Introduction

Undertaking studies in Germanic languages and literature means first and foremost choosing to combine two languages (English and Dutch). This means setting out on a discovery of others by learning their language and exploring their world. It is therefore important to learn about their civilisation and the construction of their cultural and social realms.

For Germanists, the study of languages obviously involves being able to speak them, understand them and analyse them through theoretical knowledge, as well as exploring their literatures. It is in literary and scholarly texts that we find the most inventive forms which language can take, and grasp its critical force.

Germanists are not only excellent users of the languages they study, they are also mediators, bridging different cultural worlds and highlighting the richness specific to each of them.

 

Your profile

For you, a language is not just a means of communication. You want to know how it is structured and how it functions. It is also the means beyond compare for discovering other people and their culture: all of the little details which shape their daily lives and make them unique.

You are therefore curious by nature, eager to learn new things and are interested in the arts, literature and the countries where these languages are spoken. You love to travel and discover other people and the realities of their daily lives.

 

Your future job

Germanists are sought after for their linguistic and cultural knowledge, analytical skills, rigour and versatility. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the sectors in which our former students can be found:

• news media: journalism, radio, television
• language services (translation, documentation, interpreting) for national and international institutions
• commercial companies: banking, insurance, industry
• public administration
• secondary and non-university higher education
• cultural institutions: museums, archives, documentation centres, etc.

Studies in Germanic languages and literature also lead to careers in teaching (secondary and higher education) and research (universities).

 

Your programme

During the three years of the bachelor's degree, both languages will be studied in depth during courses taught in the target languages. You will work in small groups, in a context where all professors and students get to know each other quickly, allowing a more personal approach to teaching. Courses are complemented by a range of activities such as cultural and linguistic outings, encounters with writers, evenings at the theatre, exhibitions, cultural trips in Belgium and abroad, etc.

Your parcours

After your bachelor's degree, you can continue your studies with a Master [120] in Modern Languages and Literatures : German, Dutch and English.

Your bachelor's degree will also allow you to move into other related fields of study (such as a Master [120] in Multilingual Communication, le Master [120] in Linguistics, le Master [120] in Translation, le Master [120] in European Studies)..
For more information, please visit the 'Access to further studies' page.

Pursuing a dual bachelor's degree

Our dual bachelor's degrees are one of the special features of the Saint-Louis - Bruxelles campus.
Students can take a second bachelor's degree, in tandem with their main bachelor's degree. This means that they complete their main programme with a minimum of 60 and a maximum of 125 additional credits spread over several years. The additional bachelor's degree can be completed after the main bachelor's degree. A series of courses taken as part of the main programme count towards the additional bachelor's degree and are therefore no longer subject to assessment. The additional bachelor's degree has the same value as the main bachelor's degree and provides immediate access to the corresponding master's degree.

For further information, please contact the faculty administration: phlb-slb@uclouvain.be.