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Languages

MA, BSc, LLB

At Dundee you can study French, German or Spanish as part of many degree programmes, combining a language with your main degree subject.

You also have the opportunity to study a wide variety of other languages for your career or personal development, usually taken as evening classes.

Why
Teaching & Assessment
Careers
Entry Requirements
Your Application

Why study Languages at Dundee?

"Studying a foreign language is like having a key which will help you open many doors."
2nd year student studying German, and also French in the Languages for All Programme

The foreign languages programme offered by Language and Culture Studies (LCS) has two main strands:

Practical Languages (French, German, Spanish)
Languages for All (usually in the evening) including Arabic, French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Latin, Modern Greek, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish…

Practical Languages

Practical Languages offers you the opportunity of combining French, German or Spanish with your main degree subject/s.

Our flexible entry system means that you can continue your study post-Higher or post-A-Level in French/German/Spanish. You can also start to study your chosen language as a complete beginner or near-beginner, in French/Spanish. German as a complete beginner can be taken as an evening class (20 credits per year).

In each of the first two years of your degree, in Levels 1 and 2, you can usually take two 20-credit modules in the relevant language, along with the other subjects you are studying. You may also be able to choose to continue your study of a language in Levels 3 and 4, whilst studying for single or joint Honours in your main subject(s). (Refer to individual subject webpages for more information.)

"Language skills are an essential part of life in a modern Britain ... an invaluable skill in our "global village". Viewed as an asset to any employer, fluency in another language can boost one's career potential, and be an invaluable attribute to any company or firm.
Gillian Smyth - graduated in Law and Spanish, 2010.

Erasmus Exchanges

In Level 3, there are opportunities to take part in Erasmus exchanges either for a semester or a year to universities in France, Germany or Spain or other countries depending on your degree choice.

An Erasmus exchange is a great way to gain independence and you will learn a lot about yourself as a person. Moving away from home for university is a challenge, but integrating yourself into another culture is more difficult and more rewarding. It will look great on a CV and you will gain so many new friends, from all around the world.
Callum Miller, studying Scots Law with French

Read the blogs of some of our study abroad students »

Languages For All

Languages for All offers you the opportunity of taking a language as an optional extra or in some cases as a certificated course in French/German/Spanish for which you can obtain 20 credits towards your degree.

These classes are fee-paying (unless they are an integral part of your degree in French/German/Spanish) and usually run in the evening depending on demand. Funding may be available from ILA Scotland.

Social Events

Language and Culture Studies provide various opportunities for you to improve your language skills:

Meet native speakers of French, German and Spanish at regular social events
Weekly showings throughout the year of recent foreign language films at our free Film Club

Degree Combinations

MA Honours degrees with French, German or Spanish

BSc Honours degree with French, German or Spanish

International Business

LLB Honours degrees with French, German or Spanish

Teaching & Assessment

This degree course is taught by the Communication and Language Studies team based in the School of Humanities.

How you will be taught

Our teaching methods are interactive and student-centred. All our courses aim to increase your linguistic competence and equip you with valuable oral and written skills which boost your cv and your professional profile, such as presentations, accessing foreign source materials, correspondence and creative writing, summarising/reporting, debating, interpreting and translating.

Our courses are interdisciplinary by nature and developing personal transferable skills is integral. We focus on developing your intercultural awareness by exploring contemporary European media, cinema, literature, and current social and political issues.

Staff profiles »

What you will study - MA with a language

Honours Degree

An honours degree normally takes four years, full time, you study levels 1-4, as described below.

Advanced Entry Honours Degree

It is possible to study for most of our honours degrees in three years if you have the required grades and subjects as listed in the Entry Requirements section. You study levels 2-4 below. There are definite advantages to considering this route as the time needed to study is reduced by one year which enables you to start working and earning earlier.

Typical Degree Programme

Visit the MA overview page for general information on our MA degree programme.

Level 1

Practical Languages 1 or Intensive 1 (2 modules)
plus 4 other modules

Level 2

Practical Languages 2 or Intensive 2 (2 modules)
plus 4 other modules

Level 3

Practical Languages 3
plus 3 other modules in main subject/s

Level 4

Practical Languages 4
plus 3 other modules in main subject/s

To learn more about the modules that are typically offered, please download our MA degree booklet or view the MA booklet online .

What you will study - LLB (Law with a language)

Honours Degree

An honours degree normally takes four years, full time, you study levels 1-4, as described below.

Please also refer to the undergraduate Law webpage.

Level 1 (120 Credits)

Scots Law Stream

Scots Law of Contract (20/1)*
Scots Law of Delict (20/1)*
Constitutional Law (20/1)*

Both Streams - Students undertaking both Scots and English law.

Practical Language 1 (40/1)*
Legal Method & Systems (20/1)*
Constitutional Law (20/1)*

English Law Stream

English Law of Contract (20/1)*
English Law of Tort (20/1)*
English Criminal Law (20/1)*

Level 2 (120 Credits)

Scots Law Stream

Family Law (20/2)+
Mercantile Law (20/2)+
Scottish Property Law (20/2)+
Evidence (10/2)+
Revenue (10/1)+

Both Streams - Students undertaking both Scots and English law.

Practical Language 2 (40/2)*
Administrative Law (20/2)*

English Law Stream

English Law of Equity and Trusts (20/2)~
English Law of Property (20/2)~
Evidence (10/2)#
Level 2 subject (20/2)

Level 3 (120 Credits)

A choice of 4 subjects (4 x 30 credits). Courses on Erasmus exchange equivalent to 120 credits.

Commercial Contracts
Consumer Protection
Conveyancing Practice
Criminal Justice
Critical Legal Theory
Employment Law
English Law of Obligations †
English Criminal Law & Process †
European Law and Institutions
Family, Law and Society
International Human Rights Law
International Private Law
Introduction to Legal History
Penology
Planning Law
Public International Law - International Conflict
Reparation
Roman Law
Scots Professional Practice (compulsory for those wanting to qualify in Scotland)

Level 4 (120 Credits)

A choice of 2 subjects (2 x 30 credits) and Dissertation (60 credits)

Company Law
Comparative Charity Law
English Law of Trusts and Land †
Environmental Law
Gender and the Law
Human Rights
Intellectual Property Law
International Criminal Law
Public International Law - Marine Resources
Medicine and the Law
Nationality and Immigration Law

Key

* Compulsory: all other modules can be in another discipline up to 120 credits total (80 in one year)
+ Scots professional subjects
~ English and NI professional subjects
# NI professional subjects
† Compulsory for dual qualifying degree

What you will study - Psychology with a language

Honours Degree

An honours degree normally takes four years, full time, you study levels 1-4, as described below.

Advanced Entry Honours Degree

It is possible to study for most of our honours degrees in three years if you have the required grades and subjects as listed in the Entry Requirements section. You study levels 2-4 below. There are definite advantages to considering this route as the time needed to study is reduced by one year which enables you to start working and earning earlier.

Typical Degree Programme

Visit the MA overview page for general information on our MA degree programme, and the BSc overview page for information on the BSc degree programme.

Please also refer to the undergraduate Psychology webpage.

Level 1

Practical Languages 1 (2 modules)
plus 5 other modules in psychology

Level 2

Practical Languages 2 (2 modules)
plus 5-6 other modules in psychology

Level 3

Practical Languages 3 (1x15-credit module)
plus 4 other modules in psychology

Level 4

Practical Languages 4 (1x15-credit module)
plus 2 modules and dissertation in psychology

How you will be assessed

In the first semester at Levels 1 & 2 assessments represent 100% of your module marks and at least 50% at Levels 3 and 4. Assessments and exams are mainly based on real-life social and professional communicative situations.

Careers

Employment opportunities for graduates with language experience are varied. Our graduates have gone into careers in international law, diplomacy, business and commerce, teaching, tourism, publishing, and European and international research, to name just a few areas.

Matthew Piller graduated in 2010 with MA (Hons) Geography with German. He says: "Since graduating, I have found German to be an invaluable tool in finding a job and I have subsequently been hired by American Express, who required German-speakers for a number of vacancies. I am now really glad that I took a language, as it has given me such a head start in the job market."

Anna Maria Chojnacka, from Poland, graduated in 2010 with an MA (Hons) in European Studies. She took German alongside her main degree subject and says: "It was of great significance for me to be able to continue learning German at the University of Dundee. As a result I was not only given an opportunity to attend regular German classes but, more importantly, to improve my language skills during the Erasmus exchange at the University of Freiburg, Germany. I believe the ability to speak German, my third language next to Polish and English, is of great advantage, as I can pursue further studies in any German speaking country."

Anne Hampel from Germany took Spanish alongside her MA in European Studies and is now working for an international fundraising organisation. She says: "Languages were very important during my degree course: Spanish prepared me for a year of studying abroad and helped me understand the Spanish culture and the cultural differences between Spain, Britain and Germany. It is certainly an advantage to be able learn a new language while studying a language-related course like politics and European Studies. In that context I cannot rate the Erasmus year high enough!

"Even though it was very tough at times to take lessons and sit exams in Spanish, the insight into another culture, into another people's way of thinking, the people one meets and the friends one makes make up for this a thousand times. For me it really did broaden my horizon, improve my language skills and help me understand and value the different opinions and views on the EU that exist around Europe."

Entry Requirements

For information on entry requirements, please refer to the individual course pages:

MA Honours degrees with French, German or Spanish

BSc Honours degree with French, German or Spanish

International Business

LLB Honours degrees with French, German or Spanish

Your Application

All applications must be made through UCAS

UCAS Application Process

International Applicants

We have information specifically for international applicants on our International website:

Your Home Country - including information about qualifications from individual countries
Fees and Funding
English Language Requirements
International Student Support

Advanced Entry Honours Degree

It is possible to study for all our Honours degree programmes with Languages in 3 years (with the exception of Law) if you have the required grades and subjects as listed in the Entry Requirements section. There are definite advantages to considering this route as the time needed to study is reduced by one year which enables you to start working and earning earlier.

Any questions?

If you have any further questions about the application process, please contact:

Home / EU applicants

Undergraduate Admissions
Admissions & Student Recruitment
University of Dundee
Nethergate
Dundee
DD1 4HN
Scotland

Telephone: 01382 388074/ 388585/ 384370 (from the UK)
Telephone: +44 1382 01382 388074/ 388585/ 384370 (from outside the UK)

Email: ContactUs@dundee.ac.uk

International applicants

International Office
Admissions & Student Recruitment
University of Dundee
Nethergate
Dundee
DD1 4HN
Scotland

Telephone: 01382 388 111 (from the UK)
Telephone: +44 1382 388 111 (from outside the UK)

Email: ContactUs@dundee.ac.uk