Course summary

Lancaster’s joint Spanish Studies and Politics degree is taught by the Department of Languages and Cultures in conjunction with the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion. Your Spanish Studies programme gives you the opportunity to acquire high-level language skills and gain a thorough understanding of the country’s historical, cultural, social and political background in a global context. Your first year comprises an exploration of the Spanish language and its cultural context as well as the core module ‘Politics in the modern World’, which introduces you to key themes such as the theory and practice of liberal democracy, globalisation and threats to international security. In addition, you will study two minor subjects that complements your degree, one of which may be another language. Building on your language skills in Year 2, you will study the culture, politics and history of the Spanish-speaking world in more depth, as well as selecting modules which are international in scope and promote a comparative understanding of Europe and beyond. In the second and final year students will be able to choose from a broad range of options, such as Politics and History of the Middle East; International Relations, Security and Sustainability; Politics of Development and Global Changes; Understanding Key Economic Concepts; Issues in Contemporary Politics and Philosophy. Spending your third year abroad in a Spanish-speaking country gives you the opportunity to develop your language proficiency while deepening your intercultural sensitivity. You can study at a partner institution or conduct a work placement. In your final year, you consolidate your Spanish language skills, and study specialist culture and comparative modules, such as ‘Autocrats, Caudillos and Big Men: Understanding Dictatorship and its Cultural Representation in the 20th Century’. You will also select from Politics modules such as, ‘Islamic Politics’, or ‘Corporations, Global Political Economy and the Law’.