sales people and marketers.. But remember — whilst employers say they rate graduates who have more than one language, you need to have them as part of a whole package of good skills.

Psychology (non-specific)

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
99%
high
Employed or in further education
49%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

13%
Business, research and administrative professionals
13%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
11%
Welfare and housing associate professionals

20 years ago, this was a specialist degree for would-be psychologists but now it is the model of a modern, flexible degree subject. One of the UK's fastest-growing subject at degree level, and the second most popular subject overall (it recently overtook business studies), one in 23 of all graduates last year had psychology degrees. As you'd expect with figures like that, jobs in psychology itself are incredibly competitive, so to stand a chance of securing one, you need to get a postgraduate qualification (probably a doctorate in most fields, especially clinical psychology) and some relevant work experience. But even though there are so many psychology graduates — far more than there are jobs in psychology, and over 13,800 in total last year — this degree has a lower unemployment rate than average because its grads are so flexible and well-regarded by business and other industries across the economy. Everywhere there are good jobs in the UK economy, you'll find psychology graduates - and it's hardly surprising as the course helps you gain a mix of good people skills and excellent number and data handling skills. A psychology degree ticks most employers' boxes — but we'd suggest you don't drop your maths modules.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

German and scandinavian studies

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£20k

£20k

£26k

£26k

£27k

£27k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Psychology (non-specific)

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£18k

£18k

£24k

£24k

£26k

£26k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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