Course summary

In a competitive world, where expectations from the open market are swiftly increasing, to study the third most spoken language in the world will put you in an advantageous position. The BA Spanish and Latin American Studies is a four year degree scheme designed to provide you with a profound practical knowledge of the Spanish language and will equip you with much-needed tools to reflect on past and contemporary literature, society, cinema, translation and politics both in Spain and Latin America. This is a four year degree with the third year spent abroad in either Spain or Latin America, in one of a number of options, either studying or gaining valuable work experience. The Department of Modern Languages is a close knit department in which the student is the primary focus. We know all of our students by name and a real sense of community is developed in which lecturers and tutors are always on hand to guide the students through their studies. This degree has two pathways in the first year only: one for students with an A-Level in Spanish and another for those with little or no current knowledge of the language through the Beginners’ route. If you are a Beginner in the Spanish Language, do not worry, you will be taught on our Spanish Beginners Language course and in your first year, your language skills will rapidly advance and you will join the advanced students in the second year. If you are entering this course with a Spanish A-Level, you will continue to develop your linguistic competencies but at the same time be enrolled onto the Hispanic Civilisation course where you will begin your journey through the culture, literature, film and politics of Spain and Latin America. You will also have the opportunity to study Brazilian-Portuguese to enhance your employability opportunities further. You will be taught in a department that is regarded as: ‘Simply the Best Iberian Studies department in Wales, 2017’ (The Complete University Guide 2017) and one that is ranked 11th in the UK (The Guardian League Tables 2018). In the 2018 Complete University Guide, Iberian Studies at Aberystwyth was ranked 3rd in the UK.For the subject of Modern Languages, Aberystwyth University is ranked 5th in the UK for students entering employment or further study 6 months after graduation (The Guardian League Table, 2018). Our teaching is done through lectures, seminars and language workshops. Our language workshops are classes that will improve your spoken, written, listening and translation levels. Our language laboratories will help you in training your eye to the Spanish language ready for your year abroad. Most of our courses during your time here are taught through the medium of Spanish. All students on this course are required to take part in a study or work placement in Spain or a Spanish speaking country during your third year. A recent Erasmus Impact survey showed that 64% of employers considered international experience important for recruitment and that studying or working abroad will increase your chances of finding employment by up to 41% compared to students who do not study or work abroad. Graduates from the Department of Modern Languages have pursued careers in:

• Translation and Interpretation

• Broadcasting

• Education

• Marketing

• Human Resources

• Website development

• International Banking

• Civil Service

Course details