Modern Languages (French/German/Italian/Spanish)
University of Reading
UCAS Code: R900 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Extended Project
In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification provides to students for University study, we now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer. Eligible applicants would receive two offers, our usual offer plus an alternative offer of a B in the EPQ and one grade lower in their A level subjects
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE Maths grade 4 (or C), GCSE English Language or English Literature grade 4 (or C).
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Higher
T Level
Minimum grade C in the Core Component.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Specialise in one language or combine two or three languages and expand your knowledge of the associated cultures. Our BA Modern Languages enables you to become fluent in your chosen language(s) and to hone your intercultural skills.
Our flexible BA Modern Languages gives you the opportunity to either specialise in one core language, or to combine two or three languages. You can decide to study one, two or three core languages, choosing from:
- French
- German
- Italian
- Spanish
You can start these core languages from beginner, intermediate or advanced level. The study of core languages includes language modules, but also cultural modules that develop your understanding of the cultures of the countries in which the language is spoken, from their literary and cinematic traditions to their history, politics and linguistics. The number of ‘cultural’ modules you will take depends on whether you are specialising in one specific language, or combining two or three core languages. Find out more about our core languages and the modules on offer: French Studies, German Studies, Italian Studies, Spanish Studies.
Our programme also allows you to combine up to two core languages with our additional languages.
Choose from:
- Arabic
- British Sign Language
- Chinese (Mandarin)
- Modern Greek
- Japanese
- Russian.
The study of additional languages focuses on developing your linguistic proficiency, and you will reach independent-user competency by the time you graduate. 90% of our students agreed that staff are good at explaining things in the Department of Languages and Cultures.
Language levels and requirements
Our four core languages (French, German, Italian and Spanish) can be taken from beginner's level and no previous language qualifications are required. You may commence one or more of these languages at intermediate or advanced level if you have studied it before. If studying more than one core language, only one core language can be studied from beginner’s level. By the time you graduate you will have achieved near-native proficiency.
Our additional languages start at beginner’s level only, and enable you to achieve independent-user level by the time you graduate.
Year Abroad
Expand your linguistic skills and intercultural understanding in one or two of your core languages by spending a year abroad. You can choose to study at a partner university, go on a work placement or work as a language teaching assistant. If you choose to study more than one core language, you will have the chance to prioritise the core language that you started at beginner level.
Modules
The following modules have been approved in principle for delivery in 2024/25. Please note that as part of our current curriculum improvement process, all modules require final University approval and may be subject to change. Core modules for this course: Language modules in French, German, Italian and/or Spanish, depending on your chosen core language(s); Year Abroad. The University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them. Further information about the content of final approved modules will be available between May and July 2023. We suggest that you regularly revisit this webpage during this time to ensure you have the most up-to-date information regarding the modules offered on this programme.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Reading
Languages and Cultures
What students say
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.
Modern languages
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
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.
£24k
£31k
£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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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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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