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Undergraduate Study

BA English and Modern Languages - 2025 entry

Please note: The below is for 2025 entries. Click here for 2024 entries.
UCAS code QR09
Duration 3 years
Entry year 2025
Campus Streatham Campus
Discipline English
Contact

Web: Enquire online
Phone: 0300 555 6060 (UK callers) 
+44 (0)1392 723044 (EU/International callers)

Typical offer

View full entry requirements

A-Level: AAB-ABB
IB: 34-32/665-655
BTEC: DDD-DDM

Contextual offers

A-Level: BBB-BBC
IB: 30-28/555-554
BTEC: DDM

Overview

  • Engage in literary study while developing your language skills in a cultural context and explore innovations in literature in their historical and national context
  • Learn important analytical techniques that will be useful across a range of subjects and research tasks
  • Option to spend your third year studying or working abroad in a country where you can develop your chosen language
  • Get involved in activities outside class: language societies, tandem partnerships, liaison work in schools and the community such as our Translation! Festival – the only public festival dedicated to translation in the UK
  • Excellent facilities on campus include our Special Collections relating to world-renowned writers, The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum which is a unique film and popular culture resource and our Digital Humanities Lab. Exeter has also recently been awarded UNESCO City of Literature status.

View 2024 Entry

Request a prospectus

Open Days and visiting us

How to apply

Contact

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

Top 150 icon

Top 150 in world subject rankings for Modern Languages and Cultures

QS World University Subject Rankings 2024

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Option to spend a year abroad studying at a partner university or in employment

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Top 15 in the UK for English

11th in the Complete University Guide 2025; 14th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

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Unique on-site resources: Exeter’s Special Collections archive and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum

Studying at Exeter has been a brilliant experience, it felt like the right choice from the first open day I visited.

Exeter has provided me with access to work experience in the local arts centres and museums, and has given me the opportunity to travel and visit the art we study in class. In my experience lecturers go above and beyond to provide academic support for students, as do the Wellbeing and Accessibility Services. I have also been able to join a range of academic and social societies, in which I have made friends for life.

Read more from Callia

Callia

BA English

Entry requirements (typical offer)

Qualification Typical offer Required subjects
A-Level AAB-ABB B in English Literature, English Language, or English Literature & Language and dependent on level chosen the required Modern Foreign Language.
IB 34-32/665-655 HL5 in English Literature, English Language, or English Literature & Language and dependent on level chosen the required Modern Foreign Language.
BTEC DDD-DDM Applicants studying a BTEC Extended Diploma will also require a Grade B in GCE AL English Literature, English Language, or English Literature & Language and dependent on level chosen, the required Modern Foreign Language.
GCSE C or 4 English Language
Access to HE 24 L3 Credits at Distinction Grade and 21 L3 credits at Merit Grade. To include 12 L3 Credits at Merit Grade in an acceptable English subject area and dependent on level chosen, the required L3 credits in Modern Foreign Language subject area.
T-Level Distinction Applicants studying a T-Level will also require GCE AL English Literature, English Language, or English Literature & Language grade B and dependent on level chosen, in a Modern Foreign Language.
Contextual Offer

A-Level: BBB-BBC
IB: 30-28/555-554
BTEC: DDM

Specific subject requirements must still be achieved where stated above. Find out more about contextual offers.

Other accepted qualifications

View other accepted qualifications

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.

NB General Studies is not included in any offer.

Grades advertised on each programme webpage are the typical level at which our offers are made and provide information on any specific subjects an applicant will need to have studied in order to be considered for a place on the programme. However, if we receive a large number of applications for the programme we may not be able to make an offer to all those who are predicted to achieve/have achieved grades which are in line with our typical offer. For more information on how applications are assessed and when decisions are released, please see: After you apply

Language requirements

  • No previous language qualifications are required.
  • You may only choose one language.
  • French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish can be studied either from A level or beginner’s level, with both cohorts reaching degree level in the final year. Portuguese and Chinese can normally only be studied from beginner’s level, not from A Level; students of these two languages reach degree level in final year.
  • If you choose a beginners language, you must take the four-year variant of the course with an International Placement.

Languages and levels available for Combined Honours courses

I want to study a new language at beginner level alongside my other subject (excluding programmes with Arabic)

Modern Languages requirements No previous language qualifications required. We strongly recommend that students who want to start a languages degree with no previous linguistic experience should contact us.
Advanced level languages available n/a
Beginners level languages available Chinese (Mandarin); French; German; Italian; Portuguese; Russian; Spanish

I want to study my A level (or equivalent) language at advanced level alongside my other subject (including programmes with Arabic)

Modern Languages requirements A level grade B or IB HL5 or SL6 (or equivalent) in the language chosen at advanced level
Advanced level languages available French; German; Italian; Russian; Spanish
Beginners level languages available n/a

Completing your UCAS form

In the section named ‘further details’ on your UCAS application form please indicate in the ‘choices’ field the language and route you wish to study using the abbreviations below, separated by a space:

French Fren
Chinese (Mandarin) Chin
German Germ
Italian Ital
Portuguese Port
Russian Russ
Spanish Span

 

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Course content

The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.

30 credits of compulsory English modules, 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language, 60 credits of optional modules (including 30 credits of English modules, and 30 credits of Modern Languages modules).

 

Compulsory modules

Subject to choosing 120 credits for the stage overall, you must:

a - select EAS1035

b - select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.

CodeModule Credits
EAS1035 Beginnings: English Literature before 1800 [See note a above]30
Modern Languages Stage 1 Compulsory Language Modules [See note b above]
MLF1001 French Language 30
MLF1052 French Language for Beginners 30
MLG1001 German Language 30
MLG1052 German Language for Beginners 30
MLI1001 Italian Language 30
MLI1052 Italian Language for Beginners 30
MLM1052 Beginners Chinese 30
MLP1052 Portuguese Language for Beginners 30
MLR1001 Contemporary Russian Written and Oral 30
MLR1030 Russian Language for Beginners 30
MLS1001 Spanish Language 30
MLS1056 Spanish Language for Beginners 30

Optional modules

c - select 30 credits credits from this list of optional English modules; EAS1040 is only available in Term 2 to Combined Honours students.

d - select 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language; on the Modern Languages side of your programme, you may select a maximum of 15 credits of either the SML- or HUM-coded modules listed below for the year. Please note that certain modules may only be available to students on Single Honours programmes, or to students who have taken a particular language module. This information will be given in the pre-requisites or co-requisites section of the relevant module descriptor.

CodeModule Credits
English Stage 1 CH Option Modules 2024-5 [See note c above]
EAS1037 The Novel 15
EAS1038 The Poem 15
EAS1041 Rethinking Shakespeare 15
EAS1044 Imagine This: Prompts for Creative Writing 15
EAS1016 Digital Cultures: Narrative, Creativity, Industry 15
Chinese Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note d above]
MLM1010 China of the Senses: Approaching Chinese Culture and Environments 15
PHL1010 Introduction to Asian Philosophy 15
SML1208 Language, Culture, and International Relations 15
French Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note d above]
MLF1017 The Making of Modern France 15
MLF1018 The Devil is in the Detail: An Introduction to the Short Story in French 15
SML1207 Introduction to Film 15
MLF1103 The French Language, Present and Past 15
MLF1121 French Visual History 15
MLF1105 An Introduction to French Thought 15
SML1208 Language, Culture, and International Relations 15
German Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note d above]
MLG1017 Turning Points in German History 1200 - 2000 15
MLG1021 Outside In: An Introduction to Outcasts and Outsiders in German-language Literature and Film 15
SML1207 Introduction to Film 15
MLG1014 A Nation Remembers: Issues in German Cultural Memory 15
MLG1022 Divided Germany in Film and Visual Culture 1949-1990 15
SML1208 Language, Culture, and International Relations 15
Italian Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note d above]
MLI1016 Italy Inside Out: Popular Visual Narratives about Italy 15
SML1207 Introduction to Film 15
MLI1121 A Thousand Faces: Cultures and History in 19th-Century Italy 15
Portuguese Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note d above]
SML1207 Introduction to Film 15
MLP1002 Introduction to the Lusophone World 15
SML1208 Language, Culture, and International Relations 15
Russian Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note d above]
MLR1023 Russia: Empire and Identity 15
SML1207 Introduction to Film 15
MLR1006 An Emotional Experience: Russian Literature and the Expression of Feeling 15
Spanish Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note d above]
MLS1067 Ideology in the Hispanic World 15
MLS1068 An Introduction to the Literature and Film of Spain 15
SML1207 Introduction to Film 15
MLS1066 The Making of Modern Latin America: History Through Literature and Culture 15
MLS1164 A Journey of Discovery: Hispanic Global Culture 15
SML1208 Language, Culture, and International Relations 15

30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language, 90 credits of optional modules (including 60 credits of English modules, and 30 credits of Modern Languages modules).

Compulsory modules

Subject to choosing 120 credits for the stage overall, you must:

e - select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.

CodeModule Credits
Modern Languages Stage 2 Compulsory Language Modules [See note e above]
MLF2001 French Language, Written and Oral 30
MLF2152 Intermediate French 30
MLG2001 German Language, Written and Oral 30
MLG2052 Intermediate German 30
MLI2001 Italian Language, Written and Oral 30
MLI2051 Italian Language 30
MLM2052 Intermediate Chinese (One) 30
MLP2052 Intermediate Portuguese 30
MLR2001 Contemporary Russian Written and Oral I 30
MLR2030 Intermediate Russian 30
MLS2001 Spanish Language, Written and Oral 30
MLS2156 Spanish Language (ex-beginners) 30

Optional modules

f - select 60 credits from this list of optional English modules. English modules in stage 2 are divided into three groups: Group 1, modules concerned with pre-1750 literature; Group 2, modules concerned with post-1750 literature; Group 3, modules not concerned with a particular historical period. Combined Honours students may not take more than one module from each group. You may also select HUM2000 or HUM2001.

g - select 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language; on the Modern Languages side of your programme, you may select a maximum of 15 credits of either the SML- or HUM-coded modules listed below for the year. It is your responsibility to ensure that credit for SML modules can be counted towards the language of your study, where this is necessary for your credit count.

CodeModule Credits
English Stage 2 Pre-1750 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note f above]
EAS2026 Desire and Power: English Literature 1570-1640 30
EAS2036 Theatrical Cultures in Early Modern England 30
EAS2071 Chaucer and His Contemporaries 30
EAS2080 Renaissance and Revolution 30
EAS2102 Satire and the City: English Literature 1660-1750 30
English Stage 2 Post-1750 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note f above]
EAF2510 Adaptation: Text, Image, Culture 30
EAS2029 Revolutions and Evolutions 19C Writings 30
EAS2103 Modernism and Modernity: Literature 1900-1960 30
EAS2104 Crossing the Water: Transatlantic Literary Relations 30
EAS2106 Romanticism 30
EAS2116 Empire of Liberty: American Literature of the Long Nineteenth Century 30
English Stage 2 Neutral Option Modules 2024-5 [See note f above]
AHV2018 Comics Studies: Histories, Methodologies, Genres 30
EAS2031 Creative Writing: Building a Story 30
EAS2032 Creative Writing: Making a Poem 30
EAS2089 Creative Industries: Their Past, Our Future 30
EAS2090 Humanities after the Human: Further Adventures in Critical Theory 30
EAS2113 Culture, Crisis and Ecology in a Postcolonial World 30
HUM2000 Humanities in the Workplace 30
Chinese Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note g above]
HUM2005 Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence 15
MLM2003 Chinoiserie and Europeenerie: Artistic and cultural exchanges between China and Europe 15
MLM2008 Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature 15
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15
French Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note g above]
MLF2012 Evolution of the French Language 15
MLF2069 East is East? Cross-Cultural Encounters in Medieval French Literature 15
MLF2076 Subversive Texts: Baudelaire and Rachilde 15
HUM2005 Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence 15
HIH2208A Medieval Paris 30
MLF2070 Violence and Virtue: Early Modern French Theatre 15
MLF2029 Varieties of French 15
MLF2006 French-language Road Movies: Space, Place and Identity 15
HIH2591 Philip Augustus and the Making of France, 1180-1223 30
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15
German Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note g above]
MLG2003 Youth and Age: Generations in German Fiction and Film 15
MLG2018 Berlin - Culture, History and Politics 15
MLG2019 Gender, Race and Migration in 20th and 21st-century German Literature 15
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15
Italian Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note g above]
MLI2019 Italian(s) in the World 15
HUM2005 Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence 15
MLI2004 From Page to Screen: The Italian Female Detective in Literature, Film, and Television 15
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15
Portuguese Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note g above]
SML2004 Contemporary Latin American Cinema 15
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15
Russian Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note g above]
MLR2023 A Russian Carnival of the Animals 15
MLR2026 The Deceptive City: the Creation of St Petersburg in Russian Literature 15
MLR2021 Understanding Russia 15
MLR2025 Imperfect Murder: Reading Crime and Punishment 15
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15
Spanish Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note g above]
MLS2044 How to be a Knight: Political Lessons from 14th-Century Spain 15
MLS2072 Place and Identity in Contemporary Venezuelan Culture 15
SML2004 Contemporary Latin American Cinema 15
HIH2145A Spain from Absolutism to Democracy 30
MLS2045 Federico Garcia Lorca: Theatre and Poetry 15
MLS2061 The Latin American Short Story 15
MLS2073 Literary Non-Fiction in Argentina: When Writing Meets the Real 15
MLS2158 "What is Love? And Do I Need It?" An Introduction to Spanish Renaissance Love Poetry 15
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15

If you choose the with International Placement variant of this course, your placement will take place in Year 3.

120 credit compulsory placement module

 

Compulsory modules

h - You must take one of these modules.

CodeModule Credits
SML3010 Work and Study Abroad [See note h above]120
SML3020 Study Abroad at a Partner University (with Assessment in the Foreign Language) [See note h above]120
SML3025 Internship Abroad Combined with Study at a Partner University Abroad [See note h above]120

30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language, 30 credits of compulsory dissertation, 60 credits of optional modules (including 30 credits of English modules, and 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language).

Compulsory modules

Subject to choosing 120 credits in the stage overall, you must:

i - select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.

j - select either EAS3003 or EAS3122 (you can only select one of these modules).

CodeModule Credits
Modern Languages Final Stage Compulsory Language Modules [See note i above]
MLM3111 Advanced Chinese Language Skills 30
MLF3111 Advanced French Language Skills 30
MLG3111 Advanced German Language Skills 30
MLI3111 Advanced Italian Language Skills 30
MLP3111 Advanced Portuguese Language Skills 30
MLR3111 Advanced Russian Language Skills 30
MLS3111 Advanced Spanish Language Skills 30
EAS3003 Dissertation [See note j above]30
EAS3122 Creative Writing Dissertation [See note j above]30

Optional modules

k - select 30 credits from this list of optional English modules.

l - select 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language; on the Modern Languages side of your programme, you may select a maximum of 15 credits of either the SML- or HUM-coded modules listed below for the year. You may not, however, select SML3015 or SML3030.

CodeModule Credits
English Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note k above]
EAS3128 Writing the Short Film 30
EAS3131 Advanced Critical Theory 30
EAS3181 Visual and Literary Cultures of Realism 30
EAS3182 Encountering the Other in Medieval Literature 30
EAS3191 Writing for Children and Young Adults 30
EAS3198 The Death of the Novel 30
EAS3219 Virginia Woolf: Fiction, Feeling, Form 30
EAS3225 'Reader, I Married Him': The Evolution of Romance Fiction from 1740 to the Present 30
EAS3237 The Rise of Science 30
EAS3245 The 21st Century Museum 30
EAS3252 Poison, Filth, Trash: Modernism, Censorship and Resistance 30
EAS3311 Piracy in Early Modern Literature, 1570-1730 30
EAS3408 Poetry and Politics 30
EAS3414 Jane Austen: In and Out of Context 30
EAS3415 The Development of British Childrens Literature 30
EAS3416 Feeling Bodies: Emotions in Early Modern Literature and Culture, 1500-1700 30
EAS3417 Sex, Scandal and Sensation in Victorian Literature 30
EAS3420 Staging Space: Dramatic Geography and Audience Experience 30
EAS3421 Picturing the Global City: Literature and Visual Culture in the 21st Century 30
EAS3502 Shakespeare and Crisis 30
EAS3503 Migration, Literature and Culture 30
EAS3501 Fiction Matters 30
EAS3100 Hardy and Women Who Did: the Coming of Modernity 30
EAS3500 American Counterculture in Literature 30
EAS3504 Surrealism and its Legacies 30
EAS3228 Romance from Chaucer to Shakespeare 30
EAS3509 From Pen to Printed Page: Exeter's Literary Archives 30
EAS3511 'Mad': cultures, histories, phantasies, imaginaries of mental distress 30
EAS3312 Adventures in Technique (Poetry) 30
EAS3196 Charles Dickens: Novelist, Journalist and Reformer 30
Chinese Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note l above]
HUM3015 The Place of Meaning: Gardens in Britain and China 15
SML3015 Dissertation 15
SML3013 Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind 15
SML3043 Migration and Multilingualism 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
MLM3008 Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
HUM3002 Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature 15
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30
French Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note l above]
SML3015 Dissertation 15
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30
SML3013 Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind 15
SML3043 Migration and Multilingualism 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
MLF3034 Sociolinguistics of French 15
MLF3079 Sex, Subversion and Censorship: Libertine Literature in Seventeenth-Century France 15
MLF3007 Multilingualism, Audiovisual Translation and Power in Cinema-monde 15
MLF3078 Philosophers, Prophets, and Mystics in French Culture 15
MLF3046 Dialectology in France 15
MLF3080 Les Miserables from the Nineteenth Century to the Present Day 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
SML3044 Migration in World Cinema 15
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
German Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note l above]
MLG3040 Sex, Sciences and the Arts 15
SML3015 Dissertation 15
SML3013 Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind 15
SML3034 Contemporary French Visual Culture 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
MLG3036 Dictatorships on Display: History Exhibitions in Germany and Austria 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30
Italian Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note l above]
MLI3199 Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend 15
SML3015 Dissertation 15
SML3013 Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind 15
SML3043 Migration and Multilingualism 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
MLI3033 Multicultural Italy 15
HUM3002 Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30
Portuguese Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note l above]
SML3013 Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind 15
SML3015 Dissertation 15
SML3043 Migration and Multilingualism 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
SML3044 Migration in World Cinema 15
SML3014 Socialist Thought and Practice in Latin America and Africa 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30
Russian Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note l above]
MLR3026 The Deceptive City: The Creation of St Petersburg in Russian Literature 15
MLR3123 A Russian Carnival of the Animals 15
SML3015 Dissertation 15
SML3013 Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind 15
SML3043 Migration and Multilingualism 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
MLR3021 Women Writers in Twentieth - century Russian Literure 30
MLR3025 Apocalypse/Utopia: The Russian Roots of Revolution 15
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
HUM3002 Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature 15
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30
Spanish Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note l above]
MLS3037 Women and Feminism in 20th Century Spain 15
MLS3057 Cross Currents: Memory, Myth and Modernity in Latin America 15
MLS3071 The Chilean Road to Socialism (1970-1973): What Happened and Why? Elements for a Debate 15
SML3015 Dissertation 15
SML3013 Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind 15
SML3043 Migration and Multilingualism 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
MLS3072 Unlawful Sex: Sexualities on Trial in Medieval Spain 15
SML3031 Advanced Translation Skills 15
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
SML3014 Socialist Thought and Practice in Latin America and Africa 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
SML3044 Migration in World Cinema 15
HUM3002 Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature 15
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30

Course variants

International Placement (work or study)

Study/Work Abroad in Year 3 

A pivotal part of all Modern Language programmes is the International Placement, either studying at one of our prestigious partner universities, teaching on a British Council placement, or working in other employment. By immersing yourself in the culture you study, you will not only enhance your language skills, but cultivate:

  • strong intercultural understanding
  • improved communication skills
  • the ability to think and study in different ways
  • resilience and confidence
  • analytical skills and the ability to make cross-cultural comparisons
  • adaptability, independence and valuable life experience

During your International Placement, you will still be registered as an Exeter student and therefore supported in several ways. You will retain your personal tutor and be expected to keep in contact with them. You will also have the support of the Exeter Global Opportunities team for advice on any matter.

You will need to decide how to spend your International Placement during the first half of the second year. We will help you in the process. During your first year you will be invited to an introductory presentation about your Year Abroad options. In your second year, there is an extensive orientation programme to help you prepare for your Year Abroad.

Ways to spend the International Placement (work or study)

  • You must spend 6-15 months abroad, maximising the opportunities available to you
  • You can work, study, or split the year on two or more placements
  • Students going to China or Russia can currently only study (work abroad is not available)
  • If you study Portuguese, the only options available are study or work abroad (not a British Council assistantship)

Study Abroad

Studying abroad offers a range of possibilities, with over 40 different partner universities worldwide available to Modern Languages students. This can provide you with the opportunity to experience a different academic environment with local and other international students broadening your knowledge of the language and culture you study.

Please note that Study Abroad placements at partner universities are subject to availability and the allocation of these places is competitive and based on first-year marks.

Work Abroad

Internships are very rewarding in that they can offer you valuable workplace experience. Placements can be sourced via our Global Opportunities webpages, but you can also source your own internship externally, though it must be approved by the Global Opportunities team.

Some of our students have spent their Year Abroad working in translation, tourism, marketing, fashion, commerce, journalism, heritage and many other sectors.

British Council English Language Assistantship

Becoming an English Language Assistant with the British Council is a brilliant opportunity to explore both the world of working and, more specifically, the idea of working as a teacher. An academic year is spent supporting teachers in a primary or secondary school in the country of the language you are studying.

Please note that these assistantships are organised by the British Council and placements are subject to their criteria and availability.

Does it count towards my degree?

Yes - the International Placement is an assessed year and the marks obtained count towards your final degree classification. If you begin a language in your first year at Exeter and intend to take that language in your final year, you must do your International Placement in that language. If you are a beginner and decide not to do an International Placement, you will be moved to Single Honours Comparative Literatures and Cultures for final year.

How does it affect my tuition fee and funding?

For your International Placement you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter – for more information visit our fees pages. You will also continue to receive any Student Finance support for which you are eligible. Other financial support may also be available for certain students.

Fees

Tuition fees for 2025 entry

UK students: £9,250 per year
International students: £24,700 per year

Scholarships

The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*. Financial support is also available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, lower income households and other under-represented groups to help them access, succeed and progress through higher education.

* Terms and conditions apply. See online for details.

Find out more about tuition fees and scholarships

Learning and teaching

How will I learn?

The nature of learning at university involves considerable self-guided study and research. You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and small group tutorials, led by internationally respected academics at the forefront of research. You will be encouraged to take the initiative by organising your own study groups, taking advantage of online and traditional learning resources, and managing your personal workload and time.

Most of your work will be done in group and self-directed study: reading or viewing module material, writing essays or preparing for your seminar presentations. We encourage you to present your work because it involves you actively in the teaching and learning process.

Teaching time

In your first year, you will receive a minimum of 10 hours of contact with academic staff per week. You will also be expected to attend other activities such as study groups, workshop activities and film screenings. Your total workload should average about 40 hours per week during term time.

Assessment

You will be assessed in a variety of ways but primarily through exams and coursework. Coursework includes essays, a dissertation and presentation work. 

The assessments in the second year, year abroad (if applicable) and final year will contribute to your final degree classification. The ratio of formal exam to coursework is on average 40:60. Your first year doesn’t count towards your final degree classification, but you do have to pass it in order to progress.

Other/Extra-curricular opportunities

We provide an exciting range of special lectures and seminars by visiting academics and renowned writers, actors and film directors. In addition to your academic work, the student-run English Society organises book and poetry readings, film screenings and social events, providing an opportunity to meet students who share a love of literature, culture and the arts. Students from the English department are always active on the University student newspapers, radio and TV station and in the University’s drama groups.

Optional modules outside of this course

Each year, if you have optional modules available, you can take up to 30 credits in a subject outside of your course. This can increase your employability and widen your intellectual horizons.

Proficiency in a second subject

If you complete 60 credits of modules in one of the subjects below, you may have the words 'with proficiency in [e.g. Social Data Science]' added to your degree title when you graduate.

  • A Foreign Language
  • Data Science
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Innovation
  • Law (Penryn Campus only)
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Social Data Science

Find out more about proficiency options

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Facilities

Film students discussing artefacts at the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum

Students in the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum

We are exceptionally lucky to have some fantastic facilities and resources on the Streatham Campus.

Special Collections

We have Special Collections relating to writers such as Agatha Christie, Daphne du Maurier, and William Golding, and we integrate these into our teaching so students can share the excitement we have when discovering new insights from manuscripts, letters, and business papers.

The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum

Our unique film and popular culture resource, contains items going back hundreds of years. We regularly take students into its archives and think about the study of literature in relation to visual texts.

Digital Humanities Lab

Digital Humanities is increasingly important in all areas of humanities research, including history, archaeology, literatures and languages. This research space enables the examination, preservation and analysis of historical, literary and visual material. Facilities in the lab include:

  • a flagship seminar room equipped with a 4.2-metre video wall, encouraging interactive engagement in a shared display space
  • two state-of-the-art photography labs, including provision for the 2D digitisation of heritage material and primary sources
  • an audio-visual lab with a recording studio and sound editing suite
  • a MakerSpace equipped with 3D scanning and printing equipment

Your future

Professional Experience

With practical modules on offer and opportunity to undertake professional placements, a degree in English will give you plenty of opportunity to develop your professional portfolio which will give you the skills and experience needed to be successful in your chosen career.

Employer-valued skills this course develops

An English degree puts you in a great position to succeed in a range of careers. Oral and written communication is at the heart of our programme and you will learn to present your ideas in a variety of formats. You will also develop strong research and analytical skills and the ability to problem solve and make informed decisions. Through a balance of independent study and teamwork you will learn to manage your time and workload effectively.

Career paths

Our students have progressed to a broad range of work sectors including education, arts management, publishing, journalism, marketing, finance and events management, working for companies such as:

Recent Graduates are now working as*:

  • Actor
  • Assistant Brand Manager
  • Assistant Director
  • Copywriter
  • Data Analyst
  • Journalist
  • Policy Adviser
  • Product Manager
  • Radio Producer
  • Youth Worker

Recent Graduates are now working for*:

  • European Parliament
  • Rolls Royce
  • Oxford University Press
  • Warp Films
  • Oxfam
  • Estee Lauder

Other recent graduates have progressed to postgraduate courses in:

  • MA Cultural Heritage Management
  • MA English Literary Studies
  • PGCE English Primary
  • MA Magazine Journalism
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Skills

* This information has been taken from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) Surveys 14/15, 15/16, 16/17 and 17/18. Please note that, due to data protection, the job titles and organisations are listed independently and do not necessarily correspond.

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