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School of the Arts

Modern Languages and Cultures

Learn French, German, Spanish or Russian from scratch or deepen your existing knowledge. Explore language, culture and identity through literature, film and the chance to study abroad.

  1. School of the Arts
  2. Study
  3. Undergraduate
  4. Undergraduate Programmes
  5. Modern languages

With the world more interconnected than ever before – from the online world of social media to working in multinational businesses – being able to speak different languages is invaluable.  

Joining us, you’ll study one or two languages – French, German, Russian and Spanish – alongside a “minor” in Arabic, Catalan, Japanese, Portuguese or Mandarin. Taught by our research-led academics, you’ll learn from their range of specialisms. Benefit from their industry experience, including briefing the UK government on cultural transfers, interpreting in the UN sessions, and consulting on historical films.  

You’ll thrive in our small language learning labs and oral classes of no more than 15 students. And no previous knowledge is needed as we tailor each lesson to your level, from beginner to near-native speaker.

 

BA Option: 4 years FT with Year Abroad

BA Modern Languages (French, German, Russian, Spanish)

BA Liberal Arts

3, 4 and 5 year study options available. Check programme page here for more information.

BA Digital Media
The support I received from the school and its staff was exceptional. My lecturers were approachable, encouraging and genuinely invested in my development. Thanks to the guidance and strong references provided by my professors, I successfully progressed to a Master's in International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS. I am now an aspiring diplomat, passionate about the integration and political participation of West African women. My time at Queen Mary played a crucial role in shaping this path, and I will always be grateful for the support and opportunities I received there. 
— Salimata Kabia, BA French and Politics, graduated in 2025
I really enjoyed my time studying my degree as I was taught by lecturers who are passionate about their subject. Furthermore, the modules that were part of my degree were diverse and I was able to explore various career paths within my chosen degree. In my final year, I particularly enjoyed a module called ‘Languages in the classroom’, where we learnt about how to teach languages and was given a school placement to practice what we learnt. Not only did this module give us work experience but also an incite on post graduate opportunities.
— Sam Roe, BA French and Spanish, graduated in 2024

4thin London Languages and Linguistics

Guardian League Tables by subject 2025

9thin the UK for Russian & Eastern European Languages

The Times Good University Guide 2025

17th in the UK for Modern Languages

QS World Rankings by Subject 2025

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