BA
Modern Languages and Cultures with Year Abroad BA (Hons)
Develop advanced language skills and in-depth cultural awareness as you delve into a range of modern languages. A degree in modern languages is your passport to exciting international career opportunities.
How to apply Apply via UCAS
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
BA
UCAS Code
R002
Course length
4 years full-time
Typical offer
AAA
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): per year
- Overseas (Full-time): per year
Overview
This BA offers you the opportunity to combine the development of high-level language skills with in-depth critical engagement with other cultures through studying literature, art, film and visual culture, history, and politics. If you already have an A level (or equivalent) in French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish, we offer advanced courses in those languages. You will also have the choice to study beginner courses in the above languages or Arabic. Whether you are a beginner or a post-A level student in your chosen languages, you will also study cultural modules together, and the beginner and advanced streams fully merge in the final year.
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
BA
UCAS Code
R002
Course length
4 years full-time
Typical offer
AAA
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): per year
- Overseas (Full-time): per year
What you'll study
In Year 1 you can study up to three languages, focusing on the key skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. You will also explore aspects of the literature, film, art, history and politics of the cultures you are studying. In Year 2 you will be able to study one or two languages, building on your skills and allowing you to begin to specialise in areas that interest you. You will then spend Year 3 abroad, either as an English assistant in a school or university, as a student, or on a work placement. You will divide your time between countries whose languages you will study in your final year. This is a time of enormous linguistic and personal development, when you should gain fluency in your language and enjoy a unique opportunity to make new friends, appreciate other cultures, and learn to work and study in new ways. You can also apply to add a placement year to your degree, increasing the course from four years to five. In Year 4 you will develop your advanced skills in one or two chosen languages. You will also continue your cultural studies, focusing on your areas of interest (such as the work of a particular writer or the culture of a particular period).
Core modules
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Languages
Arabic (Beginner)French (Beginner or Advanced)German (Beginner or Advanced)Hispanic Studies (Beginner or Advanced)Italian (Beginner or Advanced)Russian (Beginner or Advanced)
Optional modules
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In recent years optional modules have included: Introduction to Middle Eastern CulturesIslam Observed: Ethnographic Accounts of Muslim PracticeReading French Literature (Beginner or Advanced)Society and its Outsiders in Modern FranceThe Invention of FrancePicturing the Past of the German-Speaking CountriesReading German CultureItaly and the ArtsUnderstanding Russian: Arts and Ideologies
Core modules
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Languages
Arabic (double module)FrenchGermanHispanic StudiesItalianRussian
Optional modules
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In recent years optional modules have included: Arabic LiteraturePersianModernity and Disenchantment: 19th and 20th Century French Literature and CultureSex and Identity in Germanic CulturesCatalan (Beginners)Latin American TextsNarratives of Fascist and Post War ItalyThe Languages of ItalyRussian and Soviet Cinema
Core modules
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Study abroad
The third year is spent abroad as an English assistant in a school, as a student in a university or in employment of some kind. During the year abroad you complete a summative Year Abroad assignment with guidance from Durham staff.
Core modules
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Extended
Dissertation or a Dissertation You will produce an Dissertation or a Dissertation depending on the number of languages studied.
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Languages
Arabic (double module)FrenchGermanHispanic StudiesItalianRussian
Optional modules
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In recent years optional modules have included: Trends in Modern Arabic Literature and FilmFrench Cinema 1930s to 1990sGerman InterpretingBerlin: City of Diverse CulturesRepresenting Women: Sex and Power in Colonial Latin AmericaCentres and Margins Across Italian Literatures and MediaItalian CinemaThe Poet and the StateThe Making of the Russian Intelligentsia (1762–1917)
Learning
Language modules cultivate speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. For cultural and historical modules, lectures will introduce themes, context and commentary. Seminars provide an opportunity to develop your critical skills through discussion with other students and staff. Classroom teaching is only the start; there is an increasing emphasis on independent learning and research, culminating in your dissertation in Year 4. Most of your time will be spent working independently – reading widely, making notes, finding sources and watching/listening to audio-visual materials. The course aims to help you learn how to learn, guiding you towards independence in using resources effectively, thinking critically and formulating persuasive arguments. Feedback is an ongoing element of the learning process, progressively preparing you for written and oral assessments. The year abroad is a key element in your developmental education, enhancing your language skills and expanding your intercultural competence.Assessment
Cultural and historical modules are assessed by essays, commentaries, projects and examinations, while language modules are assessed by a mixture of oral, listening and written examinations. You will also complete a dissertation or extended dissertation in your final year. During your year abroad you will complete a Year Abroad assignment.Entry requirements
Fees & Funding
Choose which fees you want to see:
Home / Island students
per year
International / EU Students
per year
Home / Island students
Part Time - per year
International / EU Students
Part Time - per year
The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).
Find out moreDepartment Information
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In an era of increasing globalisation, a skill set that includes cultural understanding and proficiency in languages will help you view the world through a different lens while equipping you with the skills that global employers are looking for. Our language-based courses offer the flexibility to specialise in one or two languages and the cultural worlds associated with them – choose from Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian, Japanese and Russian. You can study from beginners’ level or opt for a more advanced route if you already have an A level or equivalent qualification. All of our language degrees include a year abroad, a valuable experience that will broaden your horizons, boost your skills and give you the confidence to adapt to different environments. You will return to Durham for the final year with a deeper understanding of language and cultures, and be better equipped to make meaningful connections with people around the world. The BA in Visual Arts and Film includes optional modules in languages and an opportunity to apply for a placement year or a year abroad. Course content is almost global in geographical reach covering art, film, and visual culture from the Western world, the Middle East, Eurasia and East Asia. For more information see our department pages.
Read moreFacilities
Our location on Elvet Riverside is close to the ancient Elvet Bridge, and within easy walking distance of the colleges, Students’ Union and the historic centre of Durham.
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Centre for Foreign Language Study
The University's fully equipped Centre for Foreign Language Study is housed in the same building, and Languages and Cultures students have access to its facilities.
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Learning facilities
Learning facilities include language laboratories, computer classrooms and a large study area. There are satellite and recording facilities for viewing programmes in all the major taught languages.
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Expert staff
Our highly skilled academics share their expertise in languages, as well as in literature, cultural history, cinema and visual culture, and translation. Many of our language academics are native speakers, while others have lived experience of the culture and language of the country.
Find out more -
Career Opportunities
Of those UK/EU students who graduated in 2022/23:
86%
90%
£32,000
HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk
Employability
More Information
Durham University's School of Modern Languages and Cultures is one of the largest sections of the University, offering a range of degree programmes that allow you to study more than one language, or a language alongside varied other subjects like History, English and Politics
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