Politics and Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish) with Foundation Year BA (Hons)

Birkbeck, University of London

United Kingdom, London

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Home/United Kingdom/London /Birkbeck, University of London/Politics and Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish) with Foundation Year BA (Hons)

Birkbeck, University of London

United Kingdom , London

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

LL18

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesOctober-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 4 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 18,500 / year

Next Intake October-2026

Politics and Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish) with Foundation Year BA (Hons)

About

Course Overview

This BA Politics and Language offers you the opportunity to become competent in a modern language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean or Spanish) while also acquiring advanced knowledge of a range of cultural topics and an understanding of the nature of politics and government in contemporary societies.

Why choose this course?

This course equips you with the tools to understand the nature of politics in the modern world and a thorough grounding in one or more modern languages.
It emphasises the interdisciplinary nature of the study of politics and languages, drawing on history, sociology, economics, anthropology, human geography and psychology as well as politics.
You will be taught by politics and language specialists who pride themselves on research-led teaching.

What you will learn

This course provides you with a strong basis in British politics as well as encouraging you to think about politics from comparative and international perspectives. You will compare and contrast the institutions and practices of government in different societies and analyse different theories of politics and government. You can also choose from a number of cross-cultural modules that will allow you to explore specific themes across a variety of language-speaking areas.

The languages component of this degree is designed to give you the chance to become competent in a modern language of your choice and study the associated culture(s) of that language. You can choose French, German, Italian, Japanese or Spanish, starting at the level of language learning that suits you, whether you are a complete beginner or a native speaker. Korean is offered starting from beginner level. If you decide to take this language, your final degree award will be a ‘with’ degree, so for example BA Politics with Korean, because we currently offer this language up to intermediate level only.

How you will learn

This course is available to study full- or part-time. It is taught through lectures and seminars which take place in the evening.

Foundation Year

If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. Find out everything you need to know about Foundation Years.

Discover the career opportunities available by taking Politics and Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish) (BA (Hons)).

Requirements

Entry Requirements

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

This course is suitable for all language entry levels, from beginner to proficiency, including native speaker level if you choose to study French, German, Italian, Japanese or Spanish. If you decide to study Korean, then this language is available at beginner entry level.

English Program Requirements

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.

If you don’t meet the minimum English language requirements, please contact us or see our international study skills page for more details of how we can help.

Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

Career

On successfully graduating from this BA Politics and Language, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:

the ability to work as part of a team
high-level oral and written communication skills in English and at least one other modern language
research skills
skills in evaluating and assessing types of information
the ability to present yourself and make a compelling argument.

Graduates can pursue career paths in local and national government, policy work, research or education. Possible professions include:

journalist
charity officer
diplomatic services operational officer
civil service fast-streamer.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.