Durham University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Course summary
This BA offers you the opportunity to combine the development of high-level language skills with in-depth critical engagement with other cultures through studying literature, art, film and visual culture, history, and politics. If you already have an A level (or equivalent) in French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish, we offer advanced courses in those languages. You will also have the choice to study beginner courses in the above languages or Arabic. Whether you are a beginner or a post-A level student in your chosen languages, you will also study cultural modules together, and the beginner and advanced streams fully merge in the final year. In Year 1 you can study up to three languages, focusing on the key skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. You will also explore aspects of the literature, film, art, history and politics of the cultures you are studying. In Year 2 you will be able to study one or two languages, building on your skills and allowing you to begin to specialise in areas that interest you. You will then spend Year 3 abroad, either as an English assistant in a school or university, as a student, or on a work placement. You will divide your time between countries whose languages you will study in your final year. This is a time of enormous linguistic and personal development, when you should gain fluency in your language and enjoy a unique opportunity to make new friends, appreciate other cultures, and learn to work and study in new ways. You can also apply to add a placement year to your degree, increasing the course from four years to five. In Year 4 you will develop your advanced skills in one or two chosen languages. You will also continue your cultural studies, focusing on your areas of interest (such as the work of a particular writer or the culture of a particular period).
Subject options
This course offers the following subject options:
- Arabic (Beginners)
- French (post-A level)
- German (Beginners)
- Italian (Beginners)
- Italian (post-A level)
- Russian (Beginners)
Modules
Year 1 One to three core language modules: Arabic (Beginner) French (Beginner or Advanced) German (Beginner or Advanced) Hispanic Studies (Beginner or Advanced) Italian (Beginner or Advanced) Russian (Beginner or Advanced). In recent years, optional modules have included: Introduction to Middle Eastern Cultures Islam Observed: Ethnographic Accounts of Muslim Practice Reading French Literature (Beginner or Advanced) Society and its Outsiders in Modern France The Invention of France Picturing the Past of the German-Speaking Countries Reading German Culture Italy and the Arts Understanding Russian: Arts and Ideologies. Year 2 Choose one or two core language modules: Arabic (Beginner) French (Beginner or Advanced) German (Beginner or Advanced) Hispanic Studies (Beginner or Advanced) Italian (Beginner or Advanced) Russian (Beginner or Advanced). In recent years, optional modules have included: Arabic Literature Persian Modernity and Disenchantment: 19th and 20th Century French Literature and Culture Sex and Identity in Germanic Cultures Catalan (Beginners) Latin American Texts Narratives of Fascist and Post War Italy The Languages of Italy Russian and Soviet Cinema. Year 3 The third year is spent abroad as an English assistant in a school, as a student in a university or in employment of some kind. During the year abroad you complete a summative Year Abroad assignment with guidance from Durham staff. Year 4 You will produce an Extended Dissertation or a Dissertation depending on the number of languages studied. Choose one or two core language modules: Arabic (double module) French German Hispanic Studies Italian Russian. In recent years, optional modules have included: Trends in Modern Arabic Literature and Film French Cinema 1930s to 1990s German Interpreting Berlin: City of Diverse Cultures Representing Women: Sex and Power in Colonial Latin America Centres and Margins Across Italian Literatures and Media Italian Cinema The Poet and the State The Making of the Russian Intelligentsia (1762–1917)
Assessment method
Cultural and historical modules are assessed by essays, commentaries, projects and examinations, while language modules are assessed by a mixture of oral, listening and written examinations. You will also complete a dissertation or extended dissertation in your final year. During your year abroad you will complete a Year Abroad assignment.
How to apply
29Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- R002
- Institution code:
- D86
- Campus name:
- Durham City
- Campus code:
- O
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
Durham has a long and proud history of welcoming students from countries across the globe. https://www.dur.ac.uk/study/international/
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - Not accepted
A level - AAA
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DDD
Access to HE Diploma - D: 30 credits M: 15 credits
Scottish Higher - AAAAB
Scottish Advanced Higher - AAA
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 37 points
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024) - Not accepted
Extended Project - Not accepted
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017) - H2, H2, H2, H2, H2
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal - D3, D3, D3
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma - DDD
T Level
Our contextual offer for this programme A level BBB (or equivalent, to include at least a grade B in any language to be studied Post-A Level). To find out if you’re eligible, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/what-happens-to-your-application/contextual-offers/
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
English language requirements
Durham University welcomes applications from all students irrespective of background. We encourage the recruitment of academically well-qualified and highly motivated students, who are non-native speakers of English, whose full potential can be realised with a limited amount of English Language training either prior to entry or through pre-sessional and/or in-sessional courses. It is the normal expectation that candidates for admission should be able to demonstrate satisfactory English proficiency before the start of a programme of study, whether via the submission of an appropriate English language qualification or by attendance on an appropriate pre-sessional course. Acceptable evidence and levels required can be viewed by following the link provided.
English language requirements
https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Republic of Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| EU | £27500 | Year 1 |
| England | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £9250 | Year 1 |
| International | £27500 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.
The tuition fees shown for overseas and EU students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees are subject to an annual inflationary increase. In deciding the annual level of increase the University will take into account inflationary pressures on the costs of delivery. Tuition fees will rise annually by up to the higher of 6% or the latest annual percentage increase in the Consumer Prices Index.
There may also be additional course costs for things like books (if you want to purchase them), field trips etc.
Sponsorship information
We're committed to supporting the best students irrespective of financial circumstances. https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/
Provider information
Durham University
The Palatine Centre
Stockton Road
Durham
DH1 3LE