Modern Languages

The Modern Languages program at the University of Oxford offers students a comprehensive and rigorous exploration of multiple languages, literatures, and cultures, fostering advanced linguistic proficiency and intercultural understanding. This degree provides an exceptional opportunity to develop deep knowledge of one or more modern European languages, including French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and others, depending on student interest and course availability. Students engage with a diverse curriculum that combines language acquisition, literary analysis, cultural studies, and contemporary societal issues, ensuring a well-rounded education in the fields of linguistics, literature, history, and social sciences.

Throughout the program, students benefit from Oxford’s distinguished faculty who are experts in their respective fields, offering personalized mentorship and guidance. The program emphasizes the development of critical thinking, analytical skills, and research competencies, enabling students to interpret texts, understand cultural contexts, and communicate effectively in designated languages. Coursework includes language modules designed to improve fluency and accuracy, alongside optionalstream courses that focus on literature, film, society, and political developments of the regions associated with the languages studied.

In addition to language skills, students explore key themes such as identity, migration, globalization, and historical change, preparing them for careers in diplomacy, international business, journalism, academia, translation, and cultural management. The program’s structure combines compulsory language modules with flexible options that allow students to tailor their studies to their interests and career goals. Participants also have the chance to undertake research projects, participate in seminars, and engage with cultural events, all of which enrich their learning experience.

Oxford's Modern Languages degree is designed to cultivate an active and global perspective, encouraging students to critically examine the interconnectedness of languages and cultures. By the end of the program, graduates will possess advanced multilingual capabilities, a deep understanding of cultural and literary history, and the intellectual agility needed to succeed in a rapidly changing global environment. This distinguished degree stands as a testament to Oxford’s commitment to excellence in language education and cultural scholarship, opening doors to diverse professional paths and further academic pursuits.

Course structure

Your first year is closely structured. You will attend oral classes and courses on the grammatical structure of your language(s), translation into and out of the language(s) and, in some of the languages, comprehension. You will also attend introductory lecture courses and participate in seminars and/or tutorials on literature. From 2018, if you study French, German, Spanish or Russian as a single language you will take a range of additional options in that language in the first year (see below). All other languages must be studied in combination with another language or another subject.

Your other years of study give you more freedom to choose the areas on which you wish to focus, from a very wide range of options. Students studying courses with Polish take this as a subsidiary language, beginning in the second year. Catalan, Galician, Provençal, Yiddish and most of the Slavonic languages may also be taken as additional options.

International opportunities

Modern Languages students spend a compulsory year abroad, usually in the third year. They may work as paid language assistants in a foreign school or do internships abroad, both of which provide valuable opportunities to develop career experience while improving language competence. The year may also be spent studying at a foreign university. (Students taking Beginners’ Russian spend the second year – as opposed to the third year – of their studies on a specially designed eight-month language course in the city of Yaroslavl.) Students are encouraged to spend as much as possible of their vacations in the countries whose languages they are studying. In addition to the possibility of Erasmus funding, extra financial support, including travel scholarships, may be available from your college and/or the faculty.

Your week’s work will include a tutorial in, or organised by, your college, language classes in each of the language(s) you study, and typically three to four hours of lectures for each subject.

• Attestat o Srednam Obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education) would not be sufficient for candidates to make a competitive application. If your qualification is listed as being insufficient to make a competitive application to Oxford, then you will need to undertake further study if you wish to apply.You could take British A-levels (the British Council may know where you can take A-levels in your country), the International Baccalaureate (IB), or any other qualifications listed as acceptable on this page. The first year of a bachelor's degree from another university could also be an acceptable alternative.
• IELTS: overall score of 7.0 (with at least 7.0 in each of the four components)
• TOEFL (paper-based): overall score of 600 with a Test of Written English score of 5.5
• TOEFL (internet-based): overall score of 110 with component scores of at least: Listening 22, Reading 24, Speaking 25, and Writing 24.
• Cambridge English: Advanced, also known as the Certificate of Advanced English (CAE): grade A if taken before January 2015, or a score of at least 185.
• Cambridge English: Proficiency, also known as the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE): grade B if taken before January 2015, or a score of at least 185.
• English Language GCSE, or O-level: grade B (for IGCSE, please see below)
• International Baccalaureate Standard Level (SL): score of 5 in English (as Language A or B)
• European Baccalaureate: score of 70% in English.

Hill Foundation Scholarship

Russian nationals wishing to study for a second undergraduate degree. 

Palgrave Brown Scholarship

Students must be ordinarily resident in and/or educated in the following countries:

Albania; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Czech Republic; Estonia; Georgia; Hungary; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyz Rep.; Latvia; Lithuania; Macedonia;  Moldova; Montenegro; Poland; Romania; Russia; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan. 

The Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages at the University of Oxford offers students a comprehensive and rigorous study of contemporary European languages and cultures. This programme typically includes the study of two modern languages, often French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, or other languages available through the university’s extensive language teaching resources. Students are encouraged to develop advanced language skills, including reading, writing, speaking, and understanding spoken language, alongside a deeper cultural and literary understanding of the countries where these languages are spoken.

The course structure combines language acquisition with options to study literature, history, culture, and society of the respective countries, allowing students to tailor their studies to their interests while gaining a broad understanding of European linguistic and cultural diversity. The programme generally spans three or four years, with the possibility of a year abroad. The year abroad provides students with immersive language practice and cultural exposure, which is vital for fluency and intercultural competence.

Assessment methods include written exams, oral examinations, and coursework, with students expected to demonstrate not only linguistic proficiency but also analytical and critical thinking skills. The teaching staff comprises experts in their fields, ensuring high-quality instruction and supervision. The programme aims to prepare students for a variety of careers, including diplomacy, international business, education, translation, journalism, and further postgraduate research.

Students receive support through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, and language laboratories, as well as access to extensive libraries and online resources. The university emphasizes small group teaching to provide personalized feedback and mentoring. The Modern Languages programme at Oxford is highly regarded for its academic rigour, cultural richness, and the professional skills it imparts, making it an excellent choice for students passionate about European languages and cultures and seeking a challenging and rewarding university experience.