| UCAS code | Q331 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 years |
| Entry year | 2025 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Discipline | Media and Communications |
| Contact |
| Typical offer | A-Level: ABB |
|---|---|
|
A-Level: BBC |
| UCAS code | Q332 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 years |
| Entry year | 2025 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Discipline | Media and Communications |
| Contact |
| Typical offer | A-Level: ABB |
|---|---|
|
A-Level: BBC |
Overview
- Combine a solid foundation in Communications with the study of a language and its culture.
- You will hone practical and professional skills, equipping you to work across the creative industries or anywhere requiring people who understand how communications work.
- Opportunity to experience different ways of learning, with specialist modules that cover everything from the history of communications and professional writing, to language and social interaction and global communications.
- Excellent facilities on campus include our Special Collections relating to world-renowned writers, The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum which is a unique film and popular culture resource and our Digital Humanities Lab. Exeter has also recently been awarded UNESCO City of Literature status.
- Option to spend your third year studying or working abroad in a country where you can develop your chosen language
- You can choose to study any of our languages from beginners: Chinese (Mandarin); French; German; Italian; Portuguese; Russian; or Spanish
Top 10 for Communication and Media Studies
8th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
Top 150 in world subject rankings for Modern Languages and Cultures
QS World University Subject Rankings 2024
Option to spend a year abroad studying at a partner university or in employment
Unique on-site resources: Exeter’s Special Collections archive and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum
Top 10 for Communication and Media Studies
8th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
Top 150 in world subject rankings for Modern Languages and Cultures
QS World University Subject Rankings 2024
Option to spend a year abroad studying at a partner university or in employment
Unique on-site resources: Exeter’s Special Collections archive and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum
Entry requirements (typical offer)
| Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
|---|---|---|
| A-Level | ABB | Dependent on subjects chosen |
| IB | 32/655 | Dependent on subjects chosen |
| BTEC | DDM | Dependent on subjects chosen |
| GCSE | C or 4 | English Language |
| Access to HE | 24 L3 Credits at Distinction Grade and 21 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, GCE AL in a Modern Foreign Language will also be required. |
| Contextual Offer | A-Level: BBC |
Specific subject requirements must still be achieved where stated above. Find out more about contextual offers. |
| 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 B2. 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, Italian, Russian, and Spanish can be studied either from A level or beginner’s level, with both cohorts reaching degree level in the final year. Portuguese and Chinese can normally only be studied from beginner’s level, not from A Level; students of these two languages reach degree level in final year.
- If you choose a beginners language, you must take the four-year variant of the course with an International Placement.
Languages and levels available for Combined Honours courses
|
I want to study a new language at beginner level alongside my other subject (excluding programmes with Arabic) |
|
| Modern Languages requirements | No previous language qualifications required. We strongly recommend that students who want to start a languages degree with no previous linguistic experience should contact us. |
| Advanced level languages available | n/a |
| Beginners level languages available | Chinese (Mandarin); French; German; Italian; Portuguese; Russian; Spanish |
|
I want to study my A level (or equivalent) language at advanced level alongside my other subject (including programmes with Arabic) |
|
| 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; Italian; Russian; 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 |
| Italian | Ital |
| Portuguese | Port |
| Russian | Russ |
| Spanish | Span |
Course content
At each level, you will be able to choose from a portfolio of optional modules, meaning that you are not restricted to one concept or experience of “Communications” and will, from early on, be able to plot your own route through a wide-ranging and flexible programme.
Communications: Year 1 of the programme offers a combination of compulsory modules (covering conceptual and applied approaches to Communications and enabling you to develop your critical and analytical skills) and options. Here, as throughout, you will have the opportunity to learn or improve a second or further language via modularity.
60 credits of compulsory Communications modules, 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language, 30 credits of optional Modern Languages modules
Compulsory modules
Subject to choosing 120 credits for the stage overall, you must:
a - select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMM1001 | Perspectives on Communications | 30 |
| CMM1002 | Communications Challenges | 30 |
| Modern Languages Stage 1 Compulsory Language Modules [See note a above] | ||
| MLF1001 | French Language | 30 |
| MLF1052 | French Language for Beginners | 30 |
| MLG1001 | German Language | 30 |
| MLG1052 | German Language for Beginners | 30 |
| MLI1001 | Italian Language | 30 |
| MLI1052 | Italian Language for Beginners | 30 |
| MLM1052 | Beginners Chinese | 30 |
| MLP1052 | Portuguese Language for Beginners | 30 |
| MLR1001 | Contemporary Russian Written and Oral | 30 |
| MLR1030 | Russian Language for Beginners | 30 |
| MLS1001 | Spanish Language | 30 |
| MLS1056 | Spanish Language for Beginners | 30 |
Optional modules
b - select 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language; on the Modern Languages side of your programme, you may select a maximum of 15 credits of either the SML- or HUM-coded modules for the year. 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. Please note for students of Modern Languages Portuguese (Single Honours or Combined Honours) MLP1002 is compulsory. For FLC students or other non-Modern Language students, it remains optional.
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note b above] | ||
| MLM1010 | China of the Senses: Approaching Chinese Culture and Environments | 15 |
| PHL1010 | Introduction to Asian Philosophy | 15 |
| SML1208 | Language, Culture, and International Relations | 15 |
| French Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note b above] | ||
| MLF1017 | The Making of Modern France | 15 |
| MLF1018 | The Devil is in the Detail: An Introduction to the Short Story in French | 15 |
| SML1207 | Introduction to Film | 15 |
| MLF1103 | The French Language, Present and Past | 15 |
| MLF1121 | French Visual History | 15 |
| MLF1105 | An Introduction to French Thought | 15 |
| SML1208 | Language, Culture, and International Relations | 15 |
| German Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note b above] | ||
| 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 |
| SML1207 | Introduction to Film | 15 |
| MLG1014 | A Nation Remembers: Issues in German Cultural Memory | 15 |
| MLG1022 | Divided Germany in Film and Visual Culture 1949-1990 | 15 |
| SML1208 | Language, Culture, and International Relations | 15 |
| Italian Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note b above] | ||
| MLI1016 | Italy Inside Out: Popular Visual Narratives about Italy | 15 |
| SML1207 | Introduction to Film | 15 |
| MLI1121 | A Thousand Faces: Cultures and History in 19th-Century Italy | 15 |
| Portuguese Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note b above] | ||
| SML1207 | Introduction to Film | 15 |
| MLP1002 | Introduction to the Lusophone World | 15 |
| SML1208 | Language, Culture, and International Relations | 15 |
| Russian Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note b above] | ||
| MLR1023 | Russia: Empire and Identity | 15 |
| SML1207 | Introduction to Film | 15 |
| MLR1006 | An Emotional Experience: Russian Literature and the Expression of Feeling | 15 |
| Spanish Stage 1 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note b above] | ||
| MLS1067 | Ideology in the Hispanic World | 15 |
| MLS1068 | An Introduction to the Literature and Film of Spain | 15 |
| SML1207 | Introduction to Film | 15 |
| MLS1066 | The Making of Modern Latin America: History Through Literature and Culture | 15 |
| MLS1164 | A Journey of Discovery: Hispanic Global Culture | 15 |
| SML1208 | Language, Culture, and International Relations | 15 |
In year 2, you will take a “Professional Writing” module, and undertake a guided work placement (“Communications in the Workplace” – 15 or 30 credit version).
30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language and 30 credits of core for Communications.
60 credits of optional modules (30 credits of Communications options, and 30 credits of Modern Languages options).
Compulsory modules
Subject to choosing 120 credits for the stage overall, you must:
c - CMM2008 is a pre-requisite for taking either CMM3002 Communications Dissertation or CMM3003 Communications Practical Research Project in final year. In addition you also choose 30 credits of Communications options.
d - Select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMM2008 | Communications Research Methods [See note c above] | 30 |
| Modern Languages Stage 2 Compulsory Language Modules | ||
| MLF2001 | French Language, Written and Oral | 30 |
| MLF2152 | Intermediate French | 30 |
| MLG2001 | German Language, Written and Oral | 30 |
| MLG2052 | Intermediate German | 30 |
| MLI2001 | Italian Language, Written and Oral | 30 |
| MLI2051 | Italian Language | 30 |
| MLM2052 | Intermediate Chinese (One) | 30 |
| MLP2052 | Intermediate Portuguese | 30 |
| MLR2001 | Contemporary Russian Written and Oral I | 30 |
| MLR2030 | Intermediate Russian | 30 |
| MLS2001 | Spanish Language, Written and Oral | 30 |
| MLS2156 | Spanish Language (ex-beginners) | 30 |
Optional modules
e - Select 60 credits of Communications option modules (You may only choose one communications in the Workplace module)
f - Select 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Media and Communications Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note e above] | ||
| CMM2010 | Professional Writing | 30 |
| CMM2011 | History of Communications | 30 |
| CMM2012 | Communications and the Climate Crisis | 30 |
| CMM2013 | Introduction to Games Studies | 30 |
| EAF2505 | Spectacular Attractions: Cinema and Sensation | 30 |
| EAF2511 | Television: Times, Trends and Technologies | 30 |
| HUM2000 | Humanities in the Workplace | 30 |
| Chinese Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note f above] | ||
| HUM2005 | Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence | 15 |
| MLM2003 | Chinoiserie and Europeenerie: Artistic and cultural exchanges between China and Europe | 15 |
| MLM2008 | Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature | 15 |
| SML2246 | Intercultural Communication | 15 |
| SML2244 | Multilingualism in Society | 15 |
| French Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note f above] | ||
| MLF2012 | Evolution of the French Language | 15 |
| MLF2069 | East is East? Cross-Cultural Encounters in Medieval French Literature | 15 |
| MLF2076 | Subversive Texts: Baudelaire and Rachilde | 15 |
| HUM2005 | Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence | 15 |
| HIH2208A | Medieval Paris | 30 |
| MLF2070 | Violence and Virtue: Early Modern French Theatre | 15 |
| MLF2029 | Varieties of French | 15 |
| MLF2006 | French-language Road Movies: Space, Place and Identity | 15 |
| HIH2591 | Philip Augustus and the Making of France, 1180-1223 | 30 |
| SML2246 | Intercultural Communication | 15 |
| SML2244 | Multilingualism in Society | 15 |
| German Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note f above] | ||
| MLG2003 | Youth and Age: Generations in German Fiction and Film | 15 |
| MLG2018 | Berlin - Culture, History and Politics | 15 |
| MLG2019 | Gender, Race and Migration in 20th and 21st-century German Literature | 15 |
| SML2246 | Intercultural Communication | 15 |
| SML2244 | Multilingualism in Society | 15 |
| Italian Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note f above] | ||
| MLI2019 | Italian(s) in the World | 15 |
| HUM2005 | Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence | 15 |
| MLI2004 | From Page to Screen: The Italian Female Detective in Literature, Film, and Television | 15 |
| SML2246 | Intercultural Communication | 15 |
| SML2244 | Multilingualism in Society | 15 |
| Portuguese Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note f above] | ||
| SML2004 | Contemporary Latin American Cinema | 15 |
| SML2246 | Intercultural Communication | 15 |
| SML2244 | Multilingualism in Society | 15 |
| Russian Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note f above] | ||
| MLR2023 | A Russian Carnival of the Animals | 15 |
| MLR2026 | The Deceptive City: the Creation of St Petersburg in Russian Literature | 15 |
| MLR2021 | Understanding Russia | 15 |
| MLR2025 | Imperfect Murder: Reading Crime and Punishment | 15 |
| SML2246 | Intercultural Communication | 15 |
| SML2244 | Multilingualism in Society | 15 |
| Spanish Stage 2 Option Modules 2024-5 [See note f above] | ||
| MLS2044 | How to be a Knight: Political Lessons from 14th-Century Spain | 15 |
| MLS2072 | Place and Identity in Contemporary Venezuelan Culture | 15 |
| SML2004 | Contemporary Latin American Cinema | 15 |
| HIH2145A | Spain from Absolutism to Democracy | 30 |
| MLS2045 | Federico Garcia Lorca: Theatre and Poetry | 15 |
| MLS2061 | The Latin American Short Story | 15 |
| MLS2073 | Literary Non-Fiction in Argentina: When Writing Meets the Real | 15 |
| MLS2158 | "What is Love? And Do I Need It?" An Introduction to Spanish Renaissance Love Poetry | 15 |
| SML2246 | Intercultural Communication | 15 |
| SML2244 | Multilingualism in Society | 15 |
If you choose the with International Placement variant of this course, your placement will take place in Year 3.
120 credit compulsory placement module
Compulsory modules
g - You must take one of these modules.
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SML3010 | Work and Study Abroad [See note g above] | 120 |
| SML3020 | Study Abroad at a Partner University (with Assessment in the Foreign Language) [See note g above] | 120 |
| SML3025 | Internship Abroad Combined with Study at a Partner University Abroad [See note g above] | 120 |
In the final year, you may take a specialist Communications option or other options relating to Communications but drawn from a range of fields; you will also take either a Communications Dissertation or a Communications Practical Project.
30 credits of compulsory dissertation, 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language , 60 credits of optional modules, including 30 credits of Communications modules and 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language.
Compulsory modules
Subject to choosing 120 credits in the stage overall, you must:
h - Select a Dissertation in either Communications or Modern Languages: CMM3002 or CMM3003 or SML3030 (you cannot choose more than one module from this group).
i - Select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMM3002 | Communications: Dissertation [See note h above] | 30 |
| CMM3003 | Communications: Practical Research Project [See note h above] | 30 |
| SML3030 | Extended Dissertation [See note h above] | 30 |
| Modern Languages Final Stage Compulsory Language Modules [See note i above] | ||
| MLM3111 | Advanced Chinese Language Skills | 30 |
| MLF3111 | Advanced French Language Skills | 30 |
| MLG3111 | Advanced German Language Skills | 30 |
| MLI3111 | Advanced Italian Language Skills | 30 |
| MLP3111 | Advanced Portuguese Language Skills | 30 |
| MLR3111 | Advanced Russian Language Skills | 30 |
| MLS3111 | Advanced Spanish Language Skills | 30 |
Optional modules
j - Select 0 - 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language (depending on which dissertation chosen).
k - Select 30 - 60 credits of optional Communications modules (depending on which dissertation chosen).
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Media and Communications Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note j above] | ||
| CMM3004 | Social Media and Society | 30 |
| EAF3515 | Something to See: War and Visual Media | 30 |
| EAS3128 | Writing the Short Film | 30 |
| CMM3006 | Digital Inequalities | 30 |
| EAF3519 | Cinema in the Anthropocene | 30 |
| HUM3003A | Hacking the Humanities: How to Plan and Run Successful Digital Projects | 15 |
| CMM3005 | Gender, Sexuality and Media | 30 |
| EAF3106 | Female Screens: Representation, Agency and Authorship | 30 |
| EAF3521 | Film Audiences | 30 |
| Chinese Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note k above] | ||
| HUM3015 | The Place of Meaning: Gardens in Britain and China | 15 |
| SML3015 | Dissertation | 15 |
| SML3013 | Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind | 15 |
| SML3043 | Migration and Multilingualism | 15 |
| SML3041 | Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures | 15 |
| MLM3008 | Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature | 15 |
| SML3042 | Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration | 15 |
| SML3009 | Intercultural Communication in a Global World | 15 |
| HUM3002 | Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature | 15 |
| SML3030 | Extended Dissertation | 30 |
| French Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note k above] | ||
| SML3015 | Dissertation | 15 |
| SML3030 | Extended Dissertation | 30 |
| SML3013 | Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind | 15 |
| SML3043 | Migration and Multilingualism | 15 |
| SML3041 | Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures | 15 |
| MLF3034 | Sociolinguistics of French | 15 |
| MLF3079 | Sex, Subversion and Censorship: Libertine Literature in Seventeenth-Century France | 15 |
| MLF3007 | Multilingualism, Audiovisual Translation and Power in Cinema-monde | 15 |
| MLF3078 | Philosophers, Prophets, and Mystics in French Culture | 15 |
| MLF3046 | Dialectology in France | 15 |
| MLF3080 | Les Miserables from the Nineteenth Century to the Present Day | 15 |
| SML3042 | Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration | 15 |
| SML3044 | Migration in World Cinema | 15 |
| SML3009 | Intercultural Communication in a Global World | 15 |
| German Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note k above] | ||
| MLG3040 | Sex, Sciences and the Arts | 15 |
| SML3015 | Dissertation | 15 |
| SML3013 | Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind | 15 |
| SML3034 | Contemporary French Visual Culture | 15 |
| SML3041 | Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures | 15 |
| MLG3036 | Dictatorships on Display: History Exhibitions in Germany and Austria | 15 |
| SML3042 | Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration | 15 |
| SML3009 | Intercultural Communication in a Global World | 15 |
| SML3030 | Extended Dissertation | 30 |
| Italian Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note k above] | ||
| MLI3199 | Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend | 15 |
| SML3015 | Dissertation | 15 |
| SML3013 | Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind | 15 |
| SML3043 | Migration and Multilingualism | 15 |
| SML3041 | Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures | 15 |
| MLI3033 | Multicultural Italy | 15 |
| HUM3002 | Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature | 15 |
| SML3042 | Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration | 15 |
| SML3009 | Intercultural Communication in a Global World | 15 |
| SML3030 | Extended Dissertation | 30 |
| Portuguese Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note k above] | ||
| SML3013 | Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind | 15 |
| SML3015 | Dissertation | 15 |
| SML3043 | Migration and Multilingualism | 15 |
| SML3041 | Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures | 15 |
| SML3044 | Migration in World Cinema | 15 |
| SML3014 | Socialist Thought and Practice in Latin America and Africa | 15 |
| SML3042 | Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration | 15 |
| SML3009 | Intercultural Communication in a Global World | 15 |
| SML3030 | Extended Dissertation | 30 |
| Russian Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note k above] | ||
| MLR3026 | The Deceptive City: The Creation of St Petersburg in Russian Literature | 15 |
| MLR3123 | A Russian Carnival of the Animals | 15 |
| SML3015 | Dissertation | 15 |
| SML3013 | Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind | 15 |
| SML3043 | Migration and Multilingualism | 15 |
| SML3041 | Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures | 15 |
| MLR3021 | Women Writers in Twentieth - century Russian Literure | 30 |
| MLR3025 | Apocalypse/Utopia: The Russian Roots of Revolution | 15 |
| SML3009 | Intercultural Communication in a Global World | 15 |
| SML3042 | Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration | 15 |
| HUM3002 | Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature | 15 |
| SML3030 | Extended Dissertation | 30 |
| Spanish Final Stage Option Modules 2024-5 [See note k above] | ||
| MLS3037 | Women and Feminism in 20th Century Spain | 15 |
| MLS3057 | Cross Currents: Memory, Myth and Modernity in Latin America | 15 |
| MLS3071 | The Chilean Road to Socialism (1970-1973): What Happened and Why? Elements for a Debate | 15 |
| SML3015 | Dissertation | 15 |
| SML3013 | Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind | 15 |
| SML3043 | Migration and Multilingualism | 15 |
| SML3041 | Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures | 15 |
| MLS3072 | Unlawful Sex: Sexualities on Trial in Medieval Spain | 15 |
| SML3031 | Advanced Translation Skills | 15 |
| SML3009 | Intercultural Communication in a Global World | 15 |
| SML3014 | Socialist Thought and Practice in Latin America and Africa | 15 |
| SML3042 | Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration | 15 |
| SML3044 | Migration in World Cinema | 15 |
| HUM3002 | Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature | 15 |
| SML3030 | Extended Dissertation | 30 |
Course variants
International Placement (work or study)
Study/Work Abroad in Year 3
A pivotal part of all Modern Language programmes is the International Placement, either studying at one of our prestigious partner universities, teaching on a British Council placement, or working in other employment. By immersing yourself in the culture you study, you will not only enhance your language skills, but cultivate:
- strong intercultural understanding
- improved communication skills
- the ability to think and study in different ways
- resilience and confidence
- analytical skills and the ability to make cross-cultural comparisons
- adaptability, independence and valuable life experience
During your International Placement, you will still be registered as an Exeter student and therefore supported in several ways. You will retain your personal tutor and be expected to keep in contact with them. You will also have the support of the Exeter Global Opportunities team for advice on any matter.
You will need to decide how to spend your International Placement during the first half of the second year. We will help you in the process. During your first year you will be invited to an introductory presentation about your Year Abroad options. In your second year, there is an extensive orientation programme to help you prepare for your Year Abroad.
Ways to spend the International Placement (work or study)
- You must spend 6-15 months abroad, maximising the opportunities available to you
- You can work, study, or split the year on two or more placements
- Students going to China or Russia can currently only study (work abroad is not available)
- If you study Portuguese, the only options available are study or work abroad (not a British Council assistantship)
Study Abroad
Studying abroad offers a range of possibilities, with over 40 different partner universities worldwide available to Modern Languages students. This can provide you with the opportunity to experience a different academic environment with local and other international students broadening your knowledge of the language and culture you study.
Please note that Study Abroad placements at partner universities are subject to availability and the allocation of these places is competitive and based on first-year marks.
Work Abroad
Internships are very rewarding in that they can offer you valuable workplace experience. Placements can be sourced via our Global Opportunities webpages, but you can also source your own internship externally, though it must be approved by the Global Opportunities team.
Some of our students have spent their Year Abroad working in translation, tourism, marketing, fashion, commerce, journalism, heritage and many other sectors.
British Council English Language Assistantship
Becoming an English Language Assistant with the British Council is a brilliant opportunity to explore both the world of working and, more specifically, the idea of working as a teacher. An academic year is spent supporting teachers in a primary or secondary school in the country of the language you are studying.
Please note that these assistantships are organised by the British Council and placements are subject to their criteria and availability.
Does it count towards my degree?
Yes - the International Placement is an assessed year and the marks obtained count towards your final degree classification. If you begin a language in your first year at Exeter and intend to take that language in your final year, you must do your International Placement in that language. If you are a beginner and decide not to do an International Placement, you will be moved to Single Honours Comparative Literatures and Cultures for final year.
How does it affect my tuition fee and funding?
For your International Placement you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter – for more information visit our fees pages. You will also continue to receive any Student Finance support for which you are eligible. Other financial support may also be available for certain students.
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.
Learning and teaching
How will I learn?
The nature of learning at university involves considerable self-guided study and research. You will be taught through a combination of lectures and discussion-based seminars. We also support the development of team-based learning by organising students into study groups, and we make full use of both traditional learning resources and our virtual learning environment. Lecturers and tutors are all available to provide further support in one-to-one consultations.
Most of your work will be done in group and self-directed study: reading or viewing module material, writing essays or preparing for your seminars. Active participation in seminars develops important transferable skills such as good verbal and visual communication and effective interaction with other people. You will also develop a range of professional abilities, such as time management and team working, plus valuable critical, analytical and communication skills.
We are actively engaged in introducing new methods of learning and teaching, including the increasing use of interactive computer-based approaches to learning. Through our virtual learning environment, you can access detailed information about modules, and interact through activities such as discussion forums. You will also have access to online subscription databases and websites, such as Early English Books Online (EEBO), Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO), MLA FirstSearch and JSTOR.
Assessment
You will be assessed in a variety of ways but primarily through exams and coursework. Coursework includes essays, a dissertation and presentation work. The ratio of formal exam to coursework is on average 40:60.
Your first year doesn’t count towards your final degree classification, but you do have to pass it in order to progress.
Other/Extra-curricular opportunities
We provide an exciting range of special lectures and seminars by visiting academics and renowned writers, actors and film directors. In addition to your academic work, the student-run English Society organises book and poetry readings, film screenings and social events, providing an opportunity to meet students who share a love of literature, culture and the arts. Students from the English department are always active on the University student newspapers, radio and TV station and in the University’s drama groups.
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
Facilities
Students in the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum
We are exceptionally lucky to have some fantastic facilities and resources on the Streatham Campus.
Special Collections
We have Special Collections relating to writers such as Agatha Christie, Daphne du Maurier, and William Golding, and we integrate these into our teaching so students can share the excitement we have when discovering new insights from manuscripts, letters, and business papers.
The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum
Our unique film and popular culture resource, contains items going back hundreds of years. We regularly take students into its archives and think about the study of literature in relation to visual texts.
Digital Humanities Lab
Digital Humanities is increasingly important in all areas of humanities research, including history, archaeology, literatures and languages. This research space enables the examination, preservation and analysis of historical, literary and visual material. Facilities in the lab include:
- a flagship seminar room equipped with a 4.2-metre video wall, encouraging interactive engagement in a shared display space
- two state-of-the-art photography labs, including provision for the 2D digitisation of heritage material and primary sources
- an audio-visual lab with a recording studio and sound editing suite
- a MakerSpace equipped with 3D scanning and printing equipment
Your future
Professional experience
With practical modules on offer and opportunity to undertake professional placements, a degree in Communications and Modern Languages will give you plenty of opportunity to develop your professional portfolio which will give you the skills and experience needed to be successful in your chosen career.
Employer-valued skills this course develops
A Communications degree puts you in a great position to succeed in a range of careers. Oral and written communication is at the heart of our programme and you will learn to present your ideas in a variety of formats. You will also develop strong research and analytical skills and the ability to problem solve and make informed decisions. Through a balance of independent study and teamwork you will learn to manage your time and workload effectively.
Career paths
The programme will include module ‘Communications in the Workplace’, within which students will be encouraged to find work placements with providers in the communications and media sector, or projects which will enable them to carry out communication-related projects. In this module, students will undertake one or two work placements. The module will enable students to develop an understanding of how the skills and knowledge acquired as part of the degree apply to the workplace. Through reflexive practice, they will extend relevant work-based skills and knowledge. Students will have the opportunity to develop an understanding of a business or work environment through practical work and to gain experience in the use of technologies and applications commonly used in organisations.
Example careers
Graduates can expect to go on into roles in the following sectors:
- Advertising
- Digital Media
- Events Organisation
- Film-making
- International Relations
- Journalism
- Marketing
- Public Relations
- Research
- TV Production
