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Undergraduate Study

BA History and Modern Languages - 2026 entry

Please note: The below is for 2026 entry. Click here for 2025 entry.
UCAS code VR10
Duration 4 years
Entry year 2026
Campus Streatham Campus
Discipline History
Contact
Typical offer

View full entry requirements

A-Level: ABB
IB: 32/655
BTEC: DDM

Contextual offers

A-Level: BBC
IB: 28/554
BTEC: DMM

Overview

  • Study international, economic, cultural and social history and many geographical areas including the Americas, parts of Asia, Britain and Europe
  • Develop strong skills in spoken and written language, analytical thought, and a deeper understanding of another culture and people
  • Option to spend your third year studying or working abroad in a country where you can develop your chosen language. Students studying beginners languages are required to study the 4-year “with International Placement” course.
  • Exeter is a city bursting with history and heritage that offers museums, art galleries and a wide range of historical architecture. The University Library has extensive historical holdings and collections
  • Get involved in activities outside class: language societies, tandem partnerships, liaison work in schools and the community such as our Languages in a Global World Festival – the only public festival dedicated to translation in the UK

View 2025 Entry

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Open Days

How to apply

International Placement

Contact

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

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We are 6th in the UK for research in History

Based on our GPA in REF 2021

Top 100 icon

Top 100 in world subject rankings for History

QS World University Subject Rankings 2025

Top 150 icon

Top 150 in world subject rankings for Modern Languages and Cultures

QS World University Subject Rankings 2025

An image of a globe on a stand, depicted through a line drawing, showcasing the continents and countries of the world.

Choose our 4 year course to spend a year abroad, studying at a partner university or in employment

Rosette icon

We are 6th in the UK for research in History

Based on our GPA in REF 2021

Top 100 icon

Top 100 in world subject rankings for History

QS World University Subject Rankings 2025

Top 150 icon

Top 150 in world subject rankings for Modern Languages and Cultures

QS World University Subject Rankings 2025

An image of a globe on a stand, depicted through a line drawing, showcasing the continents and countries of the world.

Choose our 4 year course to spend a year abroad, studying at a partner university or in employment

I decided to apply to Exeter as it offered a unique course combination that I couldn’t find at many other universities. I did Latin at GCSE and was torn between studying History and Ancient History so the option to study both was perfect for me!

I visited both the open day and offer holders’ day and really loved the green campus and felt welcomed by the friendly atmosphere. I would definitely recommend studying at Exeter; my course is so interesting and I especially like the wide range of module options I can choose from, I also take a French language module alongside my degree. All the lecturers in my department are lovely and have a great relationship with the students.

Read more from Grace

Grace

BA History and Ancient History

Course duration

Did you know that there are both 3-year and 4-year degree programmes in Modern Languages at Exeter?

There are significant benefits of choosing the 4-year with International Placement programme, particularly in enhancing your language proficiency.

Both the 4-year and 3-year programmes offer a comprehensive and in-depth study of modern languages and cultures. However, the 4-year degree includes a valuable international placement year, giving you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the language and culture of your chosen country while either studying or working.

We know that graduates who have studied the 4-year course with a year abroad have benefitted from a range of key skills that have been vital in shaping their early careers:

  • Enhanced language proficiency – Evidence shows that speaking your chosen language in the country where it is the main language helps improve proficiency significantly.
  • Cultural immersion – Spending time on an international placement will give you a deeper understanding of the nation’s cultures and broaden your appreciation of individuals from different backgrounds.
  • Personal and professional development – You will have the opportunity to independently build intercultural communication skills and experience a range of professional sectors. These are key skills highly valued by today’s employers.
  • Competitive edge – Our graduates have gone on to work for organisations across the globe, and they tell us that gaining skills and experiences while on the international placement is the most important factor when applying for jobs after graduating.

Please also note that, if you are starting a language from beginner level, you must take the 4-year programme to ensure you develop the necessary language skills. If you are studying languages post-A level, it is possible to choose the 3-year programme. You can apply to both the 3- and 4-year courses via UCAS.

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Entry requirements (typical offer)

Qualification Typical offer Required subjects
A-Level ABB Dependent on language level chosen (see below)
IB 32/655 Dependent on language level chosen (see below)
BTEC DDM Dependent on language level chosen (see below)
GCSE C or 4 English Language
Access to HE 24 L3 credits at Distinction Grade and 21 L3 credits at Merit Grade Dependent on language level chosen (see below), 12 L3 credits in a Modern Foreign Language subject area may also be required.
T-Level Distinction Dependent on language level chosen (see below), GCE A-Level in a Modern Foreign Language may also be required.
Contextual Offer
* Please note: The contextual offer shown is an example based on offers made to students starting in 2025, and is for guidance only. We will confirm the contextual offer for 2026 entry later this year.* Please note: The contextual offer shown is an example based on offers made to students starting in 2024, and is for guidance only. We will confirm the contextual offer for 2025 entry later this year.

A-Level: BBC
IB: 28/554
BTEC: DMM

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 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

Choosing a language

You may choose one language to study alongside History. Find out more about the languages we offer below

Check subject requirements for different language levels

It may be possible to study further languages to a lower level of proficiency than degree level in the Language Centre, subject to demand: this is arranged on registration at Exeter.

Completing your UCAS form

When completing your UCAS form you must indicate the language you want to study with us under ‘further details’ in the ‘choices’ section of the application form, using the below abbreviations.

French Fren
Chinese (Mandarin) Chin
German Germ
Italian Ital
Portuguese Port
Russian Russ
Spanish Span

For further information on completing your UCAS form, please visit the UCAS website.

 

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Course content

The History and Modern Languages degree programme is made up of compulsory (core) and optional modules, which are worth 15 or 30 credits each. Full-time undergraduate students need to complete modules worth a total of 120 credits each year.

Students studying beginners languages must take the 4-year “with International Placement” course.

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.

45 credits of compulsory History modules, 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language, 15 credits of optional History modules, and 30 credits of 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.

b - select HIH1421 Understanding Medieval and Early Modern History OR HIH1422 Understanding Modern History.

CodeModule Credits
HIH1137 Becoming a Historian: Core 15
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
HIH1421 Understanding Medieval and Early Modern History [See note b above]30
HIH1422 Understanding Modern History [See note b above]30

Optional modules

c - select 15 credits of Sources and Skills History modules.

d - 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 with the prefix SML. 

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.

CodeModule Credits
History Stage 1 Option modules 2025-6
HIH1598 The Medieval Inquisition 15
HIH1141 Plants and People in the long Eighteenth Century 15
HIH1142 Women, Gender and Education in Britain, c.1850-2000 15
HIH1143 Antisemitism and Assimilation: Images of Jews in the Modern World 15
HIH1002 Losing an Empire, Finding a Role: Britain Since 1945 15
HIH1042 Murder in Early Modern England 15
HIH1402 Britain, America and the Global Order, 1846-1946 15
HIH1411 From Wigan Pier to Piccadilly: Britain between the Wars 15
HIH1501 The Viking Phenomenon 15
HIH1505 The First Crusade 15
HIH1506 The First Day of the Somme 15
HIH1532 The History of Strategic Thinking 15
HIH1585 Ladies of the Night: Prostitution in the Victorian World 15
HIH1586 Early Modern Venice: Representations and Myths 15
HIH1596 The Good War? The United States in World War II 15
HIH1612 Renaissance Florence 1350-1550 15
HIH1043 The Collapse of Communism in Central-Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union 15
HIH1014 The Body in Eighteenth-Century Britain 15
HIH1057 The Opium War: the British Empire encounters the Middle Kingdom 15
HIH1063 Sex, Marx and Rock 'n' Roll: The Soviet 'Sixties', 1956-68 15
HIH1618 Body, Border, Partition: Understanding Violence in South Asia 15
Chinese Stage 1 Option Modules 2025-6 [See note d above]
PHL1010 Introduction to Asian Philosophy 15
MLM1014 Chinese Art and the Art of Living 15
SML1208 Language, Culture, International Relations 15
French Stage 1 Option Modules 2025-6 [See note d 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
MLF1105 An Introduction to French Thought 15
MLF1121 French Visual History 15
SML1208 Language, Culture, International Relations 15
German Stage 1 Option Modules 2025-6 [See note d above]
MLG1020 Made in Germany: the History and Culture of a Global Brand 15
SML1207 Introduction to Film 15
MLG1014 A Nation Remembers: Issues in German Cultural Memory 15
SML1208 Language, Culture, International Relations 15
Italian Stage 1 Option Modules 2025-6 [See note d above]
SML1207 Introduction to Film 15
MLI1016 Italy Inside Out: Popular Visual Narratives about Italy 15
MLI1121 A Thousand Faces: Cultures and History in 19th-Century Italy 15
SML1208 Language, Culture, International Relations 15
Portuguese Stage 1 Option Modules 2025-6 [See note d above]
MLP1002 Introduction to the Lusophone World 15
SML1207 Introduction to Film 15
SML1208 Language, Culture, International Relations 15
Russian Stage 1 Option Modules 2025-6 [See note d above]
MLR1006 An Emotional Experience: Russian Literature and the Expression of Feeling 15
SML1207 Introduction to Film 15
MLR1023 Russia: Empire and Identity 15
SML1208 Language, Culture, International Relations 15
Spanish Stage 1 Option Modules 2025-6 [See note d above]
MLS1064 An Introduction to the Hispanic World: Texts in Context 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

30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language, 60 credits of History option modules, and 30 credits of Modern Languages option modules.

Compulsory modules

e - select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.

CodeModule Credits
Modern Languages Stage 2 Compulsory Language Modules [See note e above]
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

Select 60 credits from a single History Route A, B, C or D . You must take HIH2237 Doing History in the Digital Age if you intend to select HIH3005 History Dissertation or HIH3006 Research Dissertation in the final stage).

History Route A
2 History option modules. Final year will be option modules including possibility of Modern Languages Dissertation

History Route B 
HIH2002 Uses of the Past + 1 other History option. Final year will be option modules including possibility of Modern Languages Dissertation

History Route C
HIH2237 Doing History in the Digital Age + 1 other History option. History Dissertation in final stage

History Route D
HIH2237 Doing History in the Digital Age + HIH2002 Uses of the Past. History Dissertation in final stage

f - 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 SML-coded modules.

CodeModule Credits
History CH Stage 2 Route A modules 2025-6 [History Route A]
HIH2011A Forgetting Fascism, Remembering Communism: Memory in Modern Europe 30
HIH2036A Albion's Fatal Tree: Capital Punishment in England, 1688-1965 30
HIH2037 American Frontiers: The West in U.S. History and Mythology 30
HIH2137A Inventing Modern Man: Constructions of Mind, Body and the Individual, 1400-1800 30
HIH2138A History of Development: Ideologies, Politics and Projects 30
HIH2145A Spain from Absolutism to Democracy 30
HIH2185A China in the World, 1500-1840 30
HIH2186A Deviants and Dissenters in Early Modern England 30
HIH2208A Medieval Paris 30
HIH2210A The Russian Empire, 1689-1917 30
HIH2218A Religion, Society and Culture in Tudor England 30
HIH2238 Slavery, Revolution, Independence: Saint-Domingue and Haiti, 1685-1838 30
HIH2241 Rise and Demise of Communism in Global Perspective 30
HIH2242 British Settler Colonialism and its Legacies 30
HIH2243 Britain and Ireland: Union, Conflict, and Independence, 1798-1949 30
HIH2588 Empire, Identity and Heritage in South-East Europe and the Middle East (1800-1950) 30
HIH2590 An Age of Iron? Europe in the Tenth Century 30
HIH2591 Philip Augustus and the Making of France, 1180-1223 30
History CH Stage 2 Route B modules 2025-6 [History Route B]
HIH2002 Uses of the Past 30
HIH2011A Forgetting Fascism, Remembering Communism: Memory in Modern Europe 30
HIH2037 American Frontiers: The West in U.S. History and Mythology 30
HIH2186A Deviants and Dissenters in Early Modern England 30
HIH2238 Slavery, Revolution, Independence: Saint-Domingue and Haiti, 1685-1838 30
HIH2588 Empire, Identity and Heritage in South-East Europe and the Middle East (1800-1950) 30
HIH2590 An Age of Iron? Europe in the Tenth Century 30
HIH2591 Philip Augustus and the Making of France, 1180-1223 30
History CH Stage 2 Route C modules 2025-6 [History Route C]
HIH2237 Doing History in the Digital Age 30
HIH2036A Albion's Fatal Tree: Capital Punishment in England, 1688-1965 30
HIH2137A Inventing Modern Man: Constructions of Mind, Body and the Individual, 1400-1800 30
HIH2145A Spain from Absolutism to Democracy 30
HIH2185A China in the World, 1500-1840 30
HIH2208A Medieval Paris 30
HIH2210A The Russian Empire, 1689-1917 30
HIH2218A Religion, Society and Culture in Tudor England 30
HIH2241 Rise and Demise of Communism in Global Perspective 30
HIH2242 British Settler Colonialism and its Legacies 30
HIH2243 Britain and Ireland: Union, Conflict, and Independence, 1798-1949 30
History CH Stage 2 Route D modules [History Route D]
HIH2002 Uses of the Past 30
HIH2237 Doing History in the Digital Age 30
Chinese Stage 2 Option Modules 2025-6 [see note f above]
MLM2003 Chinoiserie and Europeenerie: Artistic and cultural exchanges between China and Europe 15
MLM2008 Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature 15
SML2003 Research Skills in Languages and Cultures 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2247 Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence 15
French Stage 2 Option Modules 2025-6 [see note f above]
MLF2005 Classical myth in French and francophone cinema 15
MLF2012 Evolution of the French Language 15
MLF2056 Provoking Thoughts - French Literature and Philosophy from the Renaissance to the 20th Century 15
AHV2012 Revolutions: Art and Society in France, 1770-1848 30
MLF2006 French-language Road Movies: Space, Place and Identity 15
MLF2070 Violence and Virtue: Early Modern French Theatre 15
MLF2076 Subversive Texts: Baudelaire and Rachilde 15
SML2003 Research Skills in Languages and Cultures 15
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15
SML2247 Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence 15
German Stage 2 Option Modules 2025-6 [see note f above]
MLG2003 Youth and Age: Generations in German Fiction and Film 15
MLG2018 Berlin - Culture, History and Politics 15
SML2003 Research Skills in Languages and Cultures 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2247 Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence 15
Italian Stage 2 Option Modules 2025-6 [see note f above]
MLI2004 From Page to Screen: The Italian Female Detective in Literature, Film and Television 15
MLI2019 Italian(s) in the World 15
SML2003 Research Skills in Languages and Cultures 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2247 Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence 15
Portuguese Stage 2 Option Modules 2025-6 [see note f above]
SML2004 Contemporary Latin American Cinema 15
SML2003 Research Skills in Languages and Cultures 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2247 Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence 15
Russian Stage 2 Option Modules 2025-6 [see note f above]
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
SML2003 Research Skills in Languages and Cultures 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2247 Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence 15
Spanish Stage 2 Option Modules 2025-6 [see note f above]
MLS2044 How to be a Knight: Political Lessons from 14th-Century Spain 15
MLS2070 Catalonia Is Not Spain? Modern Catalan Culture in Context 15
MLS2073 Literary Non-Fiction in Argentina: When Writing Meets the Real 15
SML2004 Contemporary Latin American Cinema 15
MLS2045 Federico Garcia Lorca: Theatre and Poetry 15
MLS2061 The Latin American Short Story 15
MLS2160 Fiction in Post-War Spain: Voices of Conformity and Subversion 15
SML2003 Research Skills in Languages and Cultures 15
SML2244 Multilingualism in Society 15
SML2246 Intercultural Communication 15
SML2247 Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence 15

If you choose the with International Placement variant of this course, your placement will take place in Year 3.

120 credit compulsory module

Compulsory modules

g - You must take one of these modules.

CodeModule 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

30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language, 90 credits of optional modules (including 60 credits of History modules, and 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language).

Compulsory modules

h - select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.

CodeModule Credits
Modern Languages Final Stage Compulsory Language Modules [See note h 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

Route A or B taken in Stage 2 - Select 30 Credits of Modern Languages Options. Select a Special Subject (non-condonable)  for 60 credits.

Route C or D taken in stage 2 - You are encouraged to select Dissertation module HIH3005 or HIH3006.
Select 30 credits from the Concepts modules, or 30 credits outside of History.  Select 60 credits of Modern Languages Options options.

If choosing option modules outside of your named subjects, you must make sure that your total for both History and Modern Lanuages is 90 credits each over the second and final year. This is to insure you meet the requirements needed for the degree title.

CodeModule Credits
HIH3005 General Third-Year Dissertation 30
HIH3006 Research Project Dissertation 30
History Final Stage Concepts [History Concepts]
HIH3330 Truth 30
HIH3333 Disease 30
HIH3334 War 30
HIH3336 Revolution 30
HIH3331 Elites 30
HIH3455 Sexualities 30
HIH3335 Violence 30
History Final Stage Special Subjects 2025-6 [History Special Subjects]
HIH3415 Everyday Stalinism: Life in the Soviet Union, 1928-53 60
HIH3416 Critics of Empire 60
HIH3417 The Yes, Minister Files: Perspectives on British Government since 1914 60
HIH3418 The Russian Revolution 60
HIH3421 Magic in the Middle Ages 60
HIH3422 Street Protest and Social Movements in the Modern Era 60
HIH3423 The Holocaust and Nazi Occupation of Eastern Europe, 1939-1945 60
HIH3426 Health and its Politics in the 20th Century 60
HIH3430 From the Grand Tour to Gladiator: Modern encounters with the ancient world 60
HIH3431 The Population Problem: Conservation, Eugenics, and Food in the Twentieth Century 60
HIH3433 Beyond Cannibalism: Indigenous Peoples and the European Colonisation of Brazil, 1500-1822 60
HIH3434 The Body in Early Modern England 60
HIH3437 Death to the Traitors: Rebellion and Resisting Tyranny in the Middle Ages 60
HIH3441 Britons Abroad: The Experience of Travel, c. 1650-1900 60
HIH3446 The Celtic Frontier 60
HIH3450 Decolonisation and Colonial Conflict 60
HIH3452 Whiteness: A Global History 60
HIH3453 Violence or Non-Violence? Gandhi and Popular Movements in India, 1915-1950 60
HIH3454 Reformation and Resistance in an English Village: Earls Colne, 1550-1750 60
HIH3456 A New Jerusalem? Being Protestant in Post-Reformation England 60
Chinese Final Stage Option Modules 2025-6 [Modern Languages Options]
MLM3009 China through the Lens: Cultural Translation and Self-Presentation 15
SML3015 Dissertation 15
SML3052 The Place of Meaning: Gardens in Europe and Asia 15
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
MLM3008 Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
SML3043 Migration and Multilingualism 15
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30
French Final Stage Option Modules 2025-6 [Modern Languages Options]
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30
MLF3006 The Invention of Modern Love 15
MLF3007 Multilingualism, Audiovisual Translation and Power in Cinema-monde 15
MLF3075 First-Person Outsiders in Modern French Literature 15
MLF3079 Sex, Subversion and Censorship: Libertine Literature in Seventeenth-Century France 15
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
SML3015 Dissertation 15
MLF3046 Dialectology in France 15
MLF3078 Philosophers, Prophets and Mystics in French Culture 15
MLF3080 Les Miserables from the Nineteenth Century to the Present Day 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
SML3043 Migration and Multilingualism 15
SML3044 Migration in World Cinema 15
German Final Stage Option Modules 2025-6 [Modern Languages Options]
MLG3037 Coping with Catastrophe: German Culture, Literature and Politics in the Interwar Years 15
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
SML3015 Dissertation 15
MLG3036 Dictatorships on Display: History Exhibitions in Germany and Austria 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
SML3043 Migration and Multilingualism 15
SML3044 Migration in World Cinema 15
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30
Italian Final Stage Option Modules 2025-6 [Modern Languages Options]
AHV3002 Understanding Space in Renaissance Italy 15
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
SML3015 Dissertation 15
MLI3033 Multicultural Italy 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
SML3043 Migration and Multilingualism 15
SML3044 Migration in World Cinema 15
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30
Portuguese Final Stage Option Modules 2025-6 [Modern Languages Options]
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
SML3015 Dissertation 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
SML3043 Migration and Multilingualism 15
SML3044 Migration in World Cinema 15
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30
Russian Final Stage Option Modules 2025-6 [Modern Languages Options]
MLR3026 The Deceptive City: The Creation of St Petersburg in Russian Literature 15
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
SML3015 Dissertation 15
MLR3121 Understanding Russia 15
MLR3125 Imperfect Murder: Reading Crime and Punishment 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
SML3043 Migration and Multilingualism 15
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30
Spanish Final Stage Option Modules 2025-6 [Modern Languages Options]
MLS3071 The Chilean Road to Socialism (1970-1973): What Happened and Why? Elements for a Debate 15
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
SML3009 Intercultural Communication in a Global World 15
SML3015 Dissertation 15
MLS3072 Unlawful Sex: Sexualities on Trial in Medieval Spain 15
MLS3114 Sustainability in the Hispanic World 15
SML3031 Advanced Translation Skills 15
SML3041 Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures 15
SML3042 Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration 15
SML3043 Migration and Multilingualism 15
SML3044 Migration in World Cinema 15
SML3030 Extended Dissertation 30

Our languages

Combined Honours students can choose from one of the seven languages we offer at Exeter.

All languages are available at beginners level. French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish can be studied at advanced level.

In addition, there is also the possibility to take modules in an extra language through the Language Centre.

Fees

Please note: The fees for students starting in 2026 have yet to be set. The fees provided below are the fees for students starting in 2025 and are for guidance only. We will post the fees for 2026 entry shortly.

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 applying to study with us in the 2025/26 academic year, such as our Exeter 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?

Throughout the History programmes stress is laid on the need to analyse, discuss and deploy historical evidence in a variety of settings and not simply on the ability to memorise. You will learn through lectures, tutorials and seminars, with a growing emphasis at each successive level on student-led learning.

Our teaching within languages aims not just to improve your production and comprehension of the language but also to help you develop your language-learning skills. These will enable you to take responsibility for your language learning, to continue learning the language(s) after graduation and to pick up new languages in the future.

Modules

Modules are designed to encourage you to think about long-term developments and processes of historical change, and to make comparisons between countries and cultures. This helps you progress from the more tightly defined topics studied at A level. Modules are also designed to encourage you to think and write analytically about these broad subjects. They emphasise historical questions that require you to identify patterns across time, or between countries, and to isolate common or competing trends, instead of concentrating on short-term or single explanations.

Teaching hours

Written language is taught through weekly classes of about 18 students with teams of tutors who contribute to a programme aimed at grammar improvement and the development of advanced writing skills. You’ll also have weekly oral practice in classes of about eight with native speakers of the language(s) that you are studying. You’ll be expected to prepare written work or presentations for seminars, in which you’ll have the opportunity to express your own point of view and to discuss other people’s ideas.

Non-language modules are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and/or tutorials. Our teaching methods are chosen to encourage you to become an increasingly independent learner as you progress through the years.

Personal tutor

You'll have a personal tutor, as well as tutors in individual subjects and they will work with you to monitor your progress, as well as offering pastoral support and other help. You will have a chance to make your mark on the programmes through regular student evaluations and participation in the Student-Staff Liaison Committees and the student History Societies on both campuses.

Assessment

Modules are assessed by a combination of exams and coursework (essays, projects and other written and oral tasks). 

You will have to pass assessments in your first year to proceed to the second year, but they do not count towards your final degree classification. The assessments in the second year, year abroad and final year contribute to your final degree award.

Progression

You must pass your first-year assessment in order to progress to the second year, but the results do not count towards your degree classification. For three-year programmes, the assessments in the second and third years contribute to your final degree classification. For four-year programmes the assessments in the second, third and fourth years all contribute to your final degree classification.

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 specified subjects, you may have the words 'with proficiency in’ added to your degree title when you graduate.

Find out more about proficiency options

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Your future

Employer-valued skills this course develops

History graduates from the University of Exeter have an excellent reputation with graduate recruiters and compete very successfully in the employment market. Alongside in-depth subject knowledge you’ll develop highly transferable skills in researching; analysing and assessing sources; written and verbal communication; managing and interpreting information; developing ideas and arguments; teamwork; and problem solving.

Employer visits

We have a dedicated, award-winning Careers Service, with offices at our Exeter and Penryn campuses, ensuring you have access to careers advisors, mentors and the tools you need to succeed in finding employment in your chosen field on graduation. We offer the Exeter Award and the Exeter Leaders Award which include employability-related workshops, skills events, volunteering and employment which will contribute to your career decision-making skills and success in the employment market. Our graduates compete very successfully in the employment market, with many employers targeting the University when recruiting new graduates. For further information please visit our Careers Service.

Career paths

You will be equipped with skills that are attractive to employers and relevant for a wide range of careers, including graduate-level roles in the heritage and arts sectors as well as other fields of work, including education, retail management, recruitment, charities, finance and accounting, and journalism.

Example careers

  • Account Manager
  • Archivist
  • Business Analyst
  • Civil Servant
  • Digital Marketing and
  • Events Executive
  • Event Project Manager
  • Global Market
  • Researcher
  • Historian
  • Parliamentary Researcher
  • TV Researcher

Further study

A History degree may also lead to further study or research and recent graduates have progressed to postgraduate courses in:

  • MA History
  • MA English Literary Studies
  • Graduate Diploma in Law
  • MA Conflict, Security and Development
  • MSc International Management
  • PGCE

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