Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages (French and German)

at University of Southampton - Avenue Campus United Kingdom

Explore postcolonialism and world literature with a master’s degree at the University of Southampton.

Our course gives you the chance to specialise in postcolonial and world literary culture, covering topics such as:

• Legacies of colonialism and imperialism
• Aftermath of decolonisation
• Relationship between gender and nationalism
• Fault lines in postcolonial national narratives

On completion of the course, you’ll be ready for a career in teaching, librarianship, museums and galleries, publishing or heritage.

You’ll get the chance to carry out advanced research and independent critical thinking, and to make effective use of archives, manuscripts, and research libraries.

This pathway is linked to the Southampton Centre for Imperial and Postcolonial Studies. This group brings together academics, writers and research students to explore the practices, experiences and legacies of imperial power in a global setting, from the early-modern period to the present. The centre also hosts events including seminars, workshops and conferences.

We offer a flexible module structure which is designed to give you an advanced understanding of cultural analysis, textual interpretation and theoretical method.

You’ll explore the interrelations of text, theory and culture across the field of English literary and cultural studies. We’ll work with you to:

• develop your knowledge of critical and research methods
• raise your awareness of the historical and critical reception of literature in various periods
• explore the role of literature in a contested cultural framework

Study ancient history and history to learn about global perspectives on ancient, medieval and modern history. You'll be based in a thriving research environment at Southampton, and spend your third year abroad at a partner university. This degree will give you a solid foundation for further study, or for a career in teaching, media, museums or galleries.

You'll look at the different ways historians have approached the past, and study different periods in history. You'll cover the development of historical debates, ways of imagining the past, and topics ranging from ancient history to the war on terror.

Study ancient history and history abroad when you spend your third year at a university in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea or Australia.

As part of this degree you can:

• Choose from over 100 modules
• Leading from experts in the ancient world and history (archaeology, ancient and modern languages and literatures, and film)
• Learn Latin and Ancient Greek
• Access document collections, including the Wellington, Palmerston and Mountbatten papers, and the Parkes archive, one of the largest Jewish documentation centres in Europe

The course combines lectures with small group seminars. You’ll learn how to structure an argument, interrogate and contextualise evidence and evaluate historical controversies.

Develop a deeper understanding of the theory and practice of English Language Teaching (ELT) with this master’s degree.

You can apply for this course if you have experience in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and want to gain skills for leadership roles in ELT.

If you don’t have experience as an EFL teacher and want to begin your career as one, you can apply for our MA English Language Teaching TESOL Studies course.

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) give people all over the world the ability to communicate fluently in English. This MA degree will give you the tools you need to teach English effectively. Throughout the programme you'll study topics such as:

• How to analyse language for ELT
• Current issues in language teaching methodology
• Critical appraisal of language teaching

This master’s degree in English Language Teaching is offered by our Centre for Applied Language Research.

Staff contributing to the programme are involved in:

• direct teaching of EFL and other languages
• research and development work in applied linguistics and language learning
• sociolinguistics and cultural studies

This blend of theoretical expertise and ongoing practical experience is one of the distinguishing features of our programme.

On completion of the course, you’ll be ready for a rewarding career as a language teacher, language teaching educator, or applied linguistics researcher.

Explore English literature in-depth with a master’s degree at the University of Southampton.

Our course gives you the opportunity to pursue literary topics and genres from a wide selection of authors and periods, including:

• Shakespeare
• Jane Austen
• Holocaust literature
• Victorian print culture
• literature and law

On completion of the course, you’ll be ready for careers in teaching, publishing and arts administration.

You’ll get the chance to carry out advanced-level research and independent critical thinking, and to make effective use of archives, manuscripts, and research libraries. We'll help you examine how literature shapes the public understanding of diverse fields such as:

• Climate change
• Economics
• Medicine
• Religion

We offer a flexible module structure which is designed to give you an advanced understanding of cultural analysis, textual interpretation and theoretical method. You can specialise with one of 4 subject-specific pathways, or take a more general approach by choosing modules from each pathway.

The information on this page refers to the general pathway.

Across all pathways, you’ll explore the interrelations of text, theory and culture across the field of English literary and cultural studies. We’ll work with you to:

• Develop your knowledge of critical and research methods
• Raise your awareness of the historical and critical reception of literature in various periods
• Explore the role of literature in a contested cultural framework

Gain in-depth knowledge of the English language and its cultural impact on this BA English Language and Literature degree. Discover how English emerged, how it continues to change, and how it varies across its millions of speakers. You’ll explore writing in varieties of English from the early medieval period to the present day, as well as from around the world.

You'll combine both literary and linguistic approaches to the subject on this flexible course.

You’ll study topics such as:

• The history and development of the English language  
• The cultural significance of English and its unique global status
• Phonetics, language acquisition and the psychology of language (psycholinguistics)

Optional modules mean you can adapt the course to match your interests. Topics you can choose to study include:

• The Renaissance
• 18th or 19th century writing
• Arthurian literature
• Children's literature

You’ll learn from expert academics and graduate ready for a career across industries like:

• Education
• Mass media
• Advertising and marketing
• Speech therapy
• Writing and publishing

You’ll also be able to make use of our Lifelong Learning programme, which provides extracurricular teaching of some 12 languages.

Our degree programmes are informed by research carried out in our leading Research Centres, including the Centre for Linguistics, Language Education and Acquisition Research and the Centre for Global Englishes.

From the Aztecs and Maya to Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire and the medieval world, you'll study the story of human activity and the origins of civilisation. You'll gain an understanding of how human societies came into being, how and why they changed over time, and the underlying reasons for human diversity today. In your final year, you'll develop in-depth knowledge and skills in a specific area of archaeology.

Archaeology is the study of the human past through its material remains. This integrated undergraduate and master's degree will teach you the many methods and techniques we use to find, excavate and investigate historical sites and materials.

During your master's in archaeology, you'll learn how to handle, describe and interpret archaeological objects and data. As you become more confident, you'll recognise and interpret your finds in the field and carry out advanced archaeological techniques.

The undergraduate grounding (following the framework of the BA in Archaeology) will give you a foundation in archaeology. The final postgraduate archaeology year enables you to develop your own interests in specialist fields so that you can target the career path you want to follow. For example, you could choose to explore the archaeologist profession in commercial archaeology or the museums and heritage sector.

This master's degree in archaeology is flexible so you can choose your own path. You'll have options to focus on areas like:

• Museums and heritage management
• Studying human and animal bones
• Environmental impact assessment
• Maritime archaeology

We have a purpose-built archaeology building, equipped with the latest science-based laboratories. You'll gain hands-on experience with archaeological artefacts and materials, and receive the practical training needed for a career in professional archaeology.

Postgraduate archaeology courses teach a wide range of transferable skills such as:

• Evidence-based reasoning
• Problem-solving
• Project management

We’re also offering up to 10 bursaries of £1000 each to incoming students (subject to criteria). These are from the Terry Mason Bursary and the University of Southampton Archaeology Bursary Fund.

Learn German - a major international language with over 100 million speakers worldwide - while increasing your knowledge of politics. You’ll study abroad for a year to get complete proficiency in German and also take modules on political systems and German history.

On this BA Politics and German degree you'll start German at a level that matches your spoken and written ability to ensure rapid progress. You’ll also have excellent resources to support you. The Centre for Language Study at Southampton has everything you need.

A special module in year 2 will make sure you’re ready for working and studying abroad in year 3.

 You can spend your year abroad in any of the following countries:

• Germany
• Austria
• Switzerland

This degree gives you the opportunity to learn another language from scratch, such as:

• Chinese
• Italian
• Japanese
• Arabic
• Russian
• Polish

In your final year you can specialise in an area of politics or German that suits your interests and combines well with what you’ve studied so far.

Learn about the ancient world and find ways to understand the foundations of how we live today. On BA Ancient History and Archaeology, you'll develop specialist knowledge in your chosen areas of study and learn in an engaging and supportive research environment. Your research and archiving skills will prepare you for further study, or for a variety of career options. These include heritage management and archaeological research.

Studying archaeology and ancient history will give you an insight into both subjects and you'll be able to explore the topics that interest you through optional modules.

You'll have the choice of a wide range of historical topics, from Ancient Egypt to the rise of Islam in the Middle East. You can also learn what happened during the conquests of Alexander the Great and at the end of the Roman Empire.

The complementary subject of archaeology is the study of the human past through its material remains. These include buildings, monuments, artefacts, biological remains, written sources and landscape. On this ancient history and archaeology degree you can:

• Learn from experts in the ancient world (including history, archaeology, ancient and modern languages and literatures, philosophy and film)
• Use cutting-edge technology to discover and map new sites, or develop research skills
• Do at least 3 weeks of field work, including excavating archaeological sites or collecting archaeological material from ploughed fields
• Challenge yourself by learning Latin and Ancient Greek

Develop the analytical skills for success in business and industry on this Operational Research MSc at the University of Southampton. You’ll work with multinational organisations on real-life case studies as you develop the knowledge to solve complex challenges. Prepare for a rewarding career in industry or research.

Operational Research is the application of scientific methods to the study of complex organisational problems.  

As an operational researcher, you’ll play an important role in business and industry, providing analytics and guidance to management teams. If you’re good at maths, enjoy problem-solving and have strong communication skills, this could be a rewarding area for you. 

On this UK master’s course you’ll learn the key skills and knowledge to provide effective solutions to organisational issues. 

You’ll study topics such as revenue management and forecasting, and learn techniques to improve organisational efficiency and productivity. 

You’ll work closely with industry throughout, and have the chance to develop your research skills in a commercial setting as you work on your dissertation over the summer. Our industrial liaison team will help you find a project that suits your skills and career plans. 

On this course you’ll learn: 

• The mathematical, computational and communication skills needed for the practical application of operational research
• An appreciation of related disciplines important in operational research
• How to use operational research tools in a wide range of applications  
• Research methods and current issues in operational research

You’ll also benefit from regular seminars featuring guest speakers from a wide range of organisations.

Learn the history and theory of film and gain a global perspective on cinema on this MA Film Studies master's degree at the University of Southampton. On this course you’ll develop in-depth knowledge of the most influential theories and approaches to understanding film. You’ll also find out about the latest debates and concerns around the industry.

This MA in film studies will give you the chance to examine the evolution of cinema and develop your own analytical skills.

You’ll gain valuable insights into the movie industry, looking at everything from film theory to current issues in film distribution.

You'll also benefit from:

• Being taught by expert academics with an international reputation  
• Regular talks from industry professionals and acclaimed film scholars
• A flexible approach that allows you to pursue your own areas of interest

With the practical and theoretical skills you learn, you’ll be in a great position to move into a career in the arts or media.

Southampton is ranked 3rd in the UK for film in the Guardian University Guide 2020.