German and Social Policy MA (Hons)

The German-speaking world has a fascinating social and political history. German and Social Policy makes an excellent joint honours choice by combining the study of:<br/><br/><br/>* a modern language in its cultural, social and political context <br/><br/><br/>* the distribution of welfare and wellbeing within societies, and the policies which influence that distribution <br/><br/><br/>* option courses from a wide range of disciplines <br/><br/><br/>**German**<br/><br/>Across all four years of our programme, including a year abroad, your studies will give you the chance to gain professional skills in all aspects of German, including:<br/><br/><br/>* reading and listening <br/><br/><br/>* writing and translating <br/><br/><br/>* speaking and presenting <br/><br/><br/>As well as language learning, you will also explore German-language literature, film and theatre. You will study these in the context of historical and political developments, from the eighteenth century to contemporary times.<br/><br/>On joining us, beginners take our German 1A course. Students with substantial prior experience of learning the language typically take German 1B.<br/><br/>By your final year, you will have developed the linguistic, critical and analytical skills to the standard of completing a dissertation or long essay. <br/><br/>**Social Policy**<br/><br/>You will focus on social and economic change, what causes it, and its consequences for society. <br/><br/>Reflecting on how policies are developed, you will learn about the policy-making process in the UK. You will also study the influence of international bodies such as the EU and OECD.<br/><br/>We deal with a wide array of policy areas, for example:<br/><br/><br/>* health and welfare <br/><br/><br/>* education and labour markets <br/><br/><br/>* family and childhood<br/><br/><br/>International comparative analyses are one of our main strengths, and we place a strong emphasis on providing our students with empirical research skills. <br/><br/>**Why Edinburgh**<br/><br/>As a world-leading festival and capital city, Edinburgh is a fantastic place to study a modern language in its cultural context and alongside social policy. <br/><br/>We are unique in Scotland in offering students a full academic year abroad within the four-year honours programme, regardless of whether you spend the year studying or working. <br/><br/>Our four-year programme is flexible. In Years 1 and 2, as well as your core subjects, you will choose option courses from a wide range of disciplines. You will then specialise as you progress through your honours years. <br/><br/>When you graduate, you will have the combination of broad cultural education and specialist knowledge valued by employers worldwide.