UCAS code | RT60 |
---|---|
Duration | 4 years |
Entry year | 2025 |
Campus | Streatham Campus |
Discipline | Modern Languages and Cultures |
Contact | Web: Enquire online |
Typical offer | A-Level: ABB |
---|---|
A-Level: BBC |
Overview
- Enjoy a highly flexible programme which allows you to structure your studies around your interests or follow a specific career-orientated pathway. Study Arabic alongside one other language; French, German, Italian, Spanish or Russian
- Your final degree title will reflect your choices and you will divide your time equally between the two languages. In your second year, you will spend a year abroad in an Arabic-speaking country
- You will undertake intense practical language training as well as theoretical learning to better understand the rich cultural, social and historical backdrop of Arabic and your other chosen language
- The Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies is one of the foremost academic institutions in the UK offering research and taught degree programmes in a wide range of areas within the field of Arab, Middle Eastern, and Islamic Studies
- 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
Top 150 in world subject rankings for Modern Languages and Cultures
QS World University Subject Rankings 2024
Largest purpose-built Middle East centre in the UK
2nd in the UK for Middle Eastern and African Studies
The Complete University Guide 2025
Year abroad spent studying at a partner university or in employment
Top 150 in world subject rankings for Modern Languages and Cultures
QS World University Subject Rankings 2024
Largest purpose-built Middle East centre in the UK
2nd in the UK for Middle Eastern and African Studies
The Complete University Guide 2025
Studying Modern Languages isn’t just about poring over endless grammar notes! Our course is so rich and varied that you will have the fantastic opportunity to develop not only your language skills, but a knowledge and interest in the culture of your chosen languages.
If you ask any student about the course, I very much doubt you will come away without them mentioning the Year Abroad, which for many is the highlight of the four years. I still cannot quite believe that I managed to go from working as a waitress over the summer in France, to studying in Italy, then to working as a marketing assistant in Spain all within the space of a year!
Aside from massively improving my language skills and cultural knowledge, this year definitely opened my eyes to the amazing opportunities out there for language students, and certainly made me realise how well my course and the support at the University of Exeter has prepared me for more exciting opportunities like this in the future.
Kate
BA Modern Languages (French, Italian and Spanish)
Entry requirements (typical offer)
Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
---|---|---|
A-Level | ABB | Dependent on subjects chosen |
IB | 32/655 | Dependent on subjects chosen |
BTEC | DDM | Dependent on subjects chosen |
GCSE | C or 4 | English Language |
Access to HE | 24 L3 Credits at Distinction Grade and 21 L3 credits at Merit Grade. | Dependent on level chosen the required L3 credits in Modern Foreign Language subject area |
T-Level | Distinction | Dependent on subjects chosen, GCE AL in a Modern Foreign Language will also be required. |
Contextual Offer | A-Level: BBC |
Specific subject requirements must still be achieved where stated above. Find out more about contextual offers. |
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
Completing your UCAS form
When completing your UCAS form for RT60 indicate the modern language and route you wish to study under ‘Further details’ in the ‘choices’ section of the application using the abbreviations below. Please note that you may choose only one language. It may be possible to study further languages to a lower level of proficiency than degree level in the Foreign Language Centre, subject to demand: this is arranged on registration at Exeter. For further information on completing your UCAS form, please visit the UCAS website.
French | Fren |
German | Germ |
Italian | Ital |
Russian | Russ |
Spanish | Span |
Language requirements
An A-Level grade B or IB HL5 or SL6 (or equivalent) in one of the five non-Arabic languages offered for this programme (French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish).
We are only able to guarantee a place on the relevant language programme(s) if this information is included on your UCAS form. However, we understand that you may change your mind about the language you want to continue with or take up, so if you wish to change the choice of language(s) given on your UCAS application at any stage please contact either our Admissions Office who will be able to confirm whether or not you are eligible for consideration for a different language. If you do wish to be considered for an alternative language please make your request as early as possible, as capacity and planning constraints may limit our ability to allow late changes to your language choice.
Course content
The Modern Languages and Arabic degree programme is made up of compulsory (core) and optional modules, which are worth 15 or 30 credits each, worth a total of 120 credits each year. Take up to 30 credits outside the department through modularity.
You will develop fundamental language skills such as reading, speaking, translating and writing, learning to perfect the delicate nuances of intonation, tone and inflection in your voice to become a skilled linguist. You will also study modules on Arab literature and on Islam and Arab history.
Open modules on linguistics, literature, medieval history, visual arts, film and culture will offer you the chance to further customise your programme to suit your specific needs and preferences.
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.
60 credits of compulsory Arabic modules, 30 credits of compulsory Modern Languages modules, 30 credits of optional Modern Languages modules
Compulsory modules
Subject to choosing 120 credits for the stage overall, you must:
a - select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.
Code | Module | Credits |
---|---|---|
ARA1033A | Elementary Arabic Language I | 30 |
ARA1033B | Elementary Arabic Language II | 30 |
Modern Languages Stage 1 Compulsory Language Modules [See note a 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
b - 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 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.
Arabic option modules https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/studyinformation/modules/?prog=arabislamicstudies
Code | Module | Credits |
---|---|---|
Chinese Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note b 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 b 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 b 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 b 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 b 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 b 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 b 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 |
Find out more about the International Placement.
120 credit compulsory Arabic placement module
Compulsory modules
Code | Module | Credits |
---|---|---|
ARA2000 | Year Abroad | 120 |
30 credits of compulsory Arabic modules, 30 credits of compulsory Modern Languages modules, 30 credits of optional Arabic modules and 30 credits of optional Modern Languages modules
Compulsory modules
Subject to choosing 120 credits for the stage overall, you must:
c - You must select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.
Code | Module | Credits |
---|---|---|
ARA2139 | Intermediate Arabic Language II | 30 |
Modern Languages Stage 2 Compulsory Language Modules [See note c 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
d - select 30 credits of ARA2 Arabic option modules from this list.
e - 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
Code | Module | Credits |
---|---|---|
Arabic Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [see note d above] | ||
ARA2170 | A History of the Modern Middle East, 1900-2014 | 15 |
ARA2171 | A History of the Modern Middle East, 1900-2014 | 30 |
ARA2147 | Classical Islamic History | 15 |
ARA2135 | Conflict and Peacemaking Palestine/Israel | 15 |
ARA2134 | Ethnography of the Middle East | 15 |
ARA2132 | Islamic Law and Society | 15 |
ARA2028 | Islamist Movements: From the Muslim Brothers to the Islamic State | 15 |
ARA2016 | Magic and the Abrahamic Religions | 15 |
ARA2150 | Muslims in Britain | 15 |
ARA2162 | Political Economy of Development in the Middle East | 15 |
ARA2014 | Regions and Empires in Islamic Archaeology | 15 |
Chinese Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [see note e 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 e 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 e 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 e 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 e 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 e 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 e 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 |
30 credits of compulsory Arabic, 30-60 credits of optional Arabic modules, 30-60 credits of compulsory Modern Languages modules, 30-60 credits of optional Modern Languages modules
Compulsory modules
Subject to selecting 120 credits in the stage you must:
f - select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language
Code | Module | Credits |
---|---|---|
ARA3103 | Advanced Arabic Language | 30 |
Modern Languages Final Stage Compulsory Language Modules [see note f 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 |
Optional modules
g - select 30 credits of ARA3 Arabic option modules from this list.
h - select 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language; These are additional to SML3015. You may, alternatively, take SML3030. 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 you may only select one dissertation module across the two programmes: either ARA3106 or SML3030
Code | Module | Credits |
---|---|---|
Arabic Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note g above] | ||
ARA3158 | Armed Islamist Movements: Jihadism and Beyond | 15 |
ARA3162 | Britain in the Middle East, 1798-1977 | 15 |
ARA3106 | Dissertation | 30 |
ARA3198 | European and US Democracy Assistance in the Middle East and North Africa | 15 |
ARA3043 | From "Home Lands" to "Host States": Migration, Displacement and Diaspora in the Middle East | 15 |
ARA3200 | Gender, Sexuality and Violence in Palestine/Israel | 15 |
ARA3196 | Independent Research | 30 |
ARA3146 | Iranian History, 1500 - the Present | 15 |
ARA3129 | Nationalisms in the Middle East | 15 |
ARA3163 | Politics and Reform in the Gulf | 15 |
ARA3050 | Race, Racism, Racialization (a view from the MENA) | 15 |
ARA3197 | The Arabian Nights: Perception and Reception | 15 |
ARA3136 | The History and Political Development of Iraq | 15 |
ARA3140 | The Kurds: History and Politics | 15 |
ARA3108 | The Politics of Authoritarian Rule | 30 |
ARA3045 | War, Violence and Revolution in the Modern Middle East | 30 |
Chinese Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note h 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 h 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 h 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 h 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 h 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 h 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 h 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 |
International Study Placement
Study Abroad in Year 2
All undergraduate Arabic language students on a four-year programme spend their second year at one of our accredited Arabic language study centres.
The International Study Placement is an integral part of the study of Arabic, advancing your knowledge of grammar and syntax as well as reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. It provides an excellent opportunity for students of Arabic to become immersed in Arabic society and culture, and to gain fluency in a spoken dialect of the Arabic Language.
International Study Placement destinations can obviously vary from year to year dependent on current events in the Middle East and North Africa.
All undergraduate Arabic language students on a four-year programme spend their second year at one of our accredited Arabic language study centres. These include:
- Jordan Language Academy (JLA) in Amman, Jordan
- International Language Institute (ILI) in Cairo, Egypt
- The Arabic Language Institute (ALIF) in Fez, Morocco
Does it count towards my degree?
The International Study Placement is an assessed year and the marks obtained count towards your final degree classification. If you would like to arrange the year differently, you should first speak with the Programme Director for your language and/or the Study Abroad Officer.
How does it affect my tuition fee and funding?
For your International Study 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.
Learning and teaching
How will I learn?
Written language is taught through weekly classes, with teams of tutors, including native speakers who contribute to a programme aimed at grammar improvement and the development of advanced writing and translating skills. You’ll also have weekly oral practice in classes of eight to 10 students with native speakers of the language(s) that you are studying.
Modules
Teaching on our culture modules is varied: a class about linguistics takes a rather different form than a class about theatre or film, for instance. Most cultural modules involve a combination of lectures and seminars, backed up by smaller group work and web-based learning, via the University’s online learning environment. Between classes you prepare material, evidence and arguments, individually or in groups. Seminars are your chance to try out ideas, present material to other members of the group, and respond to new material based on the critical skills you’ve been taught.
How will I be assessed?
Coursework and exams (essays, source commentaries, research exercises, oral presentations), online assessment (for language and culture modules).
Where will I study?
All language students have access to the language-learning facilities provided by the Language Centre.
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
Your future
Employer-valued skills this course develops
A degree in Modern Languages and Arabic gives you an appreciation and understanding of the culture, history and language of the Middle East and French-speaking countries. You will develop analytical and research skills as well as an awareness of different interpretations of issues and events, develop opinions and use effective communication skills to put forward your ideas and conclusions. You will also develop your time-management skills. All these skills are valued by employers from many different fields and can open career paths in a wide variety of areas from academic research and government work to more commercially based careers in law and business.
Employer visits
We have a dedicated, award-winning Careers Service, with offices at our Streatham Campus, ensuring you have access to careers advisors, mentors and the tools you need to succeed in finding employment in your chosen field on graduation. We offer the Exeter Award and the Exeter Leaders Award which include employability-related workshops, skills events, volunteering and employment which will contribute to your career decision-making skills and success in the employment market. Our graduates compete very successfully in the employment market, with many employers targeting the University when recruiting new graduates. For further information please visit our Careers Service.
Career paths
Recent Graduates now working as*:
- European Funding Officer
- Trilingual Fraud Specialist
- Insurance Broker
- Marketing and Communications Officer
- Reporter
- TV Researcher
Recent Graduates now working for*:
- Civil Service
- Bloomberg
- Challenges Worldwide
- Ernst & Young
- Cancer Research UK
- Hugo Boss
*This information has been taken from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) Surveys 14/15, 15/16, and 16/17. Please note that, due to data protection, the job titles and organisations are listed independently and do not necessarily correspond.
Further study
A Modern Languages degree is also excellent preparation for postgraduate study, and recent graduates have progressed to a range of courses, including:
- MA Translation Studies
- MA Global Literatures and Cultures
- MA European Politics
- Graduate Diploma in Law
- PGCE Secondary French
- MA International Relations
- MSc Globalisation and Latin American Development
- Professional Language Skills
Year abroad spent studying at a partner university or in employment