German Studies and Politics BA Hons

Lancaster’s joint German Studies and Politics degree is taught by the Department of Languages and Cultures in conjunction with the Department of Politics, Philosophy, and Religion.

Your German Studies program gives you the opportunity to acquire high-level language skills and gain a thorough understanding of the country’s historical, cultural, social and political background in a global context. In Politics, you will explore the themes, concepts, and events that have shaped the contemporary world.

Your first year comprises an exploration of the German language and its cultural context as well as the core module ‘Politics and the New World’, which introduces you to key themes such as the theory and practice of liberal democracy, globalization, and threats to international security.  In addition, you will study a minor subject that complements your degree.

Building on your language skills in Year 2, you will study the culture, politics, and history of Germany and Austria in more depth, as well as selecting modules that are international in scope and promote a comparative understanding of Europe and beyond.  You will combine these with modules such as ‘Modern Political Thought’, or ‘Comparative Politics of the Asia Pacific and the Middle East’.

Spending your third year abroad in a German-speaking country gives you the opportunity to develop your language proficiency while deepening your intercultural sensitivity. You can study at a partner institution or conduct a work placement.

In your final year, you consolidate your German language skills, and study specialist culture and comparative modules, such as ‘Autocrats, Caudillos and Big Men: Understanding Dictatorship and its Cultural Representation in the 20th Century’. You will also select from Politics modules such as, ‘Islamic Politics’, or ‘Corporations, Global Political Economy and the Law’.