A student at a desk in a university language centre working through a language exercise beside French and German dictionaries and a laptop, representing the language study focus of Modern Languages degrees.

DEGREE GUIDE

Modern Languages

What do Modern Language degrees involve?

Modern Language degrees teach you how to communicate fluently in one or more foreign languages while exploring the cultures, histories, and societies of the countries where they are spoken. You will study key areas such as language acquisition, translation, linguistics, literature, and intercultural communication. These courses help you develop strong linguistic, analytical, and problem-solving skills while gaining a deep understanding of global cultures and international relations. You will also have the opportunity to study or work abroad, immersing yourself in a new language and culture. With a combination of language training, cultural studies, and real-world experience, you’ll be prepared for careers in translation, diplomacy, international business, and education.

Example
Modules

Advanced Language 1: Build high-level skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in your chosen language, with a focus on fluency and accuracy.

Europe in the Modern World: Explore key political, cultural, and historical events that have shaped modern Europe and continue to influence global relations.

Language and Society: Investigate how language is shaped by – and shapes – society, including topics like regional variation, dialects, and multilingual identities.

Common Degree Names

💼 Placement opportunities are available during the year abroad, often in schools, embassies or cultural organisations.
🌍 A year abroad is a compulsory part of most Modern Languages degrees, typically spent in a country where the language is spoken.

BA (Hons) Modern Languages
BA (Hons) Modern Languages and Linguistics
BA (Hons) French and Spanish
BA (Hons) German and Italian
BA (Hons) Modern Languages and History

A library desk with French and German dictionaries, a grammar workbook, a vocabulary notebook, a laptop open on a translation and a headset for oral practice, illustrating the language learning and translation skills developed in Modern Languages degrees.

Level 3 (A-level / IB Diploma (HL) / Scottish Highers)

Modern Languages degrees let you study two or more languages in depth, combining advanced language skills with cultural, historical, and literary study. Most courses offer both advanced routes (continuing a language you already study) and beginners/ab initio routes (starting a new language from scratch).

For advanced-level courses:

At least one Modern Language (French, German, Spanish, Italian, etc.) – required
A second Modern Language – valuable for dual or multilingual pathways
English Language or English Literature – excellent for analysis and essay writing
History, Politics, or Sociology – helpful for cultural and historical context

For beginners'/ab initio courses:

You don't need prior study of that language – but evidence of strong communication skills and genuine interest in languages helps

Another Modern Language – demonstrates language-learning ability
Essay-based subjects – show you can analyse, research, and write well

✨ Many students combine one advanced language with one beginners' language – this is a popular route for studying two languages even if you've only studied one at school.

Universities may also accept:

BTEC Extended Diplomas, often alongside an A-level in a language or essay-based subject
BTEC National Extended Certificates or National Diplomas alongside relevant A-Level subjects, particularly in a language
IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) with at least two IB Higher Level subjects (ideally three) alongside your Career-Related Study; if you want to study a language at Advanced level, you'll need that language at Higher Level — see above for IB subjects that could strengthen your applicationy

Most Modern Languages degrees include a compulsory year abroad, usually spent studying or working in countries where your languages are spoken. Requirements vary by language combination and pathway – always check specific course requirements.

Level 2 Qualifications (GCSE / MYP / National 5)

Most courses ask for:

GCSE English Language and Maths at grade 4/C or above, or equivalents such as National 5s or MYP
GCSE in the target language (or equivalent) for advanced-level entry; not required for beginners’ routes

📘 For beginners’ pathways, having another language at GCSE (or clear evidence of language learning) can strengthen your application.

💬 Interviews
Interviews are not usually required, but some universities may invite you for a short conversation, either online or in person, to learn more about your interest in the subject.

🔍 Work Experience

You don't need work experience to apply for Modern Languages. If you have a school placement to fill, any setting where you can use or be exposed to your chosen languages — such as a business with international clients, a tourism organisation, or a cultural exchange programme — could be useful. For this subject, engaging with the languages and cultures you want to study matters far more than any placement.

✨ Personal Statement Tips

What draws you to studying languages at degree level - and why these particular languages? Modern Languages degrees combine advanced language skills with literature, culture, history, film, and politics, so thinking about what you want to explore across your chosen languages helps. If you've engaged with the cultures through films, music, books, podcasts, or reading literature in the original or translation, reflect on what sparked your interest. Some courses offer ab initio (beginner) options for certain languages, so prior study isn't always required for every language you choose. Admissions tutors want to see genuine curiosity about the cultures and societies connected to your languages, not just ability in the languages themselves.

If your qualifications don't match the usual entry requirements, there are some other possibilities.

🌱 Foundation Year in Languages or Humanities

Some universities offer a foundation year if you don't have the required language background or grades. Many Modern Languages degrees offer ab initio (beginner) routes in at least one language, so a foundation year can be a way in even without prior language study.

🎓 Access to HE Diploma (Humanities or Social Science)

Accepted by some universities. Choose a pathway with essay-based units and aim for Merits and Distinctions in your graded units. Check whether your chosen university requires prior language study alongside the Access qualification.

Is this degree right for you?

Members can explore whether this degree fits who they are:

Skills you'd develop and whether they match your strengths
How this aligns with your interests, motivators and values
Career paths and where graduates end up

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Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Use the tabs to explore the kind of person that this would be a good fit for. Do you share the Interests, Motivations, Values, Work identity and skills that people who thrive in this course tend to have?

Not sure what these things are? Explore your Identity Tree with us first.

Interests that connect well with a Modern Languages degree

Students who enjoy this degree often share these interests. You don't need to feel strongly about all of them, and interests develop over time. If one or two catch your curiosity, or sound like something you'd like to know more about, that's a good sign.

Different Cultures, Languages & Beliefs: The degree lets you immerse yourself in two or more cultures simultaneously, developing fluency in each language while exploring the history, society, and everyday life of the countries where they are spoken.

Language, Stories & Writing: Studying multiple languages gives you a unique perspective on how language works. You'll analyse literature in each language, study how different languages are structured, and develop translation skills that reveal how meaning shifts across linguistic boundaries.

Students who thrive in a Modern Languages degree are often motivated by

Engaging with People and Cultures

You're energised by working closely with people to understand what's really going on for them: talking, listening, asking questions, spending time, picking up on what isn't being said directly. That might be interviewing someone for a piece of research, sitting with a client who's trying to work something out, exploring a community you've not been part of, or working alongside people from a different culture. The energy comes from the engagement itself, not just from reading or thinking about people.

Analysing and Investigating

You're energised by making sense of information, looking for evidence, spotting patterns, and piecing together how things connect. Whether it's pulling apart data, questioning assumptions, or tracing a problem back to its source, you find energy in the process of understanding what's really going on. You'd rather dig into the details than accept things at face value.

Curiosity and Learning

You're energised by the activity of learning itself: diving into a subject you've never explored, watching documentaries, taking apart how something works, or constantly asking "why?" The process of learning gives you energy, not just the outcome. You don't just want the answer; you want to understand how things connect, why they matter, and what's underneath the surface explanation.

Working Internationally

You're energised by work that crosses borders and connects you with people from different countries, backgrounds, and systems. That might be collaborating with international colleagues, working in a place that isn't your own, using another language professionally, or tackling problems that don't stop at a single country's borders. You come alive when the work you're doing reaches beyond your own patch of the world.

What makes Modern Languages click for the students who love it?

Most language students settle on one country; these never want to choose just one. Curious about how different societies think, write and live, they would rather move between two or three languages than tie themselves to one. A year overseas, often split across the countries whose languages they study, is the stretch they can't wait for, each language put to use where it is spoken. What they love most is the comparing, the way a single idea takes a different shape in each language they know.

These are the skills that students who love this degree tend to enjoy using. You don't need to be great at them already, but if they sound like you, that's a good sign.

Skill Name

Skills that suit this degree

You don't need to be great at these already — but if you enjoy using them or want to get better at them, that's a good sign.

Are you drawn to learning more than one language — and curious about the cultures and places connected to them?
Do you enjoy switching between different ways of expressing yourself depending on who you're talking to?
Do you like spotting patterns or differences between how things are said or done across different cultures?

Careers a Modern Languages degree could lead you to

Modern Languages

What do Modern Language degrees involve?

Example Modules

Common Degree Names

Is this degree right for you?

Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Careers a Modern Languages degree could lead you to

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