Philosophy & Modern Languages (French, German, Portuguese or Spanish) with a year abroad BA

at King's College London

Courses are divided into modules. Each year you will normally take modules totalling 120 credits.
 

This is a four-year degree course in which you will take a combination of required and optional modules to total 360 credits.
 

Required modules
 

You are required to do the following modules
 

Philosophy
 

You are required to take one module from each of the following groups plus one further module from any of the groups:
 

Group A

• Greek Philosophy I (15 credits)

• Modern Philosophy I (15 credits)
   

Group B

• Ethics I (15 credits)

• Political Philosophy I (15 credits)
   

Group C

• Elementary Logic (15 credits)

• Metaphysics I (15 credits)

• Epistemology I (15 credits)

• Methodology (15 credits)
   

Modern Languages

• Cultural Transformations: An Introduction to Modern Languages (15 credits)
   

French pathway
 

Post-A Level French
 

• French Core Language (First Year) (30 credits)

• Critical Reading and its Pleasures: Approaching French Literature and Film (15 credits)
   

Ab initio French
 

ONE of the following language modules, depending on linguistic competence in French as assessed by the Department upon arrival:
 

• Introductory French [ab initio beginner’s stream] (30 credits) OR Intermediate French [ab initio intermediate stream] (30 credits)

• Critical Reading and its Pleasures: Approaching French Literature and Film for ab initio (15 credits)
   

German pathway
 

Non-native German speakers
 

• German Language and Culture I (30 credits)

• Texts and Contexts (15 credits)
   

Native German speakers
 

• Translation from and into German I (15 credits)

• Texts and Contexts (15 credits)
   

Ab initio German students
 

• ·Texts and Contexts for ab initio (15 credits)
   

PLUS ONE of the following language modules, depending on linguistic competence in Portuguese assessed at point of entry by the department:
 

• Introductory German (30 credits)

• Intermediate German (30 credits)
   

Portuguese pathway
 

• Global Iberias: Perspectives - Introduction to the Spanish and Portuguese Speaking Worlds (15 credits)
   

PLUS ONE of the following language modules, depending on linguistic competence in Portuguese assessed at point of entry by the department:
 

• EITHER Portuguese Language 1A [post-A-level] (30 credits)

• OR Intermediate Portuguese (30 credits)

• OR Introductory Portuguese [ab initio] (30 credits)
   

Spanish pathway
 

• Global Iberias: Perspectives - Introduction to the Spanish and Portuguese Speaking Worlds (15 credits)
   

PLUS ONE of the following language modules, depending on linguistic competence in Spanish assessed at point of entry by the department:
 

• EITHER Spanish Language 1 [post-A-level] (30 credits)

• OR Intermediate Spanish (30 credits)

• OR Introductory Spanish [ab initio] (30 credits)
   

Please note: It may not be possible to run the intermediate streams for German and Portuguese in any given year due to numbers of students affected.
 

Year 2

Required modules

You are required to do the following modules
 

• Modern Languages
• French pathway
• Post-A Level French
• Core Language (Second Year) (15 credits)
• The Practice of Translation (15 credits)
• Ab initio French
   

ONE of the following language pathways, depending on linguistic competence in French as assessed by the Department:
 

Intermediate French [Ab initio beginner’s stream] (30 credits)

OR
 

French Stage 5 [ab initio intermediate stream] (15 credits) AND Language, Culture, Society (15 credits)
 

German pathway

• Non-native German speakers
• German Language and Culture II (15 credits)
• Translation from and into German II (15 credits)
• Native German speakers
• Translation from and into German II (15 credits)
• Ab initio German students
   

ONE of the following language pathways, depending on linguistic competence in German as assessed by the Department:
 

• Intermediate German (30 credits)
• German Stage 5 (15 credits) AND Language, Culture and Society (15 credits)
• Portuguese pathway
• EITHER Portuguese Language 2 [post-A Level] (30 credits)
• OR Intermediate Portuguese [ab initio stream] (30 credits)
• OR Portuguese Stage 5 [intermediate stream] (15 credits)
   

Students taking Portuguese Stage 5 also take the module Language, Culture and Society (15credits)
 

Spanish pathway
 

• EITHER Spanish Language 2 [post A-Level] (30 credits)
• OR Intermediate Spanish [ab initio beginner’s stream] (30 credits)
• OR Spanish Stage 5 [ab initio intermediate stream] (15 credits)
• Students taking 5AALSN05 Spanish Stage 5 also take the module Language, Culture and Society (15 credits)

Year 3

Required modules

Assessment for this year will depend on whether you choose to split the year between two countries, or spend the entire year in one. It will also depend on how you opt to spend your year: as an exchange student at a university, a language assistant teaching English, or on an approved work.
 

Partner Institutions for the French semester currently include:
 

• Université Lumière Lyon II
• Université Paris-Sorbonne
• Université Paris-Nanterre
• Aix-Marseille Université
• Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (Martinique)
• École Normale Supérieure (Paris)
• École Normale Supérieure (Lyon)
• Sciences Po (Paris)
• Sciences Po (Lyon)
• Université de Montréal
• Université Laval
• Université de Strasbourg

Partners for the German semester abroad currently include:

• Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität
• Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
• Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Universität Wien
• Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Universität Mannheim
   

Partners for the Portuguese semester abroad currently include:

• Universidade de Lisboa - Portugal
• Universidade Nova de Lisboa - Portugal
• Universidade de Coimbra - Portugal
• Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - Brazil
• Universidade Federal da Bahia - Brazil
• Universidade de São Paulo - Brazil
• Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
   

Partners for the Spanish semester abroad currently include:

• Universidad de Alicante - Spain
• Universidad de Cádiz - Spain
• Universidad Carlos III de Madrid - Spain
• Universidad de Córdoba - Spain
• Universidad del País Vasco - Spain
• Universitat Pompeu Fabra – Spain
• Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (Lugo Campus) – Spain
• Universidad de Salamanca - Spain
• Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) - Chile
• Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (TEC), Campus Querétaro - Mexico
• Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) Mexico
• Universidad del Pacífico – Peru
• Universidad San Francisco de Quito – Ecuador
   

Year 4

Required modules

You are required to do the following modules
 

MODERN LANGUAGES

French pathway

• French Language (15 credits)

German pathway

• Non-native German speakers
• German Language and Culture III (15 credits)
• Translation from and into German III (15 credits)
   

Native German speakers

• Translation from and into German III (15 credits)
   

Portuguese pathway

• Portuguese Language 4 (30 credits)
   

Spanish pathway

• Spanish Language 4 (30 credits)

Subject requirements
 

Required subjects:

None - A Level in French, German, Spanish or Portuguese at grade B or equivalent is required if you plan to take the language at Advanced level. The ab initio pathway allows students to start studying one of these languages from scratch.
 

Preferred subjects:

None
 

A-Levels
 

Required grades:

AAB
 

Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels.
 

Notes: If you are taking linear A Levels in England, you will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all Science subjects. This is with the exception of private candidates who are unable to take the practical component. We do not consider the EPQ at any point of the assessment process.
 

Contextual A-Level information
 

BBB Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels. Notes: If you are taking linear A Levels in England, you will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all Science subjects. This is with the exception of private candidates who are unable to take the practical component. We do not consider the EPQ at any point of the assessment process.
 

International Baccalaureate
 

• 35 points including 665 at Higher Level.
   

Notes: The total point score of 35 includes TOK/EE.
 

Contextual International Baccalaureate information
 

32 points including 555 at Higher Level Notes: The total point score of 32 includes TOK/EE.
 

You will also need:
 

Language & Ab Initio Pathways
 

Applicants do not need to specify their language preference on their application.Successful offer-holders will be contacted early in the summer to complete an online form detailing their language pathway preferences. Eligibility for an applicant's preferred pathway and Post A-Level/Ab initio routes will be determined upon receipt of final results in the summer.

Full time tuition fees UK:

The UK tuition fee for the 2022-2023 academic year is currently £9,250 per year. This is based on the UK Government’s cap.
 

Full time tuition fees International:

The International tuition fee for the 2022-2023 academic year is £21,840 per year.
 

Please note that the International tuition fee is subject to annual increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
 

All International applicants to Undergraduate programmes are required to pay a deposit of £2,000 against their first year’s tuition fee. This deposit is payable when you firmly accept an unconditional offer to study with us, and will be offset against your tuition fees when you join King’s.

By encouraging critical reflection on both the past and the present contexts of the French, German, Portuguese or Spanish -speaking worlds, the programme broadens students’ knowledge base and strengthens their interdisciplinary profile, challenging narrow, monocultural assumptions, thus preparing students for the challenges of multicultural and global realities.

Studies of graduate employability repeatedly stress the career value of language degrees, which provide graduates with international experience and enhancing cultural awareness, helping them to develop flexibility, resilience and resourcefulness. Employers value foreign language ability, not just as a specialist skill, but as a personal quality that develops relationship-building, teamwork, and the capacity to move easily in international contexts. Typical destinations of KCL Modern Languages graduates include international business, the press and media, IT and technology, marketing and public relations, public administration, international development, law, finance, teaching and lecturing, interpreting, translating and others.