BA (Hons) Modern Language with a Foundation Year
Key Details
- Award
- Degree of Bachelor of Arts
- UCAS Course Code
- T90F
- Typical Offer
- CCC
- Contextual Offer
- CDD
- Course Length
- 4 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2027
Other Course Options
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5th
UEA is ranked 5th overall for research quality in Area Studies
Times Higher Education REF 2021 Analysis96%
Of final year Languages students at UEA were satisfied with the course
National Student Survey 2022Course Overview
Why BA Modern Language with a Foundation Year at UEA?
Study UEA Modern Languages to develop advanced language levels in French, Spanish and/or Japanese, translation, and intercultural skills. Work with exciting and contemporary materials and state-of-the-art technology.
Why choose UEA?
- Prepare for Future: Experience language learning at UEA, alongside developing essential critical thinking and study skills, so you’ll thrive on your degree
- Global Fluency: Make the most of a wide range of language learning opportunities, while learning from experts in language, translation and global communication
- Learn with Care: Receive personalised guidance and well being support from lecturers who have won awards for their advocacy and pastoral care
What is BA Modern Language with a Foundation Year?
The foundation year gives you a strong base to develop essential language and study skills. By setting your own goals, you’ll gain the confidence to succeed in your favourite degree, while you curate your learning from the start.
You can pursue your own language interests as part of your modules as well as outside of the classroom. Develop your communication skills with our in-house language lab or get involved with one of the language-based activities.
Spend an exciting year of study at one of the leading Arts and Humanities Foundation programmes in the UK. Get ready for your desired degree in a supportive, interdisciplinary environment, while shaping your own journey.
Careers
Career Pathways
After graduating from our BA Modern Language with a Foundation Year degree or a similar Arts and Humanities discipline, here are a selection of the roles you could progress onto as you launch your career:
- Translator or Interpreter: Linguistic precision and the ability to convey meaning across languages, skills you’ll develop during your degree are all essential for these roles
- Marketing Manager: Combine your creativity and linguistic skills to create cross-language campaigns for a range of organisations
- Communications Officer: Multilingual graduates in NGOs, government or business environments are well-placed to provide cultural competency to companies’ communications
- Reporter: Write, research, and report stories for a variety of media outlets both at home and abroad
- Teacher: With your excellent communication skills and cultural knowledge, you’ll be ideally placed to teach in a range of educational settings
Career Support
Your journey towards your ideal future career starts with your foundation year. We’ll help you identify how your passions, knowledge and skills can meet to create real career possibilities. Networking opportunities, personalised one-to-one appointments and career-focused workshops at UEA will help you.
Throughout your degree you'll be supported by UEA’s Careers Central, with a wide range of resources to help you to shape your profile for success after university. They offer guidance on CV writing, applications, internships, and professional development.
Discover more on our Careers webpages.
After the Course
After successfully completing the foundation year, progression onto the BA Modern Language degree, majoring in Spanish, French or Japanese, will be subject to satisfactory previous language learning experience (usually GCSE or equivalent in a language) and an interview with a language lecturer. If no previous language ability can be demonstrated, applicants wishing to progress to a language degree will be expected to take language modules during their foundation year and achieve a minimum of 50%.
Alternatively, you can request to transfer onto any other undergraduate course within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. This may be subject to taking certain required prerequisite modules. In the case of BA degrees with Creative Writing, you’ll need to submit your writing sample. It should be approved by the creative writing team. An academic adviser will offer you support and guidance through this process.
Study and Modules
Structure
During your foundation year, you’ll study a mixture of compulsory and optional modules. This enables you to tailor your studies to your interests. And it ensures you’ll develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to achieve your full potential during the rest of your degree.
Our core modules provide you with an academic toolkit. You’ll hone your essential critical thinking and skills of analysis, so you’ll thrive on your future degree. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to discover a range of academic approaches and methodologies. Together with your lecturers and peers, you’ll explore important theories and ideas in the humanities. You’ll learn how they relate to their political, social, historical and cultural contexts. For example, you might study ideology and myth, post-colonialism, gender and sexuality, or power. We’ll also provide you with the space to practice essential skills to give you confidence to progress with your studies. For example, you’ll learn how to research, write, and properly reference your assignments, as well as how to make the most out of the amazing study and support resources that UEA has to offer.
There are a range of Language options for you to choose from throughout your foundation year. Alternatively, you can opt to take a module focusing on Literature, History, Visual Cultures or Politics. By combining different disciplines, you’ll be able to investigate key areas of study, while gaining a wider interdisciplinary perspective. Develop your knowledge and skills or try something new!
For information on subsequent years, please see the full BA Modern Language course.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Optional B Modules
(Min Credits: 20, Max Credits: 40)Optional C Modules
(Min Credits: 20, Max Credits: 40)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning, and Assessment
Teaching and Learning
We’ll provide a supportive and rewarding learning environment. You’ll study with dedicated lecturers from UEA’s Interdisciplinary Institute for Humanities alongside colleagues with expertise in Languages and Communication. Together, they’ll help you shallow out the curve between your previous learning experiences and your future degree programme. A variety of methods will be used in teaching, and different study tasks are presented so that you’ll be prepared for different types of learning and teaching.
As you attend seminars, workshops, and interactive sessions, you’ll develop research and study skills. Your research and writing skills improve as you learn to critically evaluate scholarly arguments, alongside developing your language knowledge. Your foundation year will be taught by award-winning lecturers who are specialists in their fields. Our teaching is based on the latest research in the field. It is delivered through innovative and engaging teaching methods.
During this intensive course, you’ll have hours of independent work between your classes. We’ll help you to make the most of the resources and facilities available to you at UEA. We’ll support you as you develop your ability to study independently, cultivating skills that will be of great benefit in your degree, and your later career.
Assessment
During your Modern Language Foundation Year, you’ll be assessed in a variety of ways. This might include essays, posters, reflective work and a range of language tests. This will allow you to explore different learning styles and become familiar with the format and expectations of degree-level assessment.
We use innovative methods to enable you to learn from your peers as well as from teaching staff. This will help you to build confidence in your abilities and develop into a more independent learner. You’ll receive feedback, allowing you to continue to develop, hone and improve all aspects of your written and language-based work over the year.
You’ll also benefit from the support of one of the course lecturers as an adviser. You’ll attend individual tutorials to ensure you’re progressing well and are achieving your full potential.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK fee-paying students only. The entry point is in September each year.
We welcome and value a wide range of qualifications, and we recognise that some students might take a mixture of different qualifications. We have listed typical examples that we accept for entry.
You should hold or be working towards the specified English and Mathematics requirements and one of the examples of typical entry qualifications listed below. If your qualifications aren’t listed, or if you are taking a combination of qualifications that isn’t specified, please contact Admissions.
- Language Entry Levels
You can start this course from beginner's level, from post-GCSE level or equivalent, as well as from A-Level or equivalent - the course is tailored to meet your level.
- Native and Near-native Speakers
Native or near-native speakers can also apply for the French and/or Spanish degree programmes, but please note that the programme followed will be different from the one advertised. It is not possible to undertake a Japanese degree if you are a native or near-native speaker of Japanese.
- English and Mathematics
All applicants must hold or be working towards GCSEs in English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade C or grade 4.
In place of Mathematics GCSE we can also consider Functional Skills Level 2 Mathematics.
We accept a wide range of English Language qualifications, please see our English Language equivalencies(opens in a new window) page.
- Contextual Offers
UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of their background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes(opens in a new window).
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
A Levels
CCC
Contextual offer: CDD
BTEC
Level 3 Extended Diploma: MMM
Contextual offer: MMP
Access to HE Diploma
Access to Humanities & Social Sciences pathway. Pass the Access to HE Diploma with 45 credits at Level 3.
T Levels
Obtain an overall Pass
- Further Examples of Typical Entry Requirements
We welcome applications from students with non-traditional academic backgrounds. If you have been out of study for the last three years and you do not have the entry grades for our three year degree, we will consider your educational and employment history, along with your personal statement and reference to gain a holistic view of your suitability for the course. You will still need to meet our GCSE English Language and Mathematics requirements.
International Baccalaureate
28 points overall
Irish Leaving Certificate
6 subjects at H4
Scottish Highers
BBCCC
A combination of Advanced Highers and Highers may be acceptable
Scottish Advanced Highers
DDD
A combination of Advanced Highers and Highers may be acceptable
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in all components)
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies(opens in a new window) for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
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- Deferred Entry
We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all undergraduate applicants.
- Progression
Once enrolled onto a course at UEA, your progression and continuation (which may include eligibility for study abroad, overseas experience, placement, or year in industry opportunities) is contingent on meeting the assessment requirements which are relevant to the course on which you are enrolled.
Progression from a Foundation Year may also be dependent on meeting the prerequisite module requirements of the course you wish to progress to. Please note subsequent changes to study or course can affect your tuition fee liability and the amount you are required to pay
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Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2027/28 are:
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UK Students: £10,050
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International Students: £24,250
We estimate living expenses at £1,171 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here(opens in a new window).
Scholarships and Bursaries
We are committed to ensuring that costs do not act as a barrier to those aspiring to come to a world leading university and have developed a funding package to reward those with excellent qualifications and assist those from lower income backgrounds. View our range of Scholarships(opens in a new window) for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
UCAS Hub is a secure online application system that allows you to apply for full-time undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the United Kingdom.
Your application does not have to be completed all at once. Register or sign in to UCAS to get started.
Once you submit your completed application, UCAS will process it and send it to your chosen universities and colleges.
The Institution code for the University of East Anglia is E14.
View our guide to applying through UCAS for useful tips, key dates and further information: