English Literature and German

English literature and German is a combination that brings together two of the most significant literary and intellectual traditions in European history. English literature encompasses the full sweep of writing in the language from the medieval period to the present, including poetry, fiction, drama and essay, across British, American and postcolonial traditions. German gives you access to one of the most philosophically and literarily rich languages in Europe, the language of Goethe, Schiller, Kafka, Brecht and Mann, of Kant, Hegel and Nietzsche, of a cultural tradition that has profoundly shaped how the modern world understands itself and a contemporary Germany that remains one of the most significant European powers.

At the University of Manchester this four-year full-time programme develops your German to an advanced level alongside deep engagement with English literary study. You will study literature in both languages, engaging with close reading, critical theory and literary history across a wide range of periods and genres. The programme includes a sandwich year and built-in work placement opportunities, giving you professional experience in a German-speaking or literary context and strengthening your graduate profile.

Manchester's strong German department and its vigorous English literature programme provide an excellent environment for a degree that demands and rewards serious intellectual commitment.

Graduates go on to work in publishing, journalism, translation and interpreting, the civil service, international business, education, broadcasting, the arts, cultural organisations and academic research. The combination of English literary training and German language competence is particularly valuable in roles connecting British and German-speaking cultural and commercial life. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in German, comparative literature, English, translation or cultural history.

The degree produces graduates who are both analytically rigorous and genuinely bilingual, a rare and valued combination.