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Politics, International Relations and Modern Languages (Spanish)

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B-B,B,B

Required subjects: At least one A-level in an essay based subject. At least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9 - 4 including English and Mathematics. Grade B at A level in the appropriate language for the advanced level language pathway. For the beginners language pathway there is no language requirement but only one language can be studied at beginners level.

Access to HE Diploma

D:27,M:18

Pass with at least 30 level 3 credits at Distinction and the remaining level 3 credits at Merit in a relevant subject area. Please note that the Access to Higher Education Diploma will only be acceptable if the applicant has had a considerable break from education.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H2,H3,H3,H3

H2, H2, H3, H3, H3 at Higher Level including H3 in an essay-based subject

Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)

D*D

in a relevant subject plus an A-level grade B in an essay-based subject. If Spanish is taken to A level grade B is required.

Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)

DDD

in a relevant subject and grade B at A level in the appropriate language for the advanced level language pathway. For the beginners language pathway there is no language requirement but only one language can be studied at beginners level.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DD

in a relevant subject Plus A level grade B and grade B at A level in the appropriate language for the advanced level language pathway. For the beginners language pathway there is no language requirement but only one language can be studied at beginners level.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

D

in a relevant subject Plus A level grades BB and grade B at A level in the appropriate language for the advanced level language pathway. For the beginners language pathway there is no language requirement but only one language can be studied at beginners level.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

in a relevant subject and grade B at A level in the appropriate language for the advanced level language pathway. For the beginners language pathway there is no language requirement but only one language can be studied at beginners level.

Pearson BTEC Subsidiary Diploma (QCF)

D

in a relevant subject Plus A level grades BB and grade B at A level in the appropriate language for the advanced level language pathway. For the beginners language pathway there is no language requirement but only one language can be studied at beginners level.

Scottish Higher

A,A,B,B,B

Requirements are as for A-levels where one non-subject-specified A-level can be replaced by the same grade in the Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate

UCAS Tariff

120-147

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Modern languages

Politics

Politics, International Relations and Modern Languages explores the key areas of contemporary European politics and international relations and combines these with the in-depth study of Spanish language, society and culture. Taught in partnership between the Department of Politics and International Relations and the School of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, this course is informed by the outstanding research and international outlook of both departments.

The politics element of the course provides an introduction to the working of international relations and the growth of Europe as a political entity. This includes research into areas such as Brexit, the European Union’s Budget, the European Parliament, security, international diplomacy, and the use of military force, as well as European languages and cultures. Your second and final year courses in European politics and international relations will be taught by Giacomo Benedetto, who holds a Jean Monnet professorship in European integration awarded by the European Union.

Spanish is a major world language and Spain itself is a key player in Europe, while Latin America is expected to see significant expansion over the coming decades as globalisation continues to gather pace. Choosing to study Spanish at Royal Holloway means joining our friendly, supportive and culturally diverse community where you will be inspired by leading specialists from one of the UK’s most interdisciplinary Hispanic Studies teams.

As a modern linguist, you will not only learn to speak and write fluently, you will also develop excellent communication and research skills and combine language proficiency with cross-cultural perspectives.

You will be taught by dedicated language specialists, who will ensure that you gain valuable exposure to different varieties of Spanish. You will have the opportunity to spend a year working, teaching or studying, in a Spanish-speaking city, such as Havana, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Mexico City, Seville or Salamanca, where you will immerse yourself in the language and culture, truly broadening your horizons in the process.

In the event of a no-deal Brexit, we will commit to providing 2019 and 2020 entry students with a subsidy equivalent to current Erasmus+ funding (where this would have previously been funded by the Erasmus+ scheme). To find out more visit the Erasmus+ page.

Study with leading experts on Brexit and EU Budgets.
Taught in partnership with the School of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
Spend a year of study and/or work in a Spanish-speaking country.
Gain written and verbal fluency in Spanish.
Other language options in German (R200), Italian (R300) and French (R100).

Modules

Please check our website for more information royalholloway.ac.uk/courses

Assessment methods

The course has a modular structure, whereby you will take 14 units at the rate of four per year in the first, second and fourth years, plus two in the third year, which is spent working or studying abroad. Most modules contain an element of assessed coursework, which contributes to the final mark awarded.

Your first year is formative, though your results will determine whether you can progress to the second year. Your second and fourth year results, alongside those of the third year spent abroad, will contribute to your final degree classifcation. Work completed in your fourth year will count for a larger proportion of the result.

You will be assigned a personal tutor who will provide you with support, guidance and advice throughout your studies.

You will also have access to the comprehensive e-learning facility Moodle, which features lecture handouts and other supporting materials, such as lecture slides, quizzes, video clips, and links to relevant academic journal articles.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£23,800
per year
International
£23,800
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Royal Holloway, University of London

Department:

Politics and International Relations

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

83%
Modern languages
82%
Politics

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

87%
Staff make the subject interesting
87%
Staff are good at explaining things
89%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
86%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

71%
Library resources
83%
IT resources
78%
Course specific equipment and facilities
64%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

77%
UK students
23%
International students
13%
Male students
87%
Female students
92%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

Politics

Teaching and learning

81%
Staff make the subject interesting
87%
Staff are good at explaining things
78%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
65%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

75%
Library resources
87%
IT resources
88%
Course specific equipment and facilities
74%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

82%
UK students
18%
International students
43%
Male students
57%
Female students
77%
2:1 or above
12%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

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.

£20,000
med
Average annual salary
98%
med
Employed or in further education
61%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

27%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
8%
Teaching and educational professionals
8%
Administrative occupations: records

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.

Politics

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.

£20,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education
67%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

21%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
12%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
7%
Other elementary services occupations

The numbers of people taking politics degrees fell sharply last year and we'll keep an eye on this one - it can't really be because of graduates getting poor outcomes as politics grads do about as well as graduates on average. Most politics or international relations graduates don't actually go into politics - although many do, as activists, fundraisers and researchers. Jobs in local and central government are also important. Other popular jobs include marketing and PR, youth and community work, finance roles, HR and academic research (you usually need a postgraduate degree to get into research). Because so many graduates get jobs in the civil service, a lot of graduates find themselves in London after graduating. Politics is a very popular postgraduate subject, and so about one in five politics graduates go on to take another course - usually a one-year Masters - after they finish their degrees.

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.

£18k

£18k

£26k

£26k

£33k

£33k

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.

Politics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£18k

£18k

£27k

£27k

£30k

£30k

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 what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here