BA MODERN LANGUAGES WITH MANAGEMENT STUDIES

Prepare to excel in business on a global stage by combining language studies with a management course. You’ll learn to speak, understand, and write with precision. At the same time you’ll develop the skills needed to engage in debates and convincingly support your opinions. You’ll become fluent not only in your chosen language, but also in the societies and cultures where those languages are spoken. Meanwhile, you’ll develop your understanding of global business and discover the essentials of business, marketing, and intercultural communication. By the end of your degree you will be able to demonstrate critical thinking, sophisticated expression, and independence in your chosen language, and will know how to make sound business decisions. This degree combination opens up excellent opportunities in any sector with global interests and multilingual workforces. 

The year abroad is a compulsory element of our four-year language degrees. 

You’ll enhance your studies and boost your employability by studying or working abroad. This will be an opportunity to develop intercultural awareness, resourcefulness and flexibility along with your language skills. It’s also a great way to demonstrate your resilience, confidence, and ability to thrive in an international setting to future employers 

If you’re studying French or Spanish, you’ll have the option of taking up a teaching assistantship in Europe or a work placement, or of studying at one of our many partner universities. If you’re studying Japanese you’ll spend your time abroad studying at one of our Japanese partner universities. 

If you are a double honours student taking two of French, Spanish or Japanese from A level, you will normally split the year between two countries where those languages are spoken. 

If you are a double honours student taking one of your degree languages from below A level, you will normally spend your entire year abroad in the country of the weaker language. It is strongly recommended that you follow at least some modules in the stronger language in your university placement and/or spend the summer working or studying in the country of the other language. We can provide support and advice on this. 

About

As well as developing your language competence, you’ll explore the theory and practice of business management, and the role of language and translation in today’s global communication networks. 

The language-learning element of your degree will involve translation from and to English, reading and listening comprehension, précis and paraphrase work, the study of different styles and registers, lexical exercises, and oral work. At the same time, you’ll also develop your business acumen by undertaking modules that will give you a solid foundation in business management. Later in your degree, you will have the chance to specialise in marketing, business ethics, or intercultural communication. 

Since presentation skills are vital in the contemporary work environment, you’ll focus on vocal and physical projection, developing poise and managing nerves. You’ll also practise speaking from notes, improvisation, and structuring arguments coherently. 

In all of these activities, you’ll use contemporary rather than literary or historical materials. 

You’ll also have the opportunity to take a third language as a non-credit module with certification. Depending on availability, you’ll be able to choose from Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Spanish, Russian and Advanced English.

Placement Year and Study Abroad

The year abroad is a compulsory element of our four-year language degrees. 

You’ll enhance your studies and boost your employability by studying or working abroad in one or two destinations. This will be an opportunity to develop intercultural awareness, resourcefulness and flexibility along with your language skills. 

If you’re studying French or Spanish, you’ll have the option of taking up a teaching assistantship in Europe or a work placement, of doing voluntary work in an NGO, or of studying at one of our many partner universities. If you’re studying French, you’ll also have the opportunity to apply to attend the prestigious Faculté de Traduction et d’Interprétation in Geneva or the Institut de Management et de Communication Interculturels (ISIT) in Paris. 

If you’re studying Japanese, you’ll spend your time abroad studying at one of our Japanese partner universities. 

For further details, visit the Study Abroad section of our website. 

After the Course

You’ll graduate prepared for a whole host of career sectors, both in the UK and abroad. These include tourism, hospitality and leisure, human resources, marketing, sales, business, international banking, media, the civil service, local government and administration, teaching and education, translation and interpretation, international trade and business, journalism, arts administration, customer services, and personal services such as childcare. 

Alternatively, you could continue your studies with a Master’s degree such as our MA in Global Intercultural Communication, MA in Applied Translation Studies, or perhaps an MBA. Our Careers Service run an annual Arts and Humanities events programme. This includes alumni-led presentations and workshops across a range of sectors, including charities, politics and government, writing and communications, and museums and heritage. You’ll also benefit from our annual Careers Using Languages Fair, where we showcase the range of opportunities available to you. This is a great chance to meet employers and to hear alumni speak about their career paths since graduating. 

Career destinations

Examples of careers you could enter include: 

• Sales and marketing 

• Business and finance 

• Information technology and telecommunications 

• Media 

• Teaching and education 

• Translation and interpreting