German and Drama

Overview

Combining Drama and German gives you the opportunity to explore connections and interactions between cultural traditions.

Studying German at QMUL comprises intensive engagement with the German language in conjunction with the cultures and histories of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Students develop a high level of linguistic competence, together with analytical skills and a thorough understanding of intercultural issues. We accept students at four different entry levels of linguistic attainment: beginners, post-GCSE, post-A level, and native speakers. Drama at QMUL provides you with the knowledge base and practical foundation to enable you to explore your performance interests from contemporary live art to historical drama. You will engage with a variety of performance and cultural traditions that inform both contexts and investigate the parallels between the two.

You divide your time equally between the two subjects, following modules designed to help you develop your linguistic and intercultural competence, and the key concepts and techniques required to study cultural practices and make performances.

Why study German and Drama at Queen Mary?

The discipline of German Studies has a long and outstanding tradition at Queen Mary University of London. With over 100 years of teaching German language and culture behind us, we are proud to be a vibrant subject group offering a wide range of courses on the literature, linguistics and culture of the major German-speaking countries. Apart from our main focus on Anglo-German cultural relations, we have research and teaching expertise in GDR studies as well as in Austrian and Swiss literature and culture.

You will spend a year abroad in the third year of your degree. This gives you an exceptional opportunity to develop your language skills through immersion and boost your intercultural competence. You have three main options for how to spend the year abroad: teaching English as a foreign language assistant; attending university abroad on an Erasmus exchange; or in the professional world, either on a work placement, with our support, or independently, with our approval.

Drama has close links with London’s cultural institutions including Shakespeare’s Globe, the Barbican Centre and Tate Modern, which means you will have the opportunity to work with theatre and other arts professionals as well as lecturers who are leaders in their field. Our teaching takes place in state-of-the-art facilities, including the Pinter Studio Theatre, and a suite of purpose-built rehearsal rooms. You have full access to these facilities, along with the necessary technical support.

Our location in east London is an important element in our work, and you are encouraged to see the site of your studies as being part of your exploration of your subject. Whether in groups, or individually, you are also encouraged to investigate the unknown and the unexpected, and we have developed modules that will invite you to consider drama and performance in a variety of settings, which might include schools, hospitals, prisons, art galleries or streets as well as theatres across the UK and internationally.

We pride ourselves on the facilities we offer. The Library has extensive audio-visual materials and equipment, and our language learning labs and resource rooms are state of the art. Our students enjoy lively language clubs and societies which organise film showings, outings, drama productions and a Stammtisch. They also gain insight into the work of contemporary German authors as part of our highly acclaimed Writer-in-Residence Programme.

Structure

From 2017 we are introducing the QMUL Model to all our degrees. 

For further information on this initiative please contact the Undergraduate Programmes team sllf-ug@qmul.ac.uk

Year 1

Drama Compulsory Modules:

• Cultural Histories of Theatre
• London/Culture/Performance (QMUL Model Module)
• Practices
• Performance Texts in Practice

German core language module (streamed according to entry level) and compulsory foundation module:

• Introductory German* (for ab initio entrants) / German I Intensive* (for post GCSE entrants) / German I* (for post A-level entrants). Native speakers of German take no core language module in year 1. (*QMUL Model Module)
• Foundations of German Studies* (for post A-Level and native speaker entrants) or European Literature and its Contexts (for ab initio entrants). Post-GCSE entrants will be guided to one or other of these options. (*QMUL Model Module)
• Critical Thinking and Writing for Modern Foreign Languages

Year 2

In Drama, you will take sixty credits including at least one of:

• Cultural Politics and Performance
• London/Archives/Resources
• Group Practical Project

German core and compulsory modules:

• German II intensive (for ab initio entrants) / German II (for post GSCE and post A-level entrants) / German IIN (for native speakers)
• Contemporary German Studies I or Contemporary German Studies II

German options include:

• Brecht and the Drama
• German Play
• The (Re-)Birth of Tragedy: Schiller, Nietzsche and other Legacies
• German Narrative Fiction: Text and Film
• German for Business
• German Romanticism in its European Context

Year 3

• Year abroad: Study Abroad or Written and Oral Assignment

Year 4

For Drama you will select at least one research project, from a list including:

• Written Research Project
• Practice-based Research Project
• Performance Company Research Project
• Film Studies Research Project

You will also take the compulsory, but non-assessed, module Livelihoods

German core module:

• German III (for ab initio, post GCSE and post A-Level entrants)
• German IIIN (for native speakers)

German options include:

• Anglo-German Cultural Relations Past and Present
• German Swiss Literature and Culture
• German Poetry in the 20^th Century
• German Sociolinguistics
• Advanced German for Business
• Modern Languages Research Project
• Languages in the Classroom: Teaching German

For a complete list of modules please visit the directory of modules http://www.qmul.ac.uk/modules/

Use the following abbreviation in the Code search

• GER – German
• DRA – Drama

QMUL will aim to deliver your programme so that it closely matches the way in which it has been described to you by QMUL in print, online, and/or in person. However, it is important to realise that in some circumstances, we may change aspects of your programme. See our full terms and conditions to read more: 

http://www.qmul.ac.uk/prospective/termsandconditions/

Entry requirements

General Admission Entry Requirements can be found below.

2018 Entry requirements

Learning and teaching

Teaching German content modules typically involves a lecture per week for each module, followed up by a smaller seminar group session where you will have the opportunity to actively contribute. In addition to this, you will spend up to five hours per week in language classes – you will be taught in small groups of no more than 20 for classroom or language lab teaching, and fewer than 10 for oral and aural work. We give our students individual attention and every student has an Adviser who can help with academic or personal problems. All the language programmes include writing-intensive modules that will help you strengthen your thinking, research and essay-writing skills.

Drama teaching happens in small seminars, workshops, small lectures, field work, tutorials and some workshop activities outside Queen Mary (for example, in local schools). You will do group work and work independently. Theory and practice are integrated across the curriculum so that in seminars you will also do some practice-based learning and in workshops you will also discuss critical reading. As well as working with Drama staff, you will also have the opportunity to work with experts and theatre professionals from outside the College. You can expect to be in taught classes eight hours per week but also to do additional unsupervised practice in dedicated studio time four hours per week. You will sometimes dedicate additional time to preparing performance work and extra studio space is bookable for you to do this. You will also be responsible for preparing assigned reading, doing independent research and attending theatre and other cultural events across London as well as preparing work for assessment. Seminar groups generally take no more than 21 students and workshop groups are normally no larger than 15.

Independent Study:
For every hour spent in classes you will be expected to complete a further 5 - 6 hours of independent study.  Your individual study time could be spent preparing for, or following up on formal study sessions; reading; producing written work; completing projects; and revising for examinations. 

The direction of your individual study will be guided by the formal study sessions you attend, along with your reading lists and assignments.  However, we expect you to demonstrate an active role in your own learning by reading widely and expanding your own knowledge, understanding and critical ability. 

Independent study will foster in you the ability to identify your own learning needs and determine which areas you need to focus on to become proficient in your subject area.  This is an important transferable skill and will help to prepare you for the transition to working life.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for Home and EU students

2018/19 Academic Year
Full-time £9,250

Tuition fees for International students

2018/19 Academic Year
Full-time £15,400

Graduate employment

Graduates in German and Drama go on to work in a wide variety of careers. Some apply their degree knowledge directly, entering careers such as directing, teaching or translating, whilst others transfer skills gained during study into a wide range of areas.

The broad range of skills gained through our courses, coupled with multiple opportunities for extra-curricular activities and work experience, has enabled students to move into careers such as:

Careers support

Throughout the course, students have access to an annual QM Careers and Enterprise Centre programme, to prepare them for internships and graduate level work. This includes employer led workshops on job applications and interviews as well as over 70 employer events to facilitate networks and help students to explore their options.

Recent careers events for language students include a workshop for returning 4th years, “What a Difference a Year Abroad Makes”, and a “Make Languages Work for You” speed meet event with alumni working in a variety of roles; for linguists, a careers day looking at how to use LinkedIn for job search, CV writing and career choice. Drama students can build work experience via the department’s student run Queen Mary Theatre Company or with one of Queen Mary’s creative agencies such as People’s Palace Projects.

Students also have access to our central careers programme, with a range of events including workshops on journalism, teaching, and employer-led recruitment skills training.

Opportunities for work experience are substantial given Queen Mary’s location between Canary Wharf, the City and the Olympic Village. Students are encouraged to build their work experience throughout their period of study. Opportunities can be found through QProjects, a local work experience scheme, QRecruit, which advertises internships and temporary work, Experience Works, a part time work fair, and volunteering with QMSU Provide. There are also over 1400 vacancies to browse on the QM JobOnline vacancy site.

Queen Mary’s extensive campus also provides over 1200 on-campus job and volunteer opportunities ranging from E-learning Assistant to Gym Instructor and from Society President to Student Mentor.

Read more about our careers programmes and range of work experience opportunities on the QM Careers pages http://www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/.

And there's plenty of day-to-day support too. Whether you need help with writing a CV, developing your interview skills or planning further study once you graduate, we have teams of advisers on hand to give you the advice and support you need.

Visit: www.careers.qmul.ac.uk  and www.qmsu.org/volunteering

Profiles