Portuguese and Spanish
Entry requirements
A level
If you have grade B in the relevant language A-level you will have access to the languages advanced pathways.
Extended Project
For applicants taking the EPQ qualification, an A in the EPQ can be recognised to lower the entry requirements by a single grade. For example, an AAB offer would be "AAB from 3 A-levels or ABB from 3 A-levels and a grade A in the EPQ". Please note that any subject specific requirements must be met.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
You must have or be working towards: - English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade C/4 or an equivalent (such as A-levels). If you require a Tier 4 visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
32-31 overall or 665 in 3 HL subjects. If you have grade 6 in the relevant language at HL you will have access to the languages advanced pathways.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Accepted subjects: Arts, Humanities, Science and Social Science. If you have grade B in the relevant language A-level in addition to or in combination with a BTEC you will have access to the languages advanced pathways.
T Level
M in a T Level in any subject.
The Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in place of one A-level at the A-level grades specified, excluding any subject specific requirements.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
The School of Modern Languages aims to develop and educate its students to become ‘global citizens’. With in-depth study of both Portuguese and Spanish, two major world languages, you will gain a wealth of transferable skills and knowledge beneficial to the world of employment, making you competitive and attractive in an increasingly global workforce and opening the doors to a variety of career paths.
Portuguese is a language with global importance, from Portugal and Brazil to several countries and regions in Africa and Asia. The British Council has identified Portuguese as one of the most vital languages for the future of the UK in the next 20 years and it is one of the most widely spoken community languages in the UK.
Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world. Spoken by more than 400 million people across more than 20 countries worldwide, it is one of the most useful languages in the world for business and leisure alike. It opens doors to a vibrant and diverse range of cultural experiences.
We offer Portuguese and Spanish for both advanced students and beginners. In terms of language acquisition, this course will enable you to develop your writing, oral and aural skills through a range of learning activities, and using a variety of audio-visual materials. In your first year, in addition to your language tuition, an introduction to Spanish and Spanish history and culture seeks to provide a solid foundation for more specialised studies as you progress through your course
It is important to remember that studying languages is not just about the language itself. It involves exploring many aspects of a country and its culture, its social structures and institutions, politics, history, literature and cinema. Through the study of such areas you are able to gain a better understanding of both Portuguese and Spanish culture and how it has evolved over the centuries, becoming what it is today.
On completion of this four-year programme, you will have a high level of language proficiency, as well as a critical understanding of key aspects of Spanish and Portuguese history, culture, literature, politics and contemporary society.
**Distinctive features**
- The option to begin your study at either beginner or advanced level (meaning an A-level in your chosen language may not be required).
- Optional modules in film, literature, history of art, politics and history.
- Emphasis on strengthening reading, writing, oral and aural skills through regular classwork exercises, written work, use of video and audio material, and interaction with native speakers (including Erasmus students hosted by the department).
- Core language modules delivered by native speakers.
- The chance to spend your third year either studying or working in a country that predominantly operates in your chosen language of study.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Cardiff University has many scholarships on offer to our prospective students. Please see our website at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/funding/scholarships for further information.
The Uni
Main Site - Cardiff
School of Modern Languages
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
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Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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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
It's often said there's a shortage of modern language graduates, and graduates from Spanish courses have a lot of options available to them when they complete their courses. In 2015, nearly 1300 UK graduates got degrees in Spanish and the subject is seeing its popularity increase. About one in five got jobs overseas — often as English teachers. If you want to put your degree to work in the UK, teacher training is a common option, and businesses see Spanish-speaking countries as important markets, leading to graduate opportunities in marketing, human resources, sales and project management. But remember — whilst employers say they rate 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.
Iberian 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.
£20k
£27k
£27k
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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Post-six month graduation stats:
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Graduate field commentary:
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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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