German and Philosophy, MA (Hons)

German philosophy and culture, exemplified by thinkers such as Arendt, Hegel, Leibniz, and Wittgenstein, have profoundly influenced global thought in philosophy, culture, and science. Our four-year programme, including a year abroad in Year 3, develops professional German skills across reading, listening, writing, translating, speaking, and presenting. Students explore German-language literature, film, and theatre within historical and political contexts from the 18th century to today. Beginners start with German 1A, while more experienced learners take German 1B, building towards advanced linguistic, critical, and analytical abilities for dissertation-level work.Philosophy at Edinburgh draws on a historic legacy, with alumni like Adam Ferguson and Sir William Hamilton. Studies focus on argument, critical enquiry, reasoning, and clear expression, covering Western philosophy's foundations and allowing specialisation. As a world-leading city, Edinburgh is ideal for language studies, with Philosophy taught since 1583 and German since 1894. The programme offers interdisciplinary flexibility and a full year abroad, equipping graduates with valued language, humanities skills, and an international perspective for global employability.