A degree in London with an exceptionally wide range of modules in both German and Philosophy that cover literature, language, film, history, philosophical thought, and political and social theory; plus, philosophy of mind, science and ancient philosophy and much more.
KEY BENEFITS
German- Highest-rated department in German within London and nationally on the strength of its world-leading and internationally excellent research.
- Teaching informed and delivered by staff who carry out that research.
- Exceptionally wide range of modules covering literature, language, film, and history.
- Central location offers students access to a variety of libraries and resources, including the Goethe-Insitut and the Austrian Cultural Forum.
- Opportunity to study in a German-speaking country offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in culture and society and achieve language fluency.
Philosophy
- One of the largest and most distinguished philosophy departments in the country.
- The Department is ranked in the top six nationally for world-leading and internationally excellent research (Research Assessment Exercise 2008).
- In the most recent NSS, 95% were satisfied with the quality of the teaching on their course, and 98% of our students reported that they find their course intellectually stimulating. Our scores for feedback, provision of learning resources and personal development were also consistently above the sector average (source: National Student Survey 2012)
- King's offers an exceptionally wide range of optional courses, covering all areas of the history of philosophy and contemporary philosophy.
- Emphasis on small-group teaching ensures students acquire and hone the skills of critical thinking.
UCAS code
RV25
Programme type
Joint honours
Duration
Three years - or, with an optional year abroad, four years.
Location
Strand Campus
Year of entry 2014
Offered by
School of Arts and Humanities
Department of German
Department of Philosophy
Closing date
Please refer to the
UCAS website for application deadline dates, or contact the relevant Admissions Office for further advice
Fees & funding
For information on fees and funding for undergraduate programmes at King's go to
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ug/funding/ CONTACTS
Address
Department of German
King's College London
Strand Campus
Strand
London WC2R 2LS
Email
Tel
020 7848 2350/2374
Fax
020 7848 7200
PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION
Our exceptionally wide range of modules in the Department of German covers literature of all periods, German film, German history, German philosophical thought, and German political and social theory.
Our Department of Philosophy has particular strengths in philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and ancient philosophy. We are also able to offer an extremely wide range of modules, including subjects like Indian philosophy and medieval philosophy which are offered by very few other universities in the UK.
For more about the departments of German and Philosophy follow the departmental contact links.
ABOUT THE Department of German
CAREERS
Studies of graduate employability repeatedly stress the career value of language degrees. Employers in UK and international business, the press and media, IT and technology, marketing and public relations, public administration, international development, law, finance, teaching and lecturing, interpreting, translating and others have been found repeatedly to value foreign language competence, not just as a specialist skill, but as a personal quality that fosters relationship-building, teamwork, and the capacity to move easily in international contexts. Studying German, you will also gain fluency in a language and knowledge of a country and its culture that is increasingly in demand, given Germany’s central role in European economic and political development, and German and Austrian membership of the EU. Recent graduates have found employment in sectors including media production and journalism, human relations, finance, business development, retail and marketing, the civil service, teaching and lecturing. A considerable number have continued to further study. Recent employers of King’s German graduates include Goldman Sachs, Astra Zeneca, the National Assembly of Wales, CNN, the American University in London, and the University of Oxford.
TEACHING STYLE
In 2011-12, the Department launched a new curriculum that reflects our commitment to innovative and research-led teaching. Staff across the Department contribute introductory and specialist modules that draw from their own research in German literature, culture and history. Modules are taught through a combination of lectures, small seminars or tutorials, and one-to-one supervision. This brings you into close contact with tutors, in a department that is regularly ranked among the top three research departments in the UK. Language classes involve in-depth work with different kinds of media, literary and academic texts. Teaching is in German and English, according to the subject area. Our teaching style is interactive; students participate informally in small group discussions in seminars or online discussion fora, and formally through seminar presentations and oral assessments.
STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMMES & ASSESSMENT
Following Year 1 foundation modules in culture, history and politics, more specialised modules in Years 2 and 4 reflect the rich research expertise of Department staff. The King’s German Department ranked joint second in the country in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, and the commitment of our staff to research excellence is matched by our enthusiasm for teaching. Our rigorous three-year language programme is tailored both to your own level of language competence, and to the internationally recognised Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Non-native speakers take core language modules covering the key skills of reading, writing, listening, spoken interaction and production, and translation. Native speakers currently take a separate module in Translation from and into German. Assessment is in a variety of forms including précis and oral presentation, work placement portfolios, longer academic essays in both English and German, and oral and written exams
LOCATION
Located in the heart of London, the department can draw on unparalleled print, audio-visual and online resources, including the King’s Maughan Library and Senate House Library, the Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies, the British Film Institute and the British Library. All are within easy walking distance of the Strand Building. The Goethe-Institut and Austrian Cultural Forum also have extensive media and library holdings, and run lively programmes of films, readings, seminars and exhibitions which complement the Department’s internal film screenings, open seminars, exhibitions, and annual departmental play. All teaching takes place at the Strand Campus.
SPECIAL NOTES
The third year of this programme is spent in Germany, Austria or German-speaking Switzerland, normally as a student at university or as a teaching assistant in a school. We have exchange links with universities in Munich, Frankfurt (Main), Heidelberg, Berlin and Vienna (under the European Union Socrates-Erasmus scheme).
ABOUT THE Department of Philosophy
CAREERS
Graduates have gone on to a wide range of careers after leaving King’s. Among those who have recently graduated, a survey uncovered a merchant banker, a police constable, a barrister, a trainee journalist, a trainee teacher and several who had returned (or were about to return) to university to take higher degrees.
Recent graduates have found employment as….
• Analyst Consultant, Accenture
• Asset Distributor, Universal Music
• English Teacher, Primary School
• Intern (Public Affairs), Science strategy company
• Journalist, a business website
• Operations Manager, Five UK
• Research Assistant (Philosophy), a UK university
• Film Production Assistant, Production company
• Volunteer Development Support Officer, Diabetes uK
TEACHING STYLE
In our undergraduate teaching, we aim to combine a wide range of study options with direct staff-student contact. Our emphasis on small-group teaching in tutorials and seminars makes King’s an excellent place to acquire and hone the skills of critical thinking, and to express your ideas both in writing and in philosophical discussion with your fellow students and instructors.
STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMMES & ASSESSMENT
Our programme offers an unusually wide range of options, such as Philosophy of Psychology and Philosophy in the Islamic World. Study of these options builds upon the solid foundation of core courses in the first and second years, with a lot of choice between modules already in the second year.
Assessment mixes examinations and essays, and all modules offer formative assessment to let you try out and explore your ideas.
LOCATION
The Department is based at the College’s Strand Campus, in the heart of central London. The College’s Maughan Library is a short walk away on Chancery Lane.
Currently, students study the following core modules (modules are 15 credits unless otherwise stated). We review our options on a regular basis, in order to continue to offer innovative and exciting programmes and this list is therefore subject to change. Please check here for updates, or contact the School/department for further advice.
YEAR 1
You should take the core modules outlined below. Native German speakers also choose one optional German module. (This is because their German language module is worth 15 credits, rather than the 30-credit core language module taken by non-native speakers.)
YEAR 1 CORE
GermanTexts and Contexts:an introduction to German literature and culture (compulsory)
AND
German Language Core Module I (non-native speakers only)
OR
Translation from and into German I (native speakers only)
Philosophy
Combined honours students choose from among our level 4 modules, which are:
Greek Philosophy I
Ethics I
Elementary Logic
Metaphysics I
Modern Philosophy I
Political Philosophy I
Epistemology I
Methodology
In the first year combined honours students must take at least one module in history of philosophy, at least one module in either ethics or political philosophy, and at least one module from among Elementary Logic, Metaphysics I, Epistemology I, and Methodology.
YEAR 1 OPTIONS
German (for native German speakers only)
- Milestones of German History
- One Hundred Years on German Cinema
- Medieval Germany: Language, Literature and Society
- German Politics and Society
YEAR 2
You take the core module outlined below plus and two or three optional modules in German (depending on whether you are a non-native or native German speaker) and four in Philosophy.
YEAR 2 CORE
German
German Core Language Module II (30 credits, non-native speakers)
OR
Translation from and into German II (15 credits, native speakers)
YEAR 2 OPTIONS
German- The German Reformation
- Women in the early modern period: representations and responses
- German Realist fiction in the nineteenth century
- History into literature
- Modernism and the Avant-garde
- A year in the life of German-language film
- Politics and popular culture in Germany after 1870
- Germany since 1945: politics, society, economics
- 18th-century German thought: the education of humanity
PhilosophyStudents take four modules from the following lists, with the requirement to choose from at least two of the three lists:
List A- Greek Philosophy II: Plato
- Greek Philosophy II: Aristotle
- Modern Philosophy II: Locke and Berkeley
- Modern Philosophy II: Spinoza and Leibniz
List B- Ethics II: History of Ethical Philosophy
- Ethics II: Contemporary Ethical Philosophy
- Political Philosophy II: Theories of Justice
- Political Philosophy II: History of Political Philosophy
List C- Epistemology II
- Metaphysics II
- Philosophy of Logic and Language
- Philosophy of Mind
In the second year combined honours students may also take one 15 credit module from among level 6 optional subjects.
YEAR 3
This is spent in Germany, Austria or German-speaking Switzerland, either as a student at one of our Erasmus partner institutions, as a language teaching assistant, or on an approved work placement. We have links with universities in Munich, Frankfurt (Main), Berlin and Vienna under the European Erasmus-Socrates scheme.
YEAR 4
You take the core module outlined plus up to three options in German and a choice of four options in Philosophy. In Philosophy the available modules will change from year to year, but the modules listed below are likely to be offered in either the second or final year.
YEAR 4 CORE
German
German Language Core Module III (non-native speakers)
OR
Translation from and into German III (native speakers)
YEAR 4 OPTIONS
German:- Translation from and into German III
- Structure and usage of contemporary German
- The Nibelungenlied: from the twelfth to the twentieth century
- Religion, sex and politics: German literature of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
- Goethe's Faust
- Goethe: from Sturm und Drang to Classicism
- Heinrich Heine
- Kafka
- Aspects of post-1945 German fiction
- The Third Reich in the post-war German novel
- Modern German poetry
- Brechtian cinema and political modernism
- Power and everyday life in the GDR
- German reunification: culture and politics
- Politics and everyday life in twentieth-century Germany
- Government politics and public policy in Germany
- Constructing Europe — identities and a European demos
- Extended essay (This option is worth 30 credits, and therefore counts as a double module.)
Philosophy- Advanced Logic modules
- Aesthetics
- 20th Century Continental Philosophy
- Dissertation
- Foundations of Analytic Philosophy
- Greek Philosophical Texts
- Hellenistic Philosophy
- Indian Philosophy
- Kant
- Meaning and Grammar
- Medieval Philosophy
- Moral Normativity
- Neoplatonism
- Philosophy in the Islamic World
- Philosophy of Mathematics
- Philosophy of Religion
- Philosophy of Science
- Scepticism
- Science, Ethics and Society
- Topics in Ethics
- Topics in Greek Philosophy
- Topics in Modern Philosophy
- Topics in Philosophy of Mind
- Topics in Political Philosophy
- Utilitarianism
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Australia
Tertiary Entrance Ranking
97+ ATAR, or an OP of band 2 for Queensland with high marks in German
Austria
Reifezeugnis (Matura)
Reifezeugnis with 1 including 1 in German
Belgium
Certificat D
Certificat D’Enseignement Secondaire Superieur/Diploma van Secundair Onderwijs with 8/10 or 18/20 including 8 or 18 in German
Brazil
Brazil
High School Leaving Certificate (Certificado de Ensino Médio) with 8 OR B OR Muito Bom PLUS at least one year of Bacharel/Licenciado at a Brazilian University with a GPA of at least 8.0 OR the King’s College London International Foundation Programme OR 3 A-levels with grades of AAA. Including German
Bulgaria
School Leaving Certificate
Diploma za Sredno Obrazovanie with the majority of subject marks of 5.5 including 5.5 in German
Canada
Secondary School Certificate/Diploma
High School Certificate/Diploma with 90% OR Ontario University Preparatory Course with 90% at five grade 12 4U subjects. The sixth subject may be at 4U or 4U/C level. OR the Quebec CEGEP Cote R with an overall R score of 33. (All require German.)
Chile
Chile
Licencia de Educación Media with 6 PLUS at least one year of the Licenciatura at a Chilean university with a mark of 5 OR the Kings College London International Foundation Programme OR 3 A-levels with grades of AAA including German
China
Gao Kao (University Entrance Examination)
University Entrance Examination with at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Chinese university with at least 80% (Requires German)
Cyprus
Apolytirion
Apolytirion (School Leaving Certificate) with 19 with high marks in German, plus at least an additional foundation/Access year
Czech Republic
Maturita
Maturita with 1 including 1 in German
Denmark
Studentereksamen or Hjere Forberedelseseksamen
Studentereksamen or Højere Forberedelseseksamen with 11 including 11 in German
Estonia
Gmnaasiumi lputunnistus (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus with majority marks of 5, (including grade 5 in German) and an attestation of success in the state entry examinations (Riigieksamitunnistus)
Finland
Ylioppilastutkinto/Studentexamen (National Matriculation)
Ylioppilastutkinto with 7 including 7 in German
France
Baccalaureat (including the option internationale baccalaureat)
The Baccalaureat with 14/20 overall and 14 in German
Germany
Abitur
Abitur with 1.3 overall including 1.3 in German
Ghana
School Leaving Certificate
the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC/WASSCE) PLUS 3 international Cambridge-board A levels at AAA including German
Greece
Apolytirion
Apolytirion with 19 including 19 in German
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)
Three elective subjects at minimum Levels 5, 5, 5 plus Level 4 in each of the four core subjects. Applicants should demonstrate fluency in German.
Hungary
Erettsegi
Erettsegi with 5 including 5 in German
India
School Leaving Certificate
School Leaving Certificate with 85% overall OR School Leaving Certificate with 75% with at least a foundation/Access year or year of undergraduate study at an Indian university. (All require high marks in German)
Iran
School Leaving Certificate
Pre-University Certificate (Peeshdaneshgahe) OR the National Entrance Exam (Kunkar) with 16 OR 3 Cambridge International A levels at AAA (All require high marks in German)
Ireland
Irish Leaving Certificate (Higher level unless otherwise stated)
A1 A1 A1 A2 B1 B1 with grade A in German
Italy
Esame di Stato
Esame di Stato with 90 with high marks in German
Japan
School Leaving Certificate
Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shomeisho) PLUS 3 Cambridge Board International A-levels at AAA OR an Associate degree or Diploma from a Junior College (Jun-Gakushi) with a GPA of 3.3 or B+ or 4 OR a foundation year. Including high marks in German
Latvia
Atestats par visparejo videjo izglitibu (Certificate of General Secondary Education)
Atestats par visparejo videjo izglitibu with 9 with high marks in German, plus at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Latvian university
Lithuania
Brandos Atestatas (Maturity Certificate)
Brandos Atestatas with 90 with high marks in German, plus at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Lithuanian university
Luxembourg
Diplome de Fin D
Diplome de Fin D’Etudes Secondaires with Tres Bien including Tres Bien in German
Malta
Matriculation Certificate - Advanced level
Matriculation Certificate with AAA including German
Mexico
Mexico
The Bachillerato with a mark of 8 PLUS the King’s College London International Foundation Programme OR at least one year of the Licenciado study with an overall average mark of at least 8/10 OR A-levels with grades of AAA including German
Moldova
School Leaving Certificate
Diploma de Bacalaureat with 9 including 9 in German
Netherlands
Diploma Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO)
VWO with 8 including 8 in German
New Zealand
National Certificate of Educational Achievement Level 3 (NCEA)
the NCEA level 3 with E in the majority of standards/modules in four subjects, including Excellent in German
Nigeria
School Leaving Certificate
The Senior School Certificate (SSC/SSCE) OR the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC/WASSCE) PLUS 3 Cambridge International A levels at AAA including German
Norway
Vitnemal-videregaende opplaering (Upper Secondary Leaving Certificate)
Vitnemal-videregaende opplaering grade 5 including grade 5 in German
Pakistan
High School Certificate (HSSC)
High School Certificate with A with high marks in German, plus at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Pakistani university
Poland
Matura
Matura with 85% in extended level subjects with high marks in German
Portugal
Diploma de Ensino Secundário
Diploma de Ensino Secundário with 18 with high marks in German
Romania
School Leaving Certificate
Diploma de Bacalaureat with 9 including 9 in German
Russia
Attest o (Polnom) Srednem Obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Attest o (Polnom) Srednem Obshchem Obrazovanii with an average of 4.5 including 5 in German, plus at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Russian university
Saudi Arabia
School Leaving Certificate
College of Technology Diploma OR Higher Technical Institute Diploma OR Junior Health College Diploma OR Undergraduate Diploma with 85% OR 3 Cambridge International A levels at AAB (All require high marks in German)
Singapore
Singapore A Level
AAA in three content-based H2 subjects (including German). Knowledge and Inquiry is not considered as part of the offer
Slovakia
Vysvedcenie Maturitnej Skuska/Maturita
Vysvedcenie Maturitnej Skuske/Maturita with 1 including German
Slovenia
Maturitetno Spricevalo (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Matura with 5 with 5 in German
South Africa
South African Senior Certificate/National Senior Certificate with Matriculation endorsement
The National Senior Certificate with Matriculation endorsement with AAAAB including German
Spain
Titulo de Bachiller
Titulo de Bachiller with 9 overall including German
Sweden
Fullständigt Slutbetyg (School Leaving Certificate)
Fullstandigt Slutbeytg with MVG including MVG in German
Switzerland
Federal Maturity Certificate
Federal Maturity Certificate with an overall mark of 5 including German
Turkey
Lise Diplomasi (High School Diploma)
Lise Diplomasi with an overall mark of 4 with high marks in German, plus at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Turkish university
United Kingdom
A levels
AAA
Compulsory subjects
Grade A at A-level German
General Studies and Critical Thinking - College policy
Please note that AS/A level General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted by King's as one of your A or AS levels. However, if offered the grade achieved may be taken into account when considering whether or not to accept a candidate who has just fallen short of the conditions of their offer
Access to HE Diploma
Access to Humanities (or similar) Diploma including study of German at Level 3 with 36 Level 3 credits from units awarded at Distinction, with the remaining credits at Merit. Supplementary information and achievement e.g marks for certain credits/subjects may be required depending on course content.
Cambridge Pre-U
3 Pre-U Principal Subjects with grades of D3 D3 D3 including D3 in German
BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma
Considered on an individual basis
Scottish Highers & Advanced Highers
AAAAB in Highers and AA at Advanced Higher (including German)
International Baccalaureate
35 points and HL 666 including HL6 in German
European Baccalaureate
85% overall including 8.5 in German
USA
Advanced Placement Tests and/or SAT/ACT (SAT/ACT acceptable only where stipulated)
Three AP subjects with 555 including German grade 5. Or SAT with a total score of 1900 with at least 600 in each section or the ACT with a score of 28 plus 3 SAT-S with a score of 600 in each plus an AP in the relevant language with 4 or evidence of fluency
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Aptitude testing
No test required
If you are interested in coming to King’s, you should apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and apply online via the UCAS website (click on 'apply'). If you are applying through a school or college, you will need to obtain a 'buzzword' from the centre you are applying through. Alternatively, you can apply as an individual, independent of a school or college. Please see the UCAS website for instructions. The UCAS institution code name for King’s is KCL, and the institution code is K60.
There are a few programmes which require direct application to King's, this will be stated above
Most applicants are considered between November and March. Admission requirements are flexible, but evidence of study in German to an appropriate level is always required. A detailed list of the additional credentials and musical skills required for the BA German & Music can be found on the web page of the Department of Music.