German and Spanish

German and Spanish together cover two of the most geographically extensive language families in the world, and studying both at degree level gives you access to an extraordinary range of literary, cultural and intellectual traditions. German is the most widely spoken first language in the European Union, the medium of a remarkable philosophical tradition stretching from Kant and Hegel to Wittgenstein, and the language of some of the twentieth century's most significant literature. Spanish is spoken by more than 500 million people across Europe and the Americas, making it one of the most globally distributed languages in existence, with a richly diverse set of literary and cultural traditions from both sides of the Atlantic.

At the University of Oxford, this four-year full-time programme is taught to the highest academic standard in both languages and their associated cultures and literatures. You will develop very high levels of proficiency in speaking, reading and writing German and Spanish, engaging with the full range of literary and cultural material in each language from medieval texts to contemporary writing. Oxford's approach to language study is rigorous and intellectually demanding, combining close reading of primary texts with the analytical frameworks of literary criticism, cultural history and linguistics.

The typical entry profile for this programme is around 184 UCAS tariff points, consistent with Oxford's academic expectations.

The combination of German and Spanish is particularly valued in contexts requiring engagement with both the European single market and the broader Spanish-speaking world, covering contexts from Iberian European politics to Latin American economies and cultural production.

Graduates of this combination are well positioned for careers in international business, law, diplomacy, the European institutions, translation, journalism and academic research. The German strand opens doors in European finance, manufacturing, engineering and policy. The Spanish strand extends opportunity across the Americas and into sectors including development, media, education and cultural industries.

Together they give graduates a linguistic range that is genuinely rare and consistently valuable. Postgraduate study in European languages, translation, comparative literature, international relations or law is a natural continuation.