Spanish and Economics
UCAS Code: RL10
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 B (or 6), English Language or English Literature C (or 4).
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Higher
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Develop your written and spoken Spanish to a near-native level and learn key economic analysis skills that will aid you in your future career.
Join our Department of Modern Languages and European Studies and study in a lively, multilingual community with staff and students from all over the world. A total of 98% of our research overall in modern languages and linguistics is rated as world leading, internationally excellent or internationally recognised (Research Excellence Framework, 2014), which feeds directly into your learning.
You will master the fundamental elements of the language, to the point where you will graduate with a near-native command of it. Our small language classes, led by native speakers, and direct access to expert staff ensures you develop your language skills to the best of your ability.
In Spanish, you will learn the language in the political, social and cultural contexts of the countries in which it is spoken. You can study a wide range of optional modules in Spanish and Latin American culture, history, literature, politics and film with staff who are internationally recognised experts. In economics, you will explore the relationship between economics and society, and acquire advanced knowledge of both applied and practical issues. Less emphasis is placed on mathematical and statistical content, and instead you will focus on the relevance of these techniques to applied problems. You will still need to learn necessary maths skills in your core modules, but extensive support is available should you need it.
You will be able to choose from a wide variety of modules which cover the theoretical aspects of economics, as well as its real-world applications. Depending on your interests, optional modules cover topics including business, policy, economic history and the economics of climate change.
You will be taught by staff who are active researchers, with many involved in research that informs policy decisions by governments, major multinational organisations and international agencies like the UN. We are recognised for our high-quality research which feeds directly into your teaching, exposing you to the latest thinking and critical developments in the field. The University is ranked 10th in the UK for our research impact for Business and Management Studies (Times Higher Education Institutions Ranked by Subject, 2014, based on its analysis of REF 2014).
Spend up to a year in a Spanish-speaking country and immerse yourself in the language and culture. You could study at a partner institution through the Erasmus+ programme or undertake a work placement. A core language module in the second year will prepare you for your time abroad.
We provide accelerated learning in Spanish, meaning that you can start from beginner's level if you have not studied the language before, or at intermediate level if you have only learnt it up to GCSE or AS level. Regardless of which level you join the course at, all students achieve the same standard of written and spoken Spanish by the final year. Please check the entry requirements for more details on entry points.
**Careers**
By the time you graduate, you will be able to write and speak confidently in Spanish, an immensely useful skill to have given that there is currently a great shortage of well-qualified linguists in the UK. As such, 98% of graduates from the Department of Modern Languages and European Studies are in work or further study six months after graduating (DLHE survey, 2015-16). A recent study by the British Council identified Spanish as the most important language for the UK's future and, therefore, is likely to greatly boost your employment prospects in an increasingly global workplace.
You will develop transferable skills in analysis of language data, problem solving, team working and presentation skills and be suitably equipped for a wide range of careers in areas such as teaching, publishing, marketing, advertising, media and law.
Modules
Sample modules may include:
* Spanish language (at beginner's, intermediate or advanced level)
* Introductory macroeconomics
* Introductory mathematics for economics 1
* Introductory microeconomics
* Introductory quantitative methods in economics and business 1
Check our website for more details of the course structure.
Tuition fees
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University of Reading
Languages and Cultures

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See your living costsWhat 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.
Iberian 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)
Economics
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.
Iberian 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
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?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.
Economics
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
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?This is a degree in demand, as business increasingly needs workers who can examine and explain complex data. And yet the number of economics graduates fell by nearly 10% last year, which means demand is even greater. As so many economic grads go into banking and finance, it's not surprising that over half of all 2015's economics graduates who did go into work were working in London. And don't think it's just the finance industry that's interested in these graduates - there's a significant number who enter the IT industry to work with data as analysts and consultants. It's quite common for economics graduates to go into jobs such as accountancy and management consultancy which may require you to take more training and gain professional qualifications - so don’t assume you won’t have to take any more exams once you leave uni. And the incentive to take them, of course, is better pay, which will be on top of an already healthy average starting salary of over £30,000 for graduates working in the capital.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Spanish 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.
£19k
£24k
£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.
Economics
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
£32k
£42k
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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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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