Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

Our BA Comparative Literatures and Cultures degree offers an unmatched opportunity to study international cultural production in both depth and breadth. You will study global literatures and cultures in comparative frameworks that draw on methodologies from textual, cultural and visual studies, as well as from translation, philosophy, history, social science and critical theory. Texts will be read in English translation.

Core units in years one and two currently include: What is Comparative Literature and How Do We Practise It?; Introduction to Visual Cultures; Popular Representation and Institutions of Culture; Migrations of Culture. Additionally, you will have a wide choice of optional units based in the culture of a single language or a combination of cultures.

You will spend your third year in a Spanish-speaking country, where you will undertake university study, a British Council assistantship or a work placement. You will follow a programme of study in Spanish, developing linguistic skills enabling you to communicate easily in writing and orally. For more information about the year abroad, visit Global Opportunities.

In year four you will complete an innovative supervised independent project, consisting of an extended essay on a topic of your choice and a public-facing element presented to the entire cohort (e.g. prospectus, interview, museum catalogue entries, newspaper article).

You will be taught by experts in the field and teaching is informed by staff research interests. The course is delivered in varied ways through lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops and one-to-one supervision. You will participate in small-group teaching and may be asked to give introductory talks to initiate discussion.

This course encourages attributes highly valued by employers, including intercultural understanding, analytical and critical thinking, clarity and self confidence in communication, an aptitude for collaborative work, and creativity. It will instil habits of curiosity, openness, rigour, self reflection and evidence-based thinking, preparing you for a career in various sectors.

An English degree from the University of Bristol gives you the opportunity to study the full breadth and range of literature written in English.

Year one lays strong foundations, providing training in close reading, critical and theoretical approaches and in the skills and conventions of academic writing. Alongside this you will study poetry, narrative writing and drama from the medieval period to the mid-18th century. You may also choose an optional unit or a unit from another department in the University.

In year two you will continue to study successive periods of English literature, from the mid-18th century to the present day, complemented by work on individual authors and topics chosen from a list of research-led, special subject units. These include creative writing, as well as options related to earlier literature.

You will spend a year abroad, studying in English at one of our partner universities overseas. Visit Global Opportunities to find out more. You will develop excellent critical and communication skills that will prepare you for a wide range of professions and develop your global citizenship.

In the fourth year you will choose options in later literature, in trans-historical topics and in special subjects, and have the opportunity to write a dissertation on a topic of your own choosing.

Our joint honours English and Classical Studies degree combines investigation of the ancient Graeco-Roman world with the study of works from all periods of English literature, many of which reflect or reanimate ancient texts and topics.

Both halves of the course give you the opportunity to follow your own interests and particular enthusiasms through optional units, including Latin or Ancient Greek.

You may also study ancient arts, such as epic or drama, alongside their more modern forms in literature written in English.In all cases – and drawing on the centrality of the classical tradition to Western culture – your study of the literature of antiquity will profoundly inform your reading of later works.

Your dissertation in the third year may draw on your interests and expertise from both departments to address a comparative topic or can alternatively focus on the material from either side of the course.

Our rich and challenging liberal arts programme allows you to explore the arts and humanities while building crucial skills in analysis and communication that will be valuable throughout your degree and beyond.

In years one and two you will devote at least a quarter of your studies to your specialist subject pathway, which you will choose from one of the disciplines in the Faculty of Arts.

You will be enrolled on a combination of bespoke core units exploring foundational and interdisciplinary issues in the arts and humanities, which may include the art of writing; the ways history shapes the present – and the present shapes history; and concepts of nature and beauty.

You will also study a language and learn how to work with data. Finally, you will be able to take optional units from the wide range of disciplines offered in the Faculty of Arts.

The final year includes an interdisciplinary dissertation and a unit that provides opportunities for working with organisations outside the University.

You can find more detailed information about units and pathway options via the 'course structure' link below.

If you are interested in the modern languages pathway, we encourage you to enrol on the MLibArts course. This four-year degree includes a year abroad, which will accelerate your language skills and provides an invaluable opportunity to develop your cultural knowledge. If you are unable to go abroad, the three-year degree with a modern languages pathway remains available.

Please note that the English, French, and Music pathways are available only to students who hold an A-level or equivalent qualification in that subject. In order to follow a language pathway, you must hold an A-level or equivalent qualification in any ancient or modern language.