BA Modern Languages and Cultures with Year Abroad

at Durham University

Year 1
You will take a core language module for each of the languages you are studying. This is a single module for all languages studied post-A level and a double module for beginners’ languages. These core modules focus on the four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. In addition, you will choose from a wide range of modules dealing with various aspects of the literature, film, art, history and politics of the different cultures you are studying. These cultural modules aim to develop students’ independent research and analytical skills as well as introducing them to the cultures in question.

All first-year modules are intended to function as introductions to and more general overviews of areas of study in which you will specialise later in your degree. They have been designed to reflect a commitment to diversity in terms of resources and delivery and will create opportunities for students to engage in critical analysis of different perspectives relevant to the study area.

Year 2
You will continue to take a core language module for each of the languages you are studying. These core modules focus on and continue to develop the four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. In addition, you will choose from a wide range of modules on the literature, film, art, history and politics of the cultures you are studying. All second-year modules build on skills and knowledge acquired in the first year and allow you to specialise more in areas which interest you (from medieval literature to contemporary film).

Year 3
Your third year is spent abroad and you divide your time between countries whose languages you are going to study at Level 3 in your final year. You can spend this time as an English assistant in a school, as a student in a university and/or in employment of some kind. During your year abroad you will complete a summative Year Abroad assignment for each of the languages they intend to study at Level 3.

Year 4
You will continue to take a compulsory language module for each of the languages you are studying. These compulsory modules focus on and continue to develop to a high level the four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. In your final year, you will also research and write a dissertation on an aspect of culture or cultural production, supervised by a member of staff with expertise in the selected topic area.

In addition, you will choose from a wide range of specialist modules on literature, film, art, history and politics relating to the cultures you are studying. These modules are designed around staff research expertise. All fourth-year modules build on skills and knowledge acquired earlier in your degree and allow you to specialise still further in areas which interest you (such as the work of a particular writer or the culture of a particular period).

A level offer – AAA including French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish.

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma/OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma – DDD including A level requirements as above.

IB Diploma score – 37 with 666 in higher level subjects. Please see above for required languages

In addition to satisfying the University’s general entry requirements, please note:

• We welcome applications from those with other qualifications equivalent to our standard entry requirements and from mature students with non-standard qualifications or who may have had a break in their study.
• Grade A at A level or equivalent in French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish is required to study that subject at advanced level.
• Grade A at A level, or equivalent, in a modern European language is required to begin the study of a new beginners’ language, including Arabic.
• We are pleased to consider applications for deferred entry.

The tuition fees shown for students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.

Of those students who graduated in 2019:

• 91% are in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation across all our programmes

Of those in employment:

• 81% are in high skilled employment
• With an average salary of £27,000.