Skip to main content

Undergraduate Study

BA International Business and Modern Languages - 2025 entry

Please note: The below is for 2025 entries. Click here for 2024 entries.
UCAS code NN16
Duration 3 years
Entry year 2025
Campus Streatham Campus
Discipline Business and Management
Contact

Web: Enquire online
Phone: +44 (0)1326 371801

Typical offer

View full entry requirements

A-Level: AAB
IB: 34/665
BTEC: DDD

Contextual offers

A-Level: BBB
IB: 30/555
BTEC: DDM

Overview

  • Equip yourself with business acumen, commercial understanding, intercultural skills, and linguistic ability in your chosen language
  • Open up your career prospects to the global business community
  • Opportunity to learn Chinese (Mandarin), French, Spanish or German from beginners. French, Spanish and German can also be taken from advanced/post-A-Level.
  • Tailor the direction of your studies by choosing any of our wide range of business and management modules, which are taught by our triple-accredited Business School.
  • Option to spend your 3rd year abroad to give you an immersive language experience.
  • Students often get involved in activities outside class such as language societies, tandem partnerships, and liaison work in schools and the community.

View 2024 Entry

Request a prospectus

Open Days and visiting us

How to apply

Contact

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

Top 150 icon

Top 150 in world subject rankings for Modern Languages and Cultures

QS World University Subject Rankings 2024

Top 10 icon

Top 10 for Business and Management

9th in The Complete University Guide 2025

Rosette with tick in icon

Triple accredited Business School

AMBA, AACSB, EQUIS

Earth icon

Option to spend a year abroad studying at a partner university

Top 150 icon

Top 150 in world subject rankings for Modern Languages and Cultures

QS World University Subject Rankings 2024

Top 10 icon

Top 10 for Business and Management

9th in The Complete University Guide 2025

Rosette with tick in icon

Triple accredited Business School

AMBA, AACSB, EQUIS

Entry requirements (typical offer)

Qualification Typical offer Required subjects
A-Level AAB Dependent on subjects chosen (see below).
IB 34/665 Dependent on subjects chosen (see below).
BTEC DDD Dependent on subjects chosen (see below).
GCSE C or 4
B or 5
Grade C or 4 in English Language, and
Grade B or 5 in Mathematics and a Modern Language.
Access to HE 30 L3 credits at Distinction Grade and 15 L3 credits at Merit Grade. Dependent on level chosen the required L3 credits in Modern Foreign Language subject area.
T-Level Distinction Dependent on subjects chosen (see below).
Contextual Offer

A-Level: BBB
IB: 30/555
BTEC: DDM

Specific subject requirements must still be achieved where stated above. Find out more about contextual offers.

Other accepted qualifications

View other accepted qualifications

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B1. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.

NB General Studies is not included in any offer.

Grades advertised on each programme webpage are the typical level at which our offers are made and provide information on any specific subjects an applicant will need to have studied in order to be considered for a place on the programme. However, if we receive a large number of applications for the programme we may not be able to make an offer to all those who are predicted to achieve/have achieved grades which are in line with our typical offer. For more information on how applications are assessed and when decisions are released, please see: After you apply

Language requirements

  • No previous language qualifications are required.
  • You may only choose one language.
  • French, German, and Spanish can be studied either from A-Level or beginner’s level, with both cohorts reaching degree level in the final year.
  • Chinese can normally only be studied from beginner’s level, not from A-Level; students of this language reach degree level in final year.

Languages and levels available for Combined Honours courses

I want to study a new language at beginner level alongside my other subject

Modern Languages requirements No previous language qualifications required. We strongly recommend that students who want to start a language degree with no previous linguistic experience should contact us.
Advanced level languages available n/a
Beginners level languages available Chinese (Mandarin); French; German; Spanish

I want to study my A level (or equivalent) language at advanced level alongside my other subject

Modern Languages requirements A level grade B or IB HL5 or SL6 (or equivalent) in the language chosen at advanced level
Advanced level languages available French; German; Spanish
Beginners level languages available n/a

Completing your UCAS form

In the section named ‘further details’ on your UCAS application form please indicate in the ‘choices’ field the language and route you wish to study using the abbreviations below, separated by a space:

French Fren
Chinese (Mandarin) Chin
German Germ
Spanish Span

 

Read more

Course content

The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.

You may take option modules as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.

Stage 1: 45 credits of compulsory Business School modules, 45 credits of compulsory modules in Modern Languages, 15 credits of optional Business School modules, 15 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language.

a take BEM1027, BEM1023 and SML1005

b select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.

c select 15 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language

d select 15 credits of optional Business modules (http://business-school.exeter.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/modules/)

Please note that certain modules may only be available to students on Single Honours programmes, or to students who have taken a particular language module. This information will be given in the pre-requisites or co-requisites section of the relevant module descriptor.

Compulsory modules

CodeModule Credits
BEM1027 The International Business Context a15
BEM1023 Discovering Management a30
SML1005 Language, Communication, and Power a15
MLF1001 French Language b30
MLF1052 French Language for Beginners b30
MLG1001 German Language b30
MLG1052 German Language for Beginners b30
MLM1052 Beginners Chinese b30
MLS1001 Spanish Language b30
MLS1056 Spanish Language for Beginners b30

Optional modules

Business School Optional Modules: BEA, BEE, BEM

CodeModule Credits
UEBS S1 BA International Business and Modern Languages Opt 24-25 [See note c above]
BEA1013 Introduction to Accounting 15
BEE1021 Personal Finance Management 15
BEM1018 Business and Society 15
BEM1019 Fundamentals of Marketing 15
BEM1021 Leadership and Teams 15
BEM1020 Innovation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution 15
BEM1022 Introduction to Leadership Studies 15
MLX S1 Chinese Option Modules 2023-4 [See note d above]
MLM1010 China of the Senses: Approaching Chinese Culture and Environments 15
MLM1013 A Brief History of Modern China (1861-Present) 15
MLX S1 French Option Modules 2023-4 [See note d above]
MLF1017 The Making of Modern France 15
MLF1103 The French Language, Present and Past 15
MLF1105 An Introduction to French Thought 15
MLF1121 French Visual History 15
MLF1018 The Devil is in the Detail: An Introduction to the Short Story in French 15
MLX S1 German Option Modules 2023-4 [See note d above]
MLG1014 A Nation Remembers: Issues in German Cultural Memory 15
MLG1017 Turning Points in German History 1200 - 2000 15
MLG1021 Outside In: An Introduction to Outcasts and Outsiders in German-language Literature and Film 15
MLX S1 Spanish Option Modules 2023-4 [See note d above]
MLS1067 Ideology in the Hispanic World 15
SML1067 Ideology in the Hispanic World 15
MLS1068 An Introduction to the Literature and Film of Spain 15
MLS1064 An Introduction to the Hispanic World: Texts in Context 15
MLS1066 The Making of Modern Latin America: History Through Literature and Culture 15
MLS1164 A Journey of Discovery: Hispanic Global Culture 15

Stage 2: 45 credits of compulsory Business School modules, 45 credits of compulsory modules in Modern Languages, 15 credits of optional Business School modules, 15 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language.

e take BEM2048, BEM2047 and SML2246

f select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.

g select 15 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language

h select 15 credits of optional Business modules (http://business-school.exeter.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/modules/)

Compulsory modules

CodeModule Credits
BEM2048 International Business e15
BEM2047 Organisational Behaviour e30
SML2246 Intercultural Communication e15
MLF2001 French Language, Written and Oral f30
MLF2152 Intermediate French f30
MLG2001 German Language, Written and Oral f30
MLG2052 Intermediate German f30
MLM2052 Intermediate Chinese (One) f30
MLS2001 Spanish Language, Written and Oral f30
MLS2156 Spanish Language (ex-beginners) f30

Optional modules

Business School Optional Modules: BEA, BEE, BEM

CodeModule Credits
UEBS S2 BA International Business and Modern Languages Opt 24-25 [See note g above]
BEM2016 Consumer Behaviour 15
BEM2021 Human Resource Management 15
BEM2025 Marketing Communications: Strategies and Applications 15
BEM2032 Startup Entrepreneurship 15
BEM2033 Brands and Branding 15
BEM2034 Digital Technologies and the Future of Work 15
BEM2035 Leading in International Contexts 15
BEM2036 Thinking Entrepreneurially 15
BEM2037 Leadership: Challenges and Practice 15
MLX S2 Chinese Option Modules 2023-4 [See note h above]
MLM2002 Politics of Contemporary China 15
MLM2003 Chinoiserie and Europeenerie: Artistic and cultural exchanges between China and Europe 15
MLX S2 French Option Modules 2023-4 [See note h above]
MLF2076 Subversive Texts: Baudelaire and Rachilde 15
MLF2005 Classical myth in French and francophone cinema 15
MLF2069 East is East? Cross-Cultural Encounters in Medieval French Literature 15
SML2209 Music in Medieval Europe 15
MLF2070 Violence and Virtue: Early Modern French Theatre 15
MLF2074 Translating Exile: Contemporary Francophone Women Writers 15
MLF2029 Varieties of French 15
MLF2056 Provoking Thoughts - French Literature and Philosophy from the Renaissance to the 20th Century 15
MLX S2 German Option Modules 2023-4 [See note h above]
MLG2003 Youth and Age: Generations in German Fiction and Film 15
MLG2019 Gender, Race and Migration in 20th and 21st-century German Literature 15
MLG2018 Berlin - Culture, History and Politics 15
MLX S2 Spanish Option Modules 2023-4 [See note h above]
MLS2070 Catalonia Is Not Spain? Modern Catalan Culture in Context 15
MLS2158 "What is Love? And Do I Need It?" An Introduction to Spanish Renaissance Love Poetry 15
MLS2072 Place and Identity in Contemporary Venezuelan Culture 15
SML2004 Contemporary Latin American Cinema 15
MLS2061 The Latin American Short Story 15
MLS2045 Federico Garcia Lorca: Theatre and Poetry 15
MLS2073 Literary Non-Fiction in Argentina: When Writing Meets the Real 15

This degree offers you the opportunity to spend a year studying or working abroad.

If you choose this option your placement year will take place in your third year, before returning to complete your degree at Exeter in your fourth and final year of study.

You can apply directly to this option, or you can apply to the standard 3 year course and transfer onto one of these options in the first term of your first year.

More about placement options

Compulsory modules

Stage 3: 120 credits of optional modules

You must take one of these modules in order to graduate “with Year Abroad”:

CodeModule Credits
BUS3000D Year Abroad (Study) [See note i above]120
BUS3000E Year Abroad (Work Placement) [See note i above]120
BUS3000F Study and Work Placement [See note i above]120

15 credits of compulsory Business School modules, 45 credits of compulsory modules Modern Languages, 45 credits of optional Business School modules, 15 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language).

j take BEM3065and SML3009.

k select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.

l select 15 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language; or you may select a module from the Modern Languages optional content modules (please note if you select FLX module you must choose select one related to your chosen language).

m select 45 credits of optional Business modules (http://business-school.exeter.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/modules/)

 

Compulsory modules

CodeModule Credits
BEM3065 Strategy i15
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World i15
FLF3430 French Advanced One k30
MLG3111 Advanced German Language Skills k30
FLG3430 German Advanced One k30
MLM3111 Advanced Chinese Language Skills k30
MLS3111 Advanced Spanish Language Skills k30
FLS3430 Spanish Advanced One k30

Optional modules

Business School Optional Modules: BEA, BEE, BEM

CodeModule Credits
UEBS S3 BA International Business and Modern Languages Opt 24-25 [see note k above]
BEM3030 International Business History 15
BEM3033 Strategic Management 30
BEM3038 Co-operative Enterprise 15
BEM3039 Design Management and Marketing 15
BEM3046 Managing Human Resources: Advanced Issues 15
BEM3047 Contemporary Leadership Issues 15
BEM3048 Leading Change in Practice 15
BEM3052 Managing Change and Crisis in Organisations 15
BEM3055 Ethics and Responsible Innovation 15
BEM3056 Business and Climate Change 15
BEM3059 Circular Economy Business and Enterprise 15
BEM3060 Managing Entrepreneurially 15
BEM3061 Business Ignition - Idea to Implementation 15
MLX Final Stage Chinese Option Modules 2023-4 [see note l above]
MLM3009 China through the Lens: Cultural Translation and Self-Presentation 15
MLM3008 Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature 15
MLM3011 China and the Third World: Foreign Relations and Nation Building in China in the Cold War Era 15
HUM3002 Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature 15
HUM3015 The Place of Meaning: Gardens in Britain and China 15
MLX Final Stage French Option Modules 2023-4 [see note l above]
MLF3034 Sociolinguistics of French 15
MLF3078 Philosophers, Prophets, and Mystics in French Culture 15
MLF3050 Music, Poetry, and Society at the Late Medieval French Court 15
MLF3079 Sex, Subversion and Censorship: Libertine Literature in Seventeenth-Century France 15
MLF3080 Les Miserables from the Nineteenth Century to the Present Day 15
MLF3046 Dialectology in France 15
MLF3075 First-Person Outsiders in Modern French Literature 15
MLF3081 Sexual Politics: Gender Dynamics in Early Modern France 15
EAF3520 Beyond Sex and the City: Becoming a Woman in Contemporary Western Cinema 15
MLX Final Stage German Option Modules 2023-4 [see note l above]
MLG3036 Dictatorships on Display: History Exhibitions in Germany and Austria 15
MLG3037 Coping with Catastrophe: German Culture, Literature and Politics in the Interwar Years 15
MLG3040 Sex, Sciences and the Arts 15
MLX Final Stage Spanish Option Modules 2023-4 [see note l above]
MLS3037 Women and Feminism in 20th Century Spain 15
MLS3057 Cross Currents: Memory, Myth and Modernity in Latin America 15
MLS3112 Spanish Modernists: Narratives of Identity, Gender and Nation 15
MLS3071 The Chilean Road to Socialism (1970-1973): What Happened and Why? Elements for a Debate 15
MLS3067 "Monster of Nature and Phoenix of Wits." An Introduction to the Work of Lope de Vega 15
SML3031 Advanced Translation Skills 15
MLS3066 Almodovar's Spain: Cinema and Society 15
SML3014 Socialist Thought and Practice in Latin America and Africa 15
HUM3002 Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature 15

Course variants

The BA International Business and Modern Languages degree offers you the opportunity to spend a year studying abroad.

If you choose this option your placement year will take place in your third year, before returning to complete your degree at Exeter in your fourth and final year of study.

You can apply directly to this option, or you can apply to the standard BA International Business and Modern Languages course and transfer onto this option in the first term of your first year.

UCAS code: NN15

Our four-year ‘with Year Abroad’ degree offers you the possibility of spending your third year abroad, studying with one of our many partner universities.

Why study abroad?

Living and studying in a different country is an exciting experience that broadens your academic and cultural horizons, as well as giving you the opportunity to widen your circle of friends. Students who have studied abroad demonstrate initiative, independence, motivation and, depending on where they stay, may also have gained a working knowledge of another language – all key qualities that employers are looking for in today’s competitive employment environment.

Where can I study abroad?

We have partnership arrangements with many prestigious institutions across the globe. Exactly where you can apply to study will depend on the subjects you are studying at Exeter. For a full list please visit the Study Abroad website.

Does it count towards my degree?

Credit for academic work during your year abroad is arranged by agreement between the University of Exeter and the host institution. These marks are then translated back into your degree at Exeter. If you are studying abroad for a semester or full year, your time abroad will count toward your final degree. Please refer to your College Study Abroad co-ordinator for further details.

How does it affect my tuition fee and funding?

For the year that you spend studying abroad you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter, but nothing to your host university – for more information visit our fees pages. You will continue to receive a maintenance loan if you are eligible for this whilst on your Study Abroad year.

Fees

Tuition fees for 2025 entry

UK students: £9,535 per year
International students: £24,700 per year

Scholarships

The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*. Financial support is also available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, lower income households and other under-represented groups to help them access, succeed and progress through higher education.

* Terms and conditions apply. See online for details.

Find out more about tuition fees and scholarships

Learning and teaching

How will I learn?

You will learn through a mix of:

  • Lectures of one or two hours once a week for each module. These give you the information central to the module and help you understand complex ideas.
  • Seminars and tutorials every week or every other week for each module. They cover in-depth discussions of topics introduced in lectures.
  • Total timetabled study hours (lectures, seminars, tutorials) for your whole degree are on average between 11 and 14 hours per week. In addition you are expected to complete an average of 20-25 hours of independent or group study per week.

 

How will I be assessed?

Modules are assessed through a mixture of:

  • Group work
  • Coursework
  • Project work
  • Examinations

The weighting of these components varies according the module. Coursework is typically between 2,500 and 6,000 words in length, and exams are usually held at the end of the module in January and May/June.

Where will I study?

You will be based at the purpose built University of Exeter Business School located on the Streatham Campus in Exeter, Devon.

Optional modules outside of this course

Each year, if you have optional modules available, you can take up to 30 credits in a subject outside of your course. This can increase your employability and widen your intellectual horizons.

Proficiency in a second subject

If you complete 60 credits of modules in one of the subjects below, you may have the words 'with proficiency in [e.g. Social Data Science]' added to your degree title when you graduate.

  • A Foreign Language
  • Data Science
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Innovation
  • Law (Penryn Campus only)
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Social Data Science

Find out more about proficiency options

Expand text

Your future

The BA International Business and Modern Languages is a unique programme that enables you to tailor your degree to your own strengths and employability aspirations by acquiring core specific knowledge and skills as well as selecting new subjects during your learning journey.

It is a natural fit for students wanting to give themselves an advantage in the global commercial world, and provides you with a potent combination of intercultural skills, business acumen, relevant commercial knowledge, and linguistic ability to really stand out from other graduates without this complementary combination of abilities.

We anticipate that most graduates will move on to business-oriented careers – management, marketing, finance, etc – but that they will pursue these careers across the globe for a much broader range of international companies than usual.

Skills developed during this collaborative degree – including the optional year abroad – include analytical problem solving, written and verbal fluency, managing and analysing information, cultural awareness, research, team working, and critical thinking, all of which are essential to modern global business.

The University of Exeter Business School provides a range of careers and employability support for Undergraduate students. Visit the Business School Career Zone webpage for more information.

Expand text

Earth icon

Option to spend a year abroad studying at a partner university