BA

Modern Languages / English Literature

BA Modern Languages / English Literature Code QR90 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

QR90

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 104

  • Course duration

    4 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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If you want to study a course that explores a wide range of literary texts from the early medieval period to the present day, while developing your linguistic capabilities in languages, then BA Modern Languages / English Literature at Aberystwyth University is for you. We enable our students to develop their powers of expression, critical thinking, and establish specialist knowledge and research skills in both subject areas.

On this culturally enriching course, you will develop a detailed and broad understanding of literary history and applied knowledge of literary theory in combination with regular language classes in your chosen language.

Course Overview

Why study Modern Languages / English Literature at Aberystwyth?

  • You can engage with a wide variety of approaches to literature and cultural history, combining critical thinking with scholarship.
  • You will have the opportunity to explore literary theory - philosophical and conceptual ideas that inform, challenge and problematise the ways we read.
  • In your final year you will have the option to take part in a writing retreat at a country house in mid Wales - an amazing opportunity to spend time with fellow students and staff, developing your final year projects and dissertations, in a splendid rural setting.
  • The Department of English & Creative Writing is home to New Welsh Review, Wales’ foremost literary magazine - this could be an exciting opportunity for you to get involved.
  • You will be immersed in a supportive and vibrant community of creative and critical thinkers, literary experts, and published scholars from every field.
  • We have one of the biggest libraries in the world, the National Library of Wales, on our doorstep. This copyright institution receives a copy of every book published in the UK.
  • Both departments pride themselves for their exceptionally friendly atmosphere, where contact with staff is regular.

Language development

  • You can study your choice of languages from beginners' or advanced level - choose from French, German, Spanish and Italian. Beginners will follow an intensive course in the first year.
  • You will receive four hours of linguistic and grammar classes per week. The Department of Modern Languages is a relatively small and close-knit department, which means that you will benefit from our unique approach to language development. All of our language tutors are native speakers or experts in the relevant target language.
  • Your year abroad will be spent in a country related to your chosen language. You can choose to study at one of our partnered universities, undertake a paid or unpaid work placement, or a combination of the two.
Our Staff

All academic staff in the Department of English and Creative Writing are active scholars and experts in their fields. They are either qualified to PhD level or have commensurate experience. Our Lecturers either hold or are working towards a Higher Education teaching qualification and the majority of academic staff also hold the status of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

All of the lecturers in the Department of Modern Languages are qualified to PhD level and are research active specialists in their chosen field. We also employ highly qualified and experienced language tutors, and native-speakers, who will ensure that your learning is of the highest possible quality and who will provide you with constant support through your years of study.

Modules September start - 2025

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

All of our modules deliver key skills that enable you to build a comprehensive C.V. that evidences your diverse range of competencies.

Our graduates have been successful across a range of career destinations, including:

  • Broadcasting
  • Journalism
  • Advertising
  • Publishing
  •  Education
  • Civil Service
  • Business
  • Finance
  • New Media.

Transferable Skills

Studying for a degree in Modern Languages / English Literature will equip you with a range of transferable skills which are highly valued by employers. These include:

  • The ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form
  • Effective problem-solving and creative-thinking skills
  • The ability to work independently
  • Time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines
  • The ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form
  • Self-motivation and self-reliance
  • Team-work, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement
  • Research skills.

What work experience opportunities exist whilst studying? 

Find out about the various opportunities that our Careers Service offers. Enhance your employability prospects with our Year in Employment Scheme.

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

In all years you will have four weekly hours of language work – choose from French, German, Spanish and Italian.

In your first year you will explore:

  • Literature from the centuries before 1800
  • Critical practice
  • Optional modules ranging from classic nineteenth-century texts, poetry and fiction to European film and cultural identity.

In your second year you will discover:

  • Literary theory
  • Your choice of optional modules, from a wide range including literature since 1960, climate crisis, TESOL techniques, literary geographies and cinema.

In your third year, you will undertake your year abroad, working or studying in countries related to your chosen language.

In your final year, you will study:

  • Your choice of optional modules, ranging from Chaucer, Victorian childhood, Welsh poetry in English to African literature, Cuban cinema and 20th Century Italy.

How will I be taught?

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, language classes, seminars and tutorials.

Assessment

Methods of assessment may include examinations, course work, essays, projects and presentations.

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 104

A Levels BBB-BBC

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English or Welsh

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-DMM

International Baccalaureate:
30-28

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65%

English Language Requirements:
See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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