BA

Modern Languages / History

BA Modern Languages / History Code RV90 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

RV90

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 104

  • Course duration

    4 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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Studying for a degree in Modern Languages / History at Aberystwyth University will allow you to pursue your interest in history, language and culture, combining two valuable disciplines. You will immerse yourself in a broad range of historical periods, and gain an understanding of how and why the world has evolved the way it has.

This course is student-focused and you will be able to build on your existing knowledge of history while pursuing one or more languages - choose from French, German, Spanish and Italian.

This degree will also provide you with a thorough understanding of modern languages, and a deep understanding of the literature and culture.

You will benefit from the experience and enthusiasm of the expert staff in both departments. You will emerge with real world capabilities, enabling you to shape your future and develop the career you deserve.

Course Overview

Why study Modern Languages / History at Aberystwyth University?

  • In the Department of Modern Languages, you will have the opportunity to study one or more languages from beginners or advanced level. If studying as a beginner, you will receive intensive language classes in your first year, bringing you up to the same linguistic level as our advanced students. In your second and final year, you will continue the course with the advanced students.
  • All students in the Department of Modern Languages will receive four hours of linguistic and grammar classes per language per week. We are a relatively small and close-knit department, which means that you will benefit from our unique approach to language development. All of language tutors are native speakers or experts in the relevant target language(s).
  • In addition to linguistic classes, you will have the opportunity to study core and optional modules within the Department of Modern Languages in a broad range of topics, from literature and culture, to language, politics, and business.
  • Your year abroad will be spent in a country related to your chosen language(s). You can choose to study at one of our partnered universities, undertake a paid or unpaid work placement, or a combination of both.
  • Teaching in the Department of History and Welsh History is innovative, research-based and designed to develop your transferable skills in areas such as analysis, interpretation and communication, preparng you for a wide range of careers.
Our Staff

Staff in the Department of History and Welsh History are active researchers and experts in their field of History. Most are qualified to PhD level and hold PGCHE. To find out more about our staff, please visit our departmental staff page.

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.

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Making History * HY20120 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
French Language (Intermediate) FR22140 40
German Language (Intermediate) GE22140 40
Italian Language (Intermediate) IT22140 40
Spanish Language (Intermediate) SP22140 40
Culture, Society and the Victorians HY29320 20
Environmental History of the Neotropics (Latin America and the Caribbean) in the Capitalocene HY29120 20
Famine in Medieval England HY25520 20
From the Second Empire to the Third Reich: Weimar Germany 1914-1933 HY28420 20
Kingship and political culture in high medieval England and Norway, 1066-1263 HY22120 20
Modern Japan: From Samurai to Salary Men HY29820 20
Reforging the Union: The Reconstruction Era in US History, 1863-1896 HY27720 20
The European Reformation HY26520 20
Wales and the Kings of Britain: Conflict, Power and Identities in the British Isles 1039-1417 WH20120 20
Wales under the Tudors WH23520 20
Cuban Cinema of the Revolution: Crisis, National Identity and the Critique of Contemporary Society SP27020 20
Die Wende: Representations of Division and Unification in German Film GE26020 20
Gender in Modern and Contemporary French Culture FR21020 20
German-speaking Refugees from National Socialism in the UK GE27220 20
History, Film and Memory: Representing World Wars in French cinema FR27820 20
Image Wars in Southeast Asia: Studying 20th Century Propaganda HY23720 20
Memory, Myth and History: Investigating Medieval Chronicles, c. 1000-1250 HY24120 20
Rethinking late 20th Century Italy IT21020 20
Self-Writing, 18th-21st Centuries FR27020 20
The Sound of History: the Civil Rights Movement in Post-War America HY24720 20
The Spanish Avant-Garde SP20620 20
Victorian Visions: Exploring Nineteenth-Century Exhibitions HY24620 20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

Many of our students go on to teach the language(s) they have learned and a high proportion of our graduates go into administrative and managerial posts. A degree from the Department of Modern Languages is a qualification which opens the door to many professions in Britain, such as the civil service, tourism, social work, librarianship, publishing and broadcasting, and our degrees also take our students across the world.

While many History graduates take up careers directly linked to their subject such as working in the fields of archive, heritage or museum management, others find employment in a wide range of related and non-related professional employment, including librarianship, records management, journalism, media, advertising, the legal profession, local government, business and finance, a range of jobs which incorporate research, professional writing, the police force, the military, public relations and personnel management. The research and analytical skills you will develop during your degree also provide a sound basis for postgraduate study and for a career in academia.

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

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

In your first year you will study:

  • Historical practice
  • Choose optional modules ranging from medieval to modern history, to European film and cultural identity.

In your second year you will explore:

  • Key theoretical developments which have influenced the writing of history
  • Your choice of optional modules from a wide range available including medieval famine, the Tudors, Victorians, modern Japan, Cuban cinema and the Spanish Avant-Garde.

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

In your final year, you will study:

  • Your choice of optional modules from a wide range available, enabling you to tailor your course to your interests.

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, reports, essays, projects and presentations.

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 104

A Levels BBB-BCC

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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