Modern Languages
| Degrees |
|
|---|---|
| Degree types | Types of research degrees explained |
| Duration | Degree duration details |
| Location |  Exeter (Streatham) |
| Study modes | Full time and part time Study mode details |
| Start date | September or January |
Research overview
Staff in Modern Languages research a wide range of areas, including literature, linguistics, translation and film. We supervise PhD students researching periods from the medieval to the present, across our seven main languages, with interdisciplinary projects involving additional supervision from other departments in the College of Humanities and beyond. Visit our staff profiles for more information about our research.
The ‘Centre for Translating Cultures’ provides a focal point for research in Modern Languages. Our postgraduate students regularly present work in progress at the Centre and participate its regular series of seminars often with distinguished visiting speakers. Modern Languages postgraduates are also active in other research centres in Modern Languages and the College of Humanities.
Beyond the University we have good relations with UK museums and galleries, as well as academic and research institutions internationally, attracting research students from all over the world and many cultural backgrounds.
There are frequent public seminars and lecture series which feature distinguished scholars and public figures in related fields from the UK, Europe and throughout the world.
Chinese Studies
- Chinese art and culture and European exchanges, 17th-18th centuries
- Chinese literature in translation
- Chinese modern intellectual history
- 19th-20th-century history of international relations
Visit our Chinese staff profiles for more information about individual research interests.
French Studies
- Literature and culture – Middle Ages to the present day
- French cinema
- French linguistics
Visit our French staff profiles for more information about individual research interests.
German Studies
- 18th- and 19th-century cultural and literary studies
- Culture of the Weimar Republic
- Museum studies and memory studies
Visit our German staff profiles for more information about individual research interests.
Hispanic Studies
- Iberian and Latin American literature and history of ideas (19th-21st centuries)
- Spanish and Latin American cinema and visual culture
- Gender studies and women's studies
Visit our Hispanic Studies staff profiles for more information about individual research interests.
Italian Studies
- Modern Italian literature
- Italian linguistics, including multilingualism in immigrant communities
- Italian cinema
Visit our Italian staff profiles for more information about individual research interests.
Lusophone Studies
- Postcolonial, feminist and cultural studies in Portuguese-speaking contexts.
- Portuguese linguistics: language contact, variation and change; cognitive linguistics and construction grammar.
Visit our Portuguese staff profiles for more information about individual research interests.
Russian Studies
- Literature and culture of the 20th century, including translation
- 19th and 20th century poetry
- Comparative literature
Visit our Russian staff profiles for more information about individual research interests.
World and Comparative Literature
World and Comparative literature seeks to cross the borders and bridge the distances between languages, literatures and cultures. Examples of such research topics or areas include cultural studies, gender studies, postcolonial studies, world-systems theory, as well as historical and trans historical literary studies more generally.
The research expertise in Modern Languages and Cultures covers a wide range of world literatures and cultures ranging from European literatures (ancient, medieval, and modern), Mediterranean, Latin American, and Chinese literatures and Cultures to Spanish and Latin American cinema and visual culture, Italian cinema, and Chinese art. Most staff also specialise in research of a world or comparative nature. The Department of English has particular and growing strength in world literary and postcolonial studies, world cinema, global modernisms, and the global circulation of literature, film and culture more generally. Increasingly, colleagues are working with students who are concerned to situate English/Anglophone culture within a comparative framework.
Given today’s developments in multiculturalism, trans-nationalism, literary theories of the capitalist world system and globalisation, this new programme in World and Comparative Literature encourages interdisciplinary and multilingual perspectives on literature and culture; it allows PG researchers to cross borders between national literatures, disciplines, between historical eras and media; and to have the opportunity to actively promote cultural exchange rather than simply receiving cultural knowledge.
Translation Studies
Translation Studies incorporates and bridges a number of disciplines, including linguistics, literary criticism and semiotics, cultural studies, postcolonial studies and gender studies, media studies and multimodality, history, sociology, ethics, philosophy and rhetoric…and more.
Interdisciplinary and cross-cultural by nature, Translation Studies appeals particularly to students with an interest in how language mediates between cultures and disciplines, and with an aim of learning about the professional aspects of the field.
Current areas of enquiry include (but are not limited to):
- Autobiographies in translation
- Cities in translation
- Contemporary Chinese cinema
- The market for translated literature
- Translators as activists
- Medieval culture of translation
- Translation and gender
- Translation and history
- Translation and the history of ideas
- Knowledge and translation
- Science and translation
- Self-translation
- Translation and mobility and migration
- Translation and multimodal practice
- Translation and publishing practices
- Translation and rhetoric
- Translation and visual culture
- Translation and word cities
- The 3% problem for translated literature
Our research is often interdisciplinary, therefore we recommend you also visit, in addition to the research pages of related subjects, the description of the affiliated researchers in Translation Studies.
Our academics
Supervisors
All students have a primary and a secondary supervisor who provide regular, high quality advice, support and direction in their academic endeavours. You will work closely with your supervisors to develop, investigate and write-up a project at the cutting edge of research.
Visit our staff profiles for more information about individual research interests.
Pastoral Tutors
Each student will also be assigned a pastoral tutor who mediate on any problems that arise during the period of study. Your pastoral tutor will keep in regular contact and will provide background stability and support.
Graduate School Office
The College of Humanities has a dedicated Graduate School Office that supports our postgraduate research students during their study with us. The Office promotes intellectual and social contact between research students in all our disciplines to foster a vibrant research community within the College.
Facilities
We provide access to excellent computing facilities and training is provided in a broad range of academic and general professional skills, such as compiling a CV, interview skills and time management.
Based in the Queen’s Building, you will benefit from a dedicated postgraduate IT suite and lounge, as well as a postgraduate and staff common room. There is also a study room containing a number of private study carrels for research students.
Computing facilities include a state-of-the art suite dedicated to Translation Studies with the latest in CAT tools, and a bespoke lounge for postgraduate students in Translation Studies.
Careers
We are committed to ensuring you receive high quality research supervision to maximise your potential and prepare you for a rewarding career. You will develop skills which will be useful to you whether or not you stay in academia including highly developed research methods skills. Possible careers include academic research and teaching, and potentially, usually with further professional training, employment in research and policy organisations and charities in the UK and beyond.
Postgraduate students have access to the wide range of support offered by our Career Zone. In addition, postgraduate research students can access our Researcher Development Programme, which covers a range of topics to help you to succeed during your research degree and to act as a springboard for your research career.
Graduate destinations
Below are some examples of initial jobs undertaken by Modern Languages postgraduates who studied with us in recent years.
Please note that due to data protection, the job titles and organisations are listed independently and do not necessarily correspond.
| Job title | Organisation |
|---|---|
| Associate lecturer Associate lecturer in French Associate Lecturer in French in Education and Scholarships Associate Research Fellow Content Designer Freelance Proofreader and Translator French teacher French teacher Grammar School Teacher Independent Quality Evaluator Italian Teacher Lecturer in French Studies Post Doctorial Researcher Recruitment and marketing assistant Reporter & Producer Self-Employed Translator Spanish Lecturer Teacher and Honorary Research Associate Teacher/Researcher University of Exeter Visiting Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies Work Placement Coordinator |
Alliance Française Devon Antenna International Baylis Court School BPA Quality Hoheretechnische Kennet School Language Advanced Middlesex University National Public Radio, USA Uni of Exeter University of Poitiers University of Portsmouth |
Entry requirements
MA by Research Modern Languages
Students applying to enter directly into the MA by Research programme would normally be expected to have a BA degree with 2.1 or equivalent in Modern Languages or related subject or other relevant qualifications such as a doctorate in another subject.
MPhil/PhD
Chinese Studies
Normally students will have proficiency in Chinese (good command of written and spoken Chinese), a good UK Honours degree (2:1 Honours or international equivalent) and a Master’s degree with Merit or international equivalent in a related subject.
French Studies
Students applying to enter directly into the MPhil/PhD programme would normally be expected to have a Masters degree with Merit or equivalent in French Studies, or other relevant qualifications such as a doctorate in another subject.
German Studies
Students applying to enter directly into the MPhil/PhD programme would normally be expected to have a Masters degree with Merit or equivalent in German Studies, or other relevant qualifications such as a doctorate in another subject.
Hispanic Studies
Students applying to enter directly into the MPhil/PhD programme would normally be expected to have a Masters degree with Merit or equivalent in Hispanic Studies, or other relevant qualifications such as a doctorate in another subject.
Italian Studies
Students applying to enter directly into the MPhil/PhD programme would normally be expected to have a Masters degree with Merit or equivalent in Italian Studies, or other relevant qualifications such as a doctorate in another subject.
Lusophone Studies
Normally students have proficiency in Portuguese (good command of written and spoken Portuguese), a good UK Honours degree (2:1 Honours or international equivalent) and a Master’s degree with Merit or international equivalent in a related subject.
Russian Studies
Students applying to enter directly into the MPhil/PhD programme would normally be expected to have a Masters degree with Merit or equivalent in Russian Studies, or other relevant qualifications such as a doctorate in another subject.
Interdisciplinary Studies/Translation Studies
Students applying to enter directly into the MPhil/PhD programme would normally be expected to have a Masters degree with Merit or equivalent in Modern Languages (in particular French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish) or Translation studies, or other relevant qualifications such as a doctorate in another subject.
Requirements for international students
If you are an international student, please visit our international equivalency pages to enable you to see if your existing academic qualifications meet our entry requirements.
English language requirements
IELTS (Academic)
Overall score 7.0 with a minimum score of 6.5 in the writing component and all other sections no less than 6.0.
TOEFL IBT*
Overall score 100 with minimum scores of 25 for writing, 21 for listening, 22 for reading and 23 for speaking.
Other accepted tests
Information about other acceptable tests of linguistic ability can be found on our English language requirements page.
Pre-sessional English
Applicants with lower English language test scores may be able to take pre-sessional English at INTO University of Exeter prior to commencing their programme. See our English language requirements page for more information.
Finance: fees and funding
Tuition fees per year 2023/24
- UK: £4,970 full-time; £pro-rata part-time
- International: £20,500 full-time
For those studying for more than one year, our fees are expected to increase modestly in line with Consumer Price Inflation measured in December each year. More information can be found on our Student Finance webpages.
Tuition fees per year 2022/23
- UK: £4,596 full-time; £pro-rata part-time
- International: £19,000 full-time
For those studying for more than one year, our fees are expected to increase modestly in line with Consumer Price Inflation measured in December each year. More information can be found on our Student Finance webpages.
Current available funding
Contact us
College of Humanities
Postgraduate Administrator
Phone: 0300 555 60 60 (UK callers)
+44 (0) 1392 723044 (EU/International callers)
Web: Enquire online