German and Portuguese (4 years)
UCAS Code: RR25
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Standard offer: ABB including B in one of the languages to be studied. Contextual offer: BBC including B in one of the languages to be studied. Please visit: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/entry-requirements-qualifications/contextual-offers/ for more information about contextual offers.
Access to HE Diploma
Pass Access to HE Diploma (Humanities) with at least 30 credits at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit, and demonstrate proven capacity for language learning, usually through B at A-level in one of the modern languages to be studied. Mature students are welcome to contact [email protected] to check the suitability of their Access course.
Requirements for principal subjects are as for A-level, where D1/ D2 is A*, D3 is A, M1/ M2 is B, M3 is C.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Standard offer: 32 points overall with 16 at Higher Level, including 5 at Higher Level in one of the languages to be studied. Contextual offer: 29 points overall with 14 at Higher Level, including 5 at Higher Level in one of the languages to be studied. Please visit: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/entry-requirements-qualifications/contextual-offers/ for more information about contextual offers.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
DDM. All applicants must demonstrate proven capacity for language learning, usually through B at A-level in one of the modern languages to be studied.
Scottish Advanced Higher
Advanced Higher: AB including one of the languages to be studied
Scottish Higher
Standard Higher: AABBB.
Requirements are as for A-levels where you can substitute a non-subject specific grade for the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate at that grade.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
Expertise in modern languages has never been more important as the United Kingdom forges a new relationship with its European partners and seeks to develop its trading and cultural ties throughout the world.
The University of Bristol is a centre for the study of modern languages and cultures, and offers a dynamic environment in which to carry out your studies.
This joint honours degree enables you to develop your understanding of German and Portuguese language and culture. Both departments offer outstanding teaching and research.
Germany remains central to the European economy, guaranteeing high demand for advanced fluency in the German language and familiarity with the diverse nature of the culture, history, politics and lifestyle of the German-speaking world.
Portuguese is the seventh most widely spoken language in the world and is an official language in nine countries across four continents. The political weight of countries such as Brazil and Angola means that Portuguese speakers are increasingly in demand.
In language classes you will develop speaking, listening, reading, writing and translation skills using textbooks, media and internet resources. You will also study literature, cinema, history, thought, politics, linguistics and culture, choosing from a wide range of optional units. We have a regular programme of visiting speakers who supplement our regular teaching with specialist talks on their research interests.
You will divide your third year between a German-speaking and a Portuguese-speaking country, either studying or undertaking a work placement. There are opportunities to complement your specialism in both languages with options that include a comparative element.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Bristol
School of Modern Languages
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.
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.
Iberian studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
German and scandinavian studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Iberian 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.
Top job areas of graduates
Very few graduates take this subject and so we can't say anything definitively about what graduates go on to do with these degrees - teaching, marketing and the arts and media were the most common jobs for graduates in Portuguese from 2015. That said, modern language grads usually have a range of opportunities available to them, both home and abroad. If you are interested in studying this subject, then it might be a good idea to go on open days and talk to tutors about what you might expect from the course and what previous graduates did.
German 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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Languages and area 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.
£23k
£30k
£38k
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:
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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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