International Relations and Languages (Chinese, French, German, Spanish)
Entry requirements
A level
96-112 points, to include a minimum of 2 A levels.
96-112 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma.
Cambridge Pre-U score of 42-46.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
3 GCSEs at grade C or above to include English and Mathematics/3 GCSEs at grade 4 or above to include English and Mathematics.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
25 points from the IB Diploma, to include 3 Higher Level subjects.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H3,H4,H4,H4,H4-H3,H3,H3,H3,H4
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
96-112 Tariff points to include a minimum of 2 Advanced Highers.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
T Level
UCAS Tariff
96-112 points, to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent.
96-112 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 1 A level, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
About this course
**Overview**
Immerse yourself in global history, politics, language and culture. Understand the forces shaping how nations interact. Discover the role international relations plays in tackling the big issues facing society and the planet.
On this BA (Hons) International Relations and Languages degree, you’ll explore topics such as global migration, terrorism, climate change, the rise and fall of major powers, and global protest movements – and learn the skills needed to help enact change, shape opinions, and tackle inequality.
You’ll study a foreign language and spend a year abroad in a country and culture where your chosen language is spoken – and set yourself up for careers in international diplomacy, business, journalism, research and translation.
**Course highlights**
- Learn from staff at our Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR), whose research impacts government policy
- Use our professional-grade conference interpreting suite and language labs
- Immerse yourself in the cultures of the country where your chosen language is spoken – in the classroom and on your work or study placement abroad in year 3
- Attend events and talks led by people working in NGOs, local, national and international government, and journalism
- Have the opportunity to take part in a Model United Nations as part of your course
- Go on field trips to locations such as the Houses of Parliament
- Create policy briefing papers offering recommendations to practitioners on major recent international issues, such as the Ukraine Crisis, the 'MeToo' movement, the rise of terrorist organisations and the Arab Revolutions, as part of a simulated ‘academic conference’
**Careers and opportunities**
The language skills you’ll gain can open up a world of opportunities: they’ll help you to work globally, and open up job opportunities across borders and cultures.
With technology continuing to develop at a frantic pace, there’s also an ever-increasing demand for graduates with the knowledge required to ensure new developments are ethical.
The analytical skills you’ll develop are in demand, too – your ability to understand complex issues and find solutions to them means that roles across government agencies, NGOs, charities, think tanks and international organisations are all within your reach.
When you finish the course, our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills and cultural experience to work.
What can you do with an International Relations and Languages degree?
Graduates from this degree have gone on to careers in the following sectors:
- local and central government
- embassies
- non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
- security services
- international organisations, like the United Nations (UN)
- international charities like Amnesty International or the Red Cross
- policy research and think tanks
- media and international business consultancy
- political risk analysis
- public relations
- voluntary organisations
- management
- banking and financial services
- tourism
What jobs can you do with an International Relations and Languages degree?
Recent graduates have gone on to roles including:
- bilingual consultant
- multilingual project coordinator
- translator
- political researcher, Houses of Parliament
- civil servant, the Cabinet Office
- senior policy advisor, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- communications officer, House of Commons
- local government administrator, Government of Jersey
- public affairs consultant
- social researcher
- information officer
- conference producer
After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.
Modules
Year 1
Core modules in this year include:
- Key Themes in International Relations
- Political Thought
- Professional Practice: Skills for Academic and Professional Success
Either:
- Grade 1 and 2 General Language, plus Grade 1 and 2 Language in Use (beginners)
- General Language Grade 3, plus Language Project (post A level)
There are no optional modules in this year.
Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
- Bending the Truth a Little? Researching Politics and International Relations
- International Thought
Either:
- General Language (Grade 3 and 4)
- General Language (Grade 4) and Language for Professional Communication 1
Optional modules this year currently include:
- A History of US Foreign Policy: From the Great War to 9/11
- Analysing Foreign Policy
- Autocracy and Democracy
- Development and Democracy in Latin America
- East Asian States and Societies
- Empire and its Afterlives in Britain, Europe, and Africa
- Engaged Citizenship in Humanities and Social Sciences
- Global Security
- Intercultural Perspectives on Communication
- Introduction to Professional Language Services
- Introduction to Teaching
- Introduction to Translation
- Marketing and Communication
- Modern Foreign Language
- Modernity and Globalisation
- Nationalism and Migration: Chaos, Crisis and the Everyday
- News, Discourse and Media
- Principles of Economic Crime Investigation
- Professional Experience
- Rethinking Nazi Germany: Politics, History, Society
- Space, Place and Being
- Transitional Justice and Human Rights
- Wildlife Crime: Threats and Response
Year abroad
In your third year, you'll spend a year in a country where the main language you're studying is spoken. On your year abroad, you can study at a university or organise a work placement, depending on your chosen language. In some cases, you may be able to do a combination of study and work. We'll help you secure a study or work placement that fits your situation and ambitions. You'll get mentoring and support throughout the year.
Year 4
Core modules in this year include:
- Security Challenges in the Twenty-First Century
- Translation Theory and Practice
Optional modules in this year currently include:
- France in the World: Global Actor or Global Maverick?
- French General Language Grade 6
- German General Language Grade 6
- Global Capitalism: Past, Present and Future
- Global Health
- Independent Project
- International Security in the Asia-Pacific
- Interpreting 1
- Interpreting 2
- Mandarin General Language Grade 6
- NGOs and Social Movements
- Politics and Culture of the Hispanic World in 20th Century Literature And Film
- Professional Development: Recruiters and Candidates
- Professional Experience L6
- Religion and Politics in Global Perspective
- Research Project
- Spanish General Language Grade 6
- The European Union: A Global Power in the Making?
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Assessment methods
You’ll be assessed through:
- written exams
- practical exams
- coursework: essays, reports, case studies or book reviews
- projects
- oral presentations
- simulations, podcasts and creative videos
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:
Year 1 students: 15% by written exams, 26% by practical exams and 59% by coursework
Year 2 students: 15% by written exams, 3% by practical exams and 82% by coursework
Year 3 students: 100% by coursework
Year 4 students: 7% by written exams, 17% by practical exams and 76% by coursework
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
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?
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.
Others in language and area studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Politics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
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.
Politics
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
The numbers of people taking politics degrees fell sharply last year and we'll keep an eye on this one - it can't really be because of graduates getting poor outcomes as politics grads do about as well as graduates on average. Most politics or international relations graduates don't actually go into politics - although many do, as activists, fundraisers and researchers. Jobs in local and central government are also important. Other popular jobs include marketing and PR, youth and community work, finance roles, HR and academic research (you usually need a postgraduate degree to get into research). Because so many graduates get jobs in the civil service, a lot of graduates find themselves in London after graduating. Politics is a very popular postgraduate subject, and so about one in five politics graduates go on to take another course - usually a one-year Masters - after they finish their degrees.
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.
£20k
£25k
£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.
Politics
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
£23k
£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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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
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?
Have a question about this info? Learn more here