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History and Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish) at Birkbeck, University of London - UCAS

Birkbeck, University of London

Degree level: Undergraduate
Awarded by: University of London

History and Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish)

Course options

2025 - 20262026 - 2027
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Birkbeck, University of London has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Open days

1Nov
Birkbeck, University of London - Undergraduate Open Day
Undergraduate

Course summary

This BA History and Language is a carefully structured, wide-ranging course combining history, culture and language study. Alongside developing the critical and analytical skills for assessing historical evidence and questioning conventional wisdom on the past, you will learn to formulate and communicate your own ideas effectively in English and in your chosen language of study. Why choose this course?

  • Birkbeck has one of the very few schools in the UK to include archaeologists, classicists and historians working on every period from prehistoric humans to Ancient Greece to medieval, early modern and modern societies.
  • As well pursuing your interests in British, Irish, European and global history, and exploring themes within histories of ‘race’, migration, gender and sexuality, you will have the opportunity to take modules from allied disciplines like politics and geography.
  • You will also become competent in a modern language, choosing from French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean or Spanish, and study the culture associated with that language.
What you will learn You will acquire wide-ranging knowledge of the history of different nations, periods and civilisations, learn how to assess historical evidence critically and master the process of scholarly argumentation and writing. At the same time you will be trained in a modern language and learn about the culture in which it is spoken, reaching near-native standard in French, German, Italian or Spanish, and upper-intermediate or advanced level in Japanese, depending on your starting level. We currently offer Korean up to intermediate level only. How you will learn History teaching on this course combines lectures from our leading academics who will introduce you to the critical ideas, debates and figures of the past, with seminars where you will pursue collaborative knowledge alongside your fellow students. Language teaching is interactive and delivered in the target language. This course is available to study full- or part-time with classes in the evenings. Foundation Year If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. Highlights
  • Birkbeck was ranked in the top eight universities in the UK for its History research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
  • Situated in historic Bloomsbury, very close by are the Institute of Historical Research, the Institute of Classical Studies, the British Museum and the British Library.
  • Our School of Historical Studies is home to thriving student societies and research centres that run seminars, conferences and other events where some of the world's best scholars present their latest research.
  • Get a flavour of our teaching and research in this area through free seminars, workshops and tasters; also check out events at the Raphael Samuel History Centre, a leading centre for public history.
Careers and employability On successfully graduating from this course you will have gained an array of transferable skills, including:
  • locating, contextualising and interpreting a range of historical sources
  • assessing reliability of different varieties of evidence
  • presenting your findings
  • speaking, reading and writing in your chosen language
  • knowledge about the lands and peoples associated with your chosen language.
This degree prepares you for any role which benefits from skills in research, communication and engagement. Graduates can work in education, business, the arts, museums and galleries, the heritage sector, social work or government. Possible professions include:
  • heritage manager
  • museum/gallery curator
  • archivist
  • translator
  • higher education lecturer
  • school teacher.

Modules

For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.

Assessment method

This history and language degree is formed of diverse forms of assessment, including source analyses, quizzes, presentations, in-class written tests, oral and listening comprehension and research essays, all designed to build your skills cumulatively across the course. Every module you take includes some form of assessment and, in addition, an attendance requirement, so you will need to attend at least 60% of classes in order to pass.

How to apply

14Jan

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

Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

International applicants

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential. FOUNDATION YEAR DEGREES Our 'with Foundation Year' route is designed to give you extra support as it provides you with an additional year (full-time) or two years (part-time) of supported study. This is an ideal route if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied this subject, or if you did not achieve the grades you need for a place on this degree. Once you successfully complete your Foundation Year studies, you will automatically advance onto the main degree.

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
50%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
80%
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

International £18500 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 2025-26 home fee was £9,535. This fee may be subject to an inflationary increase in 2026-27, depending upon UK government announcements on the tuition fee loan cap. Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases.
History and Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish) at Birkbeck, University of London - UCAS