German and Sociology (5 yrs)

German and Sociology at Aberdeen is a great combination, adding to your highly-developed language and cultural skills with a fascinating awakening of your ‘sociological imagination’. You will explore how the societies we live in shape us as individuals in all sorts of ways. With top-rated teaching and a culture of dynamic research, you will develop the skills to be a sought-after graduate by employers in many sectors and with strong international possibilities.

You will gain a solid grounding in the German language whatever your level, in a programme with the highest possible rating of ‘Excellent’ in the last national Teaching Quality Assessment. You will also develop a broad understanding of culture in the German-speaking world, with courses in social, historical and cultural aspects of these countries and encounter the world of German artistic expression in the form of literature, film and art, together with a deeper understanding of Germany’s complex history.

Sociology at Aberdeen will complement and add depth to your studies of German society. You will explore how society shapes us as individuals in all sorts of ways and study sociology of the family, work-life balance, religion and society. You will be taught by experts in social movements, conflict and peace, religion and secularisation and global political sociology. You will become skilled in the social research methods used to gather the evidence to better understand aspects of society – such as observation, interviews, large-scale surveys or analysing the content of documents and videos.

As an integral part of your 5-year programme, you will spend the whole of year three taking your language and cultural skills to a very high level as a teaching assistant or visiting student in Germany or Austria.

In addition to your technical and language ability, you will develop great skills in thinking critically and posing probing questions – which have tremendous value to employers, for example in journalism, marketing and advertising, social and market research, teaching, health and social services, charities and human resources.

Aberdeen is ranked 2nd in Scotland for overall student satisfaction in sociology, social policy, and anthropology in the 2024 National Student Survey
Sociology at Aberdeen is ranked 3rd in Scotland in the Complete University Guide 2025

Course Modules

View all modules on the programme page to find out more about what you will be studying and when. University of Aberdeen modules are designed to give you breadth and depth to your degree. The range of modules you study will allow you to become proficient in all subjects which are directly relevant to your degree giving you greater career options.

The use of various forms of assessment and learning environments facilitates the development of generic transferable skills enhancing student employability.

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods: coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course; practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; and written examinations at the end of each course. The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.

Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.