Modern Languages and Cultures (with Year Abroad)
Durham University
UCAS Code: R002 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Durham University
UCAS Code: R002 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
General information on subjects/grades required for entry: At least one language at A Level. Grade A at A level in French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish is required to study that subject at advanced level. Grade A at A level in a modern European language is required to begin the study of a new beginners’ language, including Arabic Specific subjects excluded for entry: General Studies and Critical Thinking.
Access to HE Diploma
We require 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3 (or equivalent). Applicants may be required to meet additional subject-specific requirements for particular courses at Durham. French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish is required to study that subject at advanced level. A modern European language is required to begin the study of a new beginners’ language, including Arabic
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish is required to study that subject at advanced level. A modern European language is required to begin the study of a new beginners’ language, including Arabic
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
General information on subjects/grades required for entry: Eighteen points (6, 6, 6) in Higher Level subjects including Higher Level 6 in a language French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish is required to study that subject at advanced level. A modern European language is required to begin the study of a new beginners’ language, including Arabic
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish is required to study that subject at advanced level. A modern European language is required to begin the study of a new beginners’ language, including Arabic
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
To include a Distinction in French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish is required to study that subject at advanced level. Distinction in a modern European language is required to begin the study of a new beginners’ language, including Arabic
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
To include a Distinction in French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish is required to study that subject at advanced level. Distinction in a modern European language is required to begin the study of a new beginners’ language, including Arabic
Scottish Advanced Higher
Grade A at Advanced Higher in French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish is required to study that subject at advanced level. Grade A at Advanced Higher in a modern European language is required to begin the study of a new beginners’ language, including Arabic
Scottish Higher
Departments will normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. In the absence of 3 Advanced Highers, where these are not offered by the applicant’s school, offers comprising of Advanced Highers and Highers or a number of Highers may be made on a case by case basis.
At Durham we welcome applications from students of outstanding achievement and potential from all educational backgrounds. We will consider applicants studying T level qualifications for entry to many of our courses. Where a course requires subject specific knowledge and this is not covered within the T level being studied, you may need to supplement your T level studies with a suitable qualification to meet this requirement, for example at A level. Where this is needed this will be clearly stated in our entry requirements. Detailed entry requirements can be found on individual course entries on our courses database.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
**Course details**
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.
**Why Durham University?**
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.
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.
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.
A year abroad provides a valuable experience that will broaden your horizons, boost your skills and give you the confidence to adapt to different environments.
**Rankings**
**World Top 100** in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2024
**3rd** for Italian and Asian Studies in The Complete University Guide 2025
**Top 5** for French and German in The Complete University Guide 2025
**Top 10** for French, German and Russian and Eastern European Languages in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
**Career Opportunities**
A degree in Languages and Cultures will provide you with an impressive portfolio of cultural knowledge, transferable skills and real-world experiences that is valued by employers worldwide. In particular, the year abroad which, as well as developing language abilities, can also greatly enhance your intercultural, problem-solving and communication skills.
With the UK as a whole producing fewer linguists, proficiency in languages coupled with the intellectual rigour and cultural understanding acquired during your degree will make you highly employable in a wide range of careers both in the UK and internationally. These include occupations such as interpreting, translation and teaching, media and the arts but also working across wider industry in research, administration, human resources, sales and business development, and the financial services.
Modules
For current information please scroll to the bottom of the page for Provider Information and select Visit our Course Page under Course Contact Details.
Assessment methods
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.
In addition to the help provided by your subject lecturers, you can also access extensive support for your assessments through ASC, the Academic Skills Centre. See below for details: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/centres/academic-skills-centre/
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Durham University offers a range of scholarship opportunities to academically well-qualified and highly motivated students. For further details, including deadlines for application, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Others in language and area studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Others in language and area studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
This is a broad subject for a variety of European languages. No matter which you take, the general theme is that some graduates go to that country to work, often as English language teachers, some go into further study, often to train as teachers or translators, but most get jobs in the UK in education - most often as language tutors, unsurprisingly, or translators. Modern language grads can also be in demand in business roles where communication and language skills are particularly useful, such as marketing and PR, and in finance or law. But remember — whilst employers say they rate graduates who have graduates who have more than one language, you need to have them as part of a whole package of good skills.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Others in language and area studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£26k
£33k
£41k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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