University of St Andrews

Programme Specification for Master of Arts (Honours) German and Spanish (With Integrated Year Abroad)

Awarding institution:	University of St Andrews
Teaching institution:	University of St Andrews
Programme type:	Undergraduate (Joint)
Programme title:	German - Spanish (WIYA)
Faculty:	Faculty of Arts
Schools:	School of Modern Languages (ML)
Language of study:	English, German and Spanish
Programme length:	5 years
SCQF credit level:	Level 10
UCAS code:	RRF4
Contact details:	See the School of Modern Languages website at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/modlangs/home/ For further details about this programme contact modlangs-dot@st-andrews.ac.uk
Admissions criteria:	ABBB Highers ABB A-levels 32 IB points
Accreditation details:	None known
QAA benchmarks:	For general QAA information on academic infrastructure see http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/default.asp For subject specific benchmarking see http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/statements/languages07.pdf
Date(s) of production:	June 2009
Date(s) of revision:
Authorised by:	Dr Jonathan Carson
Route code:	UAHWGRNJSPN

Educational aims of programme

This programme will involve study of German and Spanish at an advanced, research-led level. Students will gain an understanding of how knowledge is created, advanced and renewed. The programme will encourage in all students a desire to pursue learning with curiosity, integrity, tolerance and intellectual rigour.

Programme outcomes / Graduate attributes

In the course of this programme students will develop programme-specific skills. On completing the programme students should be able to demonstrate the graduate attributes outlined below.

a) Intellectual skills and attributes

• Ability to communicate in and comprehend both written and spoken German at an advanced level
• Ability to communicate in and comprehend both written and spoken Spanish at an advanced level
  
• Ability to construct a coherent argument or debate
• Ability to create a hypothesis and appreciation of how hypotheses relate to broader theories
• Ability to evaluate hypotheses, theories, methods and evidence within their proper contexts
• Ability to reason from the particular to the general
• Ability to solve complex problems by critical understanding, analysis and synthesis
• Academic integrity
• Capacity for close analysis of visual material and comparative analysis
• Capacity for close textual analysis and comparative analysis
• Clarity of expression
• Creativity and originality
• Curiosity and an enquiring mind
• Deductive reasoning
• Direct engagement with current research and developments in the subject
• Discipline specific technical abilities
• Engagement with both primary and secondary material and an appreciation of the differences between them
• Independence of thought
• Informatics
• Logical processing of information
• Qualitative methods of analysis
• Referencing
• Sophisticated use of a range of resources appropriate to the task at hand
• Understanding of Germanic culture(s)
• Understanding of Hispanic culture(s)
• Identification of goals
• Planning and strategy
• Taking responsibility
• Objectives orientation; focus on goals
• Adaptability in response to developments and feedback
• Delivery of outcomes to time and scale demands
• Self motivation and independence
• Self-reflection

b) Transferable skills

• Ability to communicate in and comprehend both written and spoken German at an advanced level
• Ability to communicate in and comprehend both written and spoken Spanish at an advanced level
• Note taking
• Listening
• Oral presentations
• Rapport building
• Translation, interpreting and negotiation skills
• Audio-Visual presentations
• Web/electronic presentations
• Written material
• Team working
• Active engagement
• Collective responsibility
• Delegation
• Initiative
• Leadership

Teaching, Learning and Assessment strategies

The skills and graduate attributes listed above will be accomplished through delivery of the following teaching, learning and assessment strategies appropriate to the programme aims.

a) Teaching and Learning

Students will engage with independent and group study in a supportive framework of teaching and learning. The strategy is to use methods of teaching and assessment that will facilitate learning appropriate to the aims of the joint honours degree programme. The following methods will be employed where appropriate to the level of study and the particular content of each module in the programme.

• Autonomous learning groups
• Dissertation
• Independent study activities (supervised and unsupervised)
• Language learning (translation, linguistic and analytic competence)
• Lectures
• One-to-one discussion
• Period of residence in Germany
• Period of residence in Spain or Spanish speaking country
  
• Practical work
• Presentations
  
• Project work
• Regular practice exercises
  
• Seminars
• Small group discussion tutorials
• Study at a partner University in Germany
• Study at a partner University in Spain or Spanish speaking country
  
• Workshops

b) Material submitted for assessment

Assessment can be a blend of diagnostic work to determine student needs, formative work submitted for assessment and feedback (but not necessarily for academic credit) or summative work submitted for academic credit.

Continuous assessment

• Aural comprehension
• AV media presentations
• Class tests
  
• Commentaries
• Dictation
• Discourse analysis
• Essays, dissertations (short and long)
• Oral presentations

End of semester examinations

• Unseen written examination - standard end of module examinations (including for example, translation, grammar exercises, essays)
• Oral examinations

c) Learning and Teaching support

Students' scholarship skills (in, for example, academic writing, information gathering and academic conduct) will be supported and developed through this programme. The following will be available, where appropriate to the level of study and the particular content of each module in the programme.

• Access to specialist University support units
• Class handouts/handbooks
• Central access to German television
• Central access to Spanish television
• eLearning - web-based and via the virtual learning environment (VLE)
• Feedback on work submitted (in accordance with School and University policies)
• High number of contact hours
  
• Library support
• Multi-media centre
• School guidelines for good scholarship
• Office hours and staff availability
• Recommended reading lists and booklets (for the programme and specific modules and courses)
• Small group teaching

Programme structure

This is a five-year programme of study leading to the degree of Master of Arts (Honours). As with all St Andrews programmes, it is made up of credit bearing modules. Students must earn 540 credits over the duration of the programme, with 120 credits normally earned each academic year and 60 credits in the year abroad. Typically, the first two years of study include core modules specific to the programme as well as other modules chosen from a range of options (in some cases, including modules from a different Faculty). The remaining years offer advanced research-led learning through modules that provide a programme-specific curriculum.

For information about core and optional modules for each programme, please consult the Course Catalogue, which can be found at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/admissions/ug/Choosingyourdegree/Coursecatalogue/. This catalogue describes the detailed structure of the course and the contents of all the modules that can be included in the programme. Teaching, learning and assessment are progressive, with both the content and methods of delivery changing to suit the increasing level of complexity in the material, and independence of students, as they work through the programme.

Distinctive programme features

Distinctive features of this programme include:

a) School of Modern Languages (ML) - German

Teaching, learning and assessment of and in German to a high level. Students can expect to have the opportunity to engage with a number of specialist topics including for example German language, literature, culture, history, politics and film in both English and German. All languages in the School require students to take the specialized Senior Honours modules specific to the languages.

b) School of Modern Languages (ML) - Spanish

Teaching, learning and assessment of and in Spanish to a high level. Students can expect to have the opportunity to engage with a number of specialist topics including for example Spanish language, literature, culture, history, politics and film in both Spanish and English. All languages in the School require students to take the specialized Senior Honours modules specific to the languages.