BA

Modern Languages / International Relations

BA Modern Languages / International Relations Code RL90 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

RL90

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 104

  • Course duration

    4 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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International Relations today is about understanding and tackling global challenges. As a student on the Modern Languages / International Politics degree at Aberystwyth University, you will be perfectly placed to gain a deeper understanding of what those challenges are and how opportunities and obstacles shape how we manage them. The language component of this course will enable you to discover language, culture, literature and art, whilst at the same time developing your linguistic competencies in your chosen language.

This course provides intensive language training with an exploration of the big questions of our time, such as power, conflict, security democracy, inequality, ethics, rights, justice, gender, development and political participation.

Course Overview

Why study Modern Languages / International Relations at Aberystwyth University?

  • 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.
  • As a student in the Department of International Politics, you will study in the world's first department of international politics - founded in 1919 after the First World War to help the world understand the world.
  • The Department of International Politics provides many opportunities to take part in extra curricular activities during the course. A highlight of the course for many students is the renowned Crisis Games - a role playing exercise in political, economic and diplomatic manoeuvre, developing your negotiation, communication, critical thinking, teamwork and problem-solving skills.
Our Staff

Lecturers in the Department of International Politics are all research active and qualified to PhD level, and most also have a PGCHE.

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
International Relations: Perspectives and Debates * IP20120 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Britain and Ireland in War and Peace since 1800 IP28820 20
Capitalism and International Politics IQ22820 20
EU Simulation IP24020 20
Economic Diplomacy and Leadership IQ24320 20
Fear, Cooperation and Trust in World Politics IQ22920 20
French Language (Intermediate) FR22140 40
From Mincemeat to Cyberwars: A Global Perspective on Covert Operations since 1945 IQ20520 20
German Language (Intermediate) GE22140 40
International Politics and Global Development IP29220 20
Italian Language (Intermediate) IT22140 40
Justice, Order, Human Rights IQ21720 20
Knowing about Violent Conflict in International Politics IQ24420 20
NATO: From Cold War to Hybrid War IP23320 20
Nationalism in Theory and Practice IP29920 20
People and Power: Understanding Comparative Politics Today IQ23920 20
Spanish Language (Intermediate) SP22140 40
Strategy, Intelligence and Security in International Politics IQ25120 20
The Arab-Israeli Wars IP21320 20
The Governance of Climate Change: Simulation Module IP22320 20
The Past and Present of US Intelligence IP26020 20
The Strategy and Politics of Nuclear Weapons IP20420 20
UK Politics Today: A Union Under Strain? IQ23820 20
Warfare after Waterloo: Military History 1815-1918 IP25320 20
Women and Global Development IP29620 20
Women and Military Service IP21620 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
Rethinking late 20th Century Italy IT21020 20
Self-Writing, 18th-21st Centuries FR27020 20
The Spanish Avant-Garde SP20620 20

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Britain and Ireland in War and Peace since 1800 IP38820 20
Capitalism and International Politics IQ32820 20
Dissertation IP30040 40
EU Simulation IP34020 20
Economic Diplomacy and Leadership IQ34320 20
Fear, Cooperation and Trust in World Politics IQ32920 20
From Mincemeat to Cyberwars: A Global Perspective on Covert Operations since 1945 IQ30520 20
Justice, Order, Human Rights IQ31720 20
Knowing about Violent Conflict in International Politics IQ34420 20
NATO: From Cold War to Hybrid War IP33320 20
Nationalism in Theory and Practice IP39920 20
The Arab-Israeli Wars IP31320 20
The Past and Present of US Intelligence IP36020 20
The Strategy and Politics of Nuclear Weapons IP30420 20
UK Politics Today: A Union Under Strain? IQ33820 20
Women and Global Development IP39620 20
Women and Military Service IP31620 20
French Language (Advanced) FR33440 40
German Language (Advanced) GE33440 40
Italian Language (Advanced) IT33440 40
Spanish Language (Advanced) SP33440 40
Cuban Cinema of the Revolution: Crisis, National Identity and the Critique of Contemporary Society SP37020 20
Die Wende: Representations of Division and Unification in German Film GE36120 20
Gender in Modern and Contemporary French Culture FR31020 20
German-speaking Refugees from National Socialism in the UK GE37220 20
History, Film and Memory: Representing World Wars in French cinema FR37820 20
Reading Late 19th Century Literature SP35120 20
Rethinking late 20th Century Italy IT31020 20
Self-writing, 18th-21st Centuries FR37020 20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

Our degrees provide a solid foundation for a vast array of careers across a range of sectors. In a rapidly shifting global economy, our graduates are adaptable and able to draw on a range of transferable skills, ensuring that they are always in demand.

Our graduates have found work in areas such as:

  • development sector
  • local and national politics
  • the Civil Service
  • Government research
  • social research
  • the third sector, such NGOs
  • international organisations
  • journalism
  • translation
  • interpretation
  • education.

Transferable Skills

Studying for a degree in Modern Languages / International Politics 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
  • self-motivation and self-reliance
  • team-working, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement
  • research skills.

Employability is embedded across our teaching.

  • The Department of International Politics operates a prestigious Parliamentary Placement scheme, enabling you to gain valuable experience working alongside an MP (House of Commons, Westminster) or an AM (Welsh Assembly, Cardiff) for a period of 4-6 weeks during the summer. During this time, you will write reports and speeches, undertake research projects, and respond to constituency issues. There may be further opportunities for you to get involved in elections and various international issues.
  • The Department of International Politics is also home to Interstate, the oldest student-run international politics journal in the United Kingdom, providing a unique opportunity for you to publish your work (particularly advantageous if you wish to progress to postgraduate study) or gain valuable experience working as part of the editorial team. Stimulating student societies foster a strong sense of community within the department, offering a programme of political debates, visiting speakers, conferences and workshops, alongside numerous social activities such as an annual ball.

What work experience opportunities will be available to me while studying?

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

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

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

In your first year you will:

  • Study central concepts and themes in the study of international politics
  • Critically reflect upon developments in international politics in real time
  • Choose optional modules ranging from globalisation to European film and cultural identity.

In your second year you will explore:

  • A range of different perspectives on theorising the international
  • Your choice of optional modules from a wide range available including capitalism, global development, intelligence and covert actions, diplomacy, 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.

In your final year, you will study:

  • Your choice of optional modules, ranging from human rights, NATO, violence and conflict, nationalism to French 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-BCC

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

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-DMM

International Baccalaureate:
30-26

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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