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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

MFL plus something else

49 replies

MFLmum123 · 20/09/2025 13:01

DS in yr12 is starting to think about uni. He is a high achiever (all 9s and 8s) and loves German. He's also doing History, Maths and FM and likely to get v good grades but of course it's early doors yet.

I know lots of places are dropping MFL due to lack of demand (which is depressing for me as I'm a Spanish teacher). Does anyone have any advice on which ones still have a good reputation and/or have a good choice of joint honours? He's thinking about combining it with something else - Law? Economics? Maths?? Probably not wanting to start another language ab initio and not wanting to go to uni in London.

Danke schon ;)

OP posts:
ammpersand · 20/09/2025 13:23

What about Bristol BSc Economics with Study Abroad in a Modern Language, or LLB Law and German? Make sure he actually is interested in the other subject involved though! Often for more niche subjects it will be joint honours "with German" and more credits in the other subject, so you'd want to be sure about enjoying both.

Piggywaspushed · 20/09/2025 16:41

There are definitely some unis that do maths and MFL degrees. Off the top of my head, Birmingham is one.

SilkiePenguin · 20/09/2025 16:50

St Andrews do lots of joint degrees with German
https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/subjects/german/german-ma/#joint-honours
Those are perfect A levels for Economics or Maths, go with what he enjoys.

German MA - Subjects - University of St Andrews

https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/subjects/german/german-ma/

Original poster
MFLmum123 · 20/09/2025 17:15

Thanks! He's finding it tricky to think about subjects beyond knowing he loves the ones he's studying at A-level. I guess it's early days in 6th form yet.

The Bristol, Warwick and Birmingham courses look great. Nottingham looks like it might be only for German ab initio? I suspect he'd like law (he absolutely loves debate society at school) but he's not one of those young people who show an early passion for being a lawyer.

We haven't even thought about Scottish unis - I thought studying a MFL there would end up being 5 years (cost/duration would put him and us off!), but this one looks good as you can study in Germany during your 3rd year and not have to do another integrated year abroad.

OP posts:
Okeydoke123 · 20/09/2025 18:04

Exeter do a huge range of combined honours and flexible combined honours degrees (which allow you to take tailored combinations you can't find elsewhere), and they have a very big modern languages department.

Piggywaspushed · 20/09/2025 18:06

The Nottingham one is available for people with A level too. It says German 1 (next to it is the other module which says 'beginners').

MujeresLibres · 20/09/2025 18:10

I know you haven't mentioned doing history, but studying a language alongside history is a great combination. The language will let him read original sources. As well as teaching, languages can be useful for some civil service jobs etc.

FinallyHere · 20/09/2025 19:02

just be aware that most Economics text are published in English so reading economics will not help much with German.

AudiobookListener · 20/09/2025 19:36

Look at the individual modules for the German degrees. Some seem very focused on language (even requiring two or more MFL) or on literature, while others are truly multi-disciplinary, covering literature, history, politics, culture. For the latter would one even need a second subject if the German content itself was so broad?

Edit to add: look critically at modules in later years, when things get more specialised and reflect the research interests/pet hobby horses of the lecturers.

Parker231 · 20/09/2025 19:43

DD did French with Industrial Relations at York and the same course is offered with German.

YahBasic · 20/09/2025 19:46

I studied a MFL plus Business at Leeds and now earning good money and enjoy what I do.

I also considered joint honours there with Chinese or Arabic, which you can do as a beginner.

Original poster
MFLmum123 · 20/09/2025 19:47

Yes that's a good point on the modules. I did joint honours in 2 MFL myself and it was a great mix of language, history, politics, literature etc. However, that was a different time with no fees and a full grant, which meant I had the freedom to choose my degree based on the love of the subjects without an eye on my debt and employability after graduating. I think he feels a second subject will add another string to his bow.

OP posts:
Original poster
MFLmum123 · 20/09/2025 19:48

Great to hear all these different options. York and Leeds are closer to home as well!

OP posts:
Dery · 20/09/2025 20:09

@MFLmum123 - not RTFT but elder DD is studying humanities + a language at Edinburgh, as are many of her fellow students, and Edinburgh makes a point of fitting it into 4 years including a 3rd year abroad. She is abroad now and continuing to study her humanities subject while away.

But younger DD looked at St A for humanities + a language and it would have been 5 years with a year abroad. She did apply (her particular subject combo is strangely hard to achieve and St A is one of the few places that offers it), but she didn’t get an offer. And wasn’t wild about a 5 year degree anyway.

Not sure if Manchester Uni has been mentioned but i recall that it offered some really interesting language + science combos.

clary · 20/09/2025 20:34

Brilliant that he wants to study German at uni (waves Guten Abend in an MFL-teacher-manner at @MFLmum123 )

Some really good suggestions here. Has he thought about Bath? International management and modern languages is offered there and probably low on the lit if any at all (if that appeals).

For once I won't say Lboro hahahaha as disappointingly it no longer offers MFL at all. A really good teacher I know did French and German there but not no more.

Lancaster also has maths and German as an option. Liverpool and Southampton are also options. Hope he continues to love A level german (I think it's a great course).

mummyinbeds · 20/09/2025 21:12

DS is just going into his final year of Law and French at Nottingham. He spent last year studying Law in France which seems to me like a tougher option than straight language students have. I think Nottingham have dropped the German equivalent sadly. We looked at Warwick, Bristol, Cardiff, Oxford, Exeter, Birmingham and Kent - all with slightly different approaches to the language element.

PeopleAreToads · 20/09/2025 21:21

I see @clary has mentioned Lancaster, where most courses let you ‘minor’ in another subject or two for at least the first year. Then he could see how he likes the other subject before committing to joint honours

Piggywaspushed · 21/09/2025 07:18

I looked at Lancaster though and they seem, even since last year, to have trimmed back their languages degrees. The maths and German joint degree Clary mentions only shows for 2025 entry, not 2026.

Moominmammacat · 21/09/2025 08:33

Poor experience of German at Exeter for my DS ... very small number of modules to chose from (if any) and tiny amount of contact hours.

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 21/09/2025 08:49

Look at Combined Arts degree courses, these are usually very flexible and a way to combine a language and other subject, often including maths. Language and maths is a strong combination.

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 21/09/2025 08:50

Durham for example you can do all sorts with combined arts.

mizu · 21/09/2025 08:52

Languages!! Yes!! DD1 doing Arabic at Edinburgh and has a friend doing German-both currently on their years abroad with a 4th year back at uni. And Edinburgh 😍