German Undergraduate Study
German degrees at the University of Exeter are taught within the welcoming and supportive community of the Department of Languages, Cultures, and Visual Studies: an internationally-recognised hub of teaching and research in German language and culture.
Spoken by 200 million people worldwide, the German language is a passport to a treasure-house of European culture and to a major economy whose political and diplomatic influence reaches across the world.
Top 15 for German in the UK
11th in the Complete University Guide 2026
Top 150 worldwide for Modern Languages
QS World University Subject Rankings 2025
Spend a year abroad on an International Placement
1st in the UK for research impact
Joint 1st for world-leading or internationally excellent research, REF 2021
Discover German at the University of Exeter
German at Exeter is small enough for us to know our students well, yet our teaching and research have a very broad reach. Our research interests feed directly into your undergraduate degree programme, ensuring that you have access to the latest knowledge and ideas.
Our teaching includes classics of literature, film and thought, plus optional topics such as museum studies, medical and queer history and migration. You'll study material from diverse media, including films and documentaries, literary texts, statistics, visual arts and historical documents.
We have carefully designed pathways focusing on core language teaching from either post A-level or Beginner's level. Your language study will be guided by an academic team of both native and non-native speakers of German. At the heart of our Department is our pioneering Language Centre, with fantastic learning spaces and community-driven learning opportunities such as the Languages Café.
Students have the option of spending their third year in a German-speaking country: studying at one of our renowned partner universities such as Vienna, Tübingen and Humboldt University in Berlin, gaining valuable employment experience and practical applied learning by working abroad, or teaching English as part of a British Council placement in Austria, Germany, or Switzerland (subject to availability).
Customise your German degree
You can study German through four pathways:
Study or work abroad
The International Placement can be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable aspects of a Modern Languages degree. It is also one of the major factors that makes languages graduates attractive to employers.
By immersing yourself in the culture you study, you will not only enhance your language skills, but cultivate:
- strong intercultural understanding
- improved communication skills
- the ability to think and study in different ways
- resilience and confidence
- analytical skills
- adaptability, independence and valuable life experience
Meet our academics
