School of Modern Languages & Cultures

As a community of academics, teachers and support staff we aim to foster a world-class student experience in all our disciplines.

Welcome to the School of Modern Languages and Cultures

The School of Modern Languages and Cultures consists of Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and the Centre for Foreign Language Study. The School also hosts the BA in Visual Arts and Film. Our community of academics, teachers and support staff foster a world-class student experience.

Our language areas feature regularly in the top five in national league tables such as the Good University Guide and the Complete University Guide.

The School is ranked in the top 70 language departments globally in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.

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2nd for Italian Studies Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024

4th for Russian Studies Complete University Guide 2026

4th for Iberian Languages Complete University Guide 2026

3rd for Russian Studies Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024

Ready for Your Year Abroad Adventure?

From Italy, Spain, all the way to Jordan, China, and Japan: Hear what our students have to say about their exciting time abroad.

Watch My Year Abroad videos

Study with us

We teach Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian, Japanese and Russian language and culture at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Our courses cover literature, cultural history, cinema and visual culture, and translation as well as offering rigorous language training. You can study one or more languages with us, or take a language alongside history, English or an array of other subjects. Our students praise the support and tuition we offer and describe their experiences of study here and on their year abroad as transformative personally and professionally.

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Undergraduate study

Postgraduate study

Three students walking and chatting with red brick buildings in the background

Year abroad

Two students walking along a road in the Prades Mountains, Spain

Employability

Find out more about the languages we offer

Scholarships in Modern Languages

Are you considering starting your undergraduate study with us in 2025? Thanks to generous gifts from our alumnae, we have scholarships to offer to talented students from low-income backgrounds.

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What's New?

Daniel Newman speaks at the Bradford Literary Festival

Our colleague Daniel Newman spoke at the Bradford Literary Festival with acclaimed food writer Fiona Dunlop, together offering a sensory journey through the rich culinary heritage of al-Andalus.

Research news
Durham Film Festival 2025: Celebrating Student Talent and International Voices

The 2025 Durham Film Festival took place from June 11th to 14th, transforming various venues across Durham into lively hubs celebrating cinema. Highlights included an Open Air Cinema at Aidan’s beer garden, a Hollywood-style Speakeasy at Bar 33, and a formal award ceremony at Durham School.

Student news
Yael Almog Publishes a Special Issue of Political Theology on the Diversity of Jewish Diaspora

The issue, titled ‘Ages of Jewish Diaspora’, brings together cutting-edge research that seeks to challenge the binary opposition between Jewish national belonging and diasporic existence.

Research news

Daniel Newman speaks at the Bradford Literary Festival

Our colleague Daniel Newman spoke at the Bradford Literary Festival with acclaimed food writer Fiona Dunlop, together offering a sensory journey through the rich culinary heritage of al-Andalus.

Research news

Durham Film Festival 2025: Celebrating Student Talent and International Voices

The 2025 Durham Film Festival took place from June 11th to 14th, transforming various venues across Durham into lively hubs celebrating cinema. Highlights included an Open Air Cinema at Aidan’s beer garden, a Hollywood-style Speakeasy at Bar 33, and a formal award ceremony at Durham School.

Student news

Yael Almog Publishes a Special Issue of Political Theology on the Diversity of Jewish Diaspora

The issue, titled ‘Ages of Jewish Diaspora’, brings together cutting-edge research that seeks to challenge the binary opposition between Jewish national belonging and diasporic existence.

Research news

More news

Our research

The School's research community is organised through a number of interdisciplinary Research Groups and is home to some 60 postgraduate students pursuing research degrees.

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World-leading status affirmed in QS World University Rankings 2026

Durham University has been named in the QS World University Rankings world top 100, a position it has achieved every year since 2010. The rankings have confirmed the University’s strong global reputation for employability (64th) and it is also 22nd in the world for sustainability.

Learn more about the QS World University Rankings

From our Staff Blog: Arabic Culinary Tradition at COP28

Daniel Newman, Professor of Arabic Studies in our School of Modern Languages and Cultures, was recently invited to COP28 in Dubai to share his knowledge of the Arabic culinary tradition, recreating recipes from the 8th to the 15th centuries.

Read about Daniel's experiences at COP28

Student updates

Hear from our students at The School of Modern Languages and Cultures.

Highlights

My year abroad

Read about Tom, a Durham student who recently graduated after studying French and Spanish for the last four years, and follow him on his year abroad in Paris and Barcelona.
A Day in the Life of a Languages, Literature and Cultures MA student

MA Languages, Literature and Cultures student, Rebecca takes us through her day-to-day experience at Durham.

My year abroad

Read about Tom, a Durham student who recently graduated after studying French and Spanish for the last four years, and follow him on his year abroad in Paris and Barcelona.