2025/26 Undergraduate Programme Catalogue

BA Modern Languages and International Relations (Italian) (For students entering from September 2024 onwards)

Programme overview

Programme code
BAML/IT&IR-R
UCAS code
Duration
4 Years
Method of Attendance
Full Time
Programme manager
Stephan Petzhold
Contact address
S.Petzold@leeds.ac.uk
Total credits
480
School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme
School of Languages, Cultures and Societies
Examination board through which the programme will be considered
Relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Groups
The programme will meet the QAA Benchmarks defined for Languages, Cultures and Societies outlined here: 

https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/sbs/sbs-languages-cultures-and-societies-23.pdf?sfvrsn=3c71a881_10

The programme will meet the QAA Benchmarks defined for Politics and International Relations outlined here:

https://www.qaa.ac.uk/the-quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements/subject-benchmark-statement-politics-and-international-relations

Entry requirements

Entry Requirements are available on the Course Search entry

Programme specification

The information on this page is accurate for students entering the programme from September 2024. For students who entered the programme before September 2024, you can find the details of your programme:

BA Modern Languages and International Relations (Italian)

The BA in Modern Languages and International Relations will give you the opportunity to understand how states interact and co-operate in an increasingly globalised and interdependent world. At the same time, you will develop the language skills and cultural competence that will enable you to engage with and understand the interaction between different peoples and societies.

Studying for a Joint Honours degree allows you to gain an in-depth knowledge of two subjects, through first-class teaching and including a period of residence abroad.

This particular programme offers you the chance to learn about how states interact with each other, as well as the impacts and contributions of organisations such as the UN. You will combine core modules on key topics such as security and the concepts, theories and research methods of international relations with a range of optional modules. You can explore topics that interest them, from the politics of aid to the complexities of Middle Eastern politics and the rise of extreme right parties in Europe. This will be complemented by the study of a cultural and linguistic context outside the United Kingdom. You will gain an additional perspective on the United Kingdom’s position on the world stage by both the academic study of another culture and by the experience of living and working/studying elsewhere. This will enrich your understanding of the global context.

Having begun your studies with anything from beginner to post-A-level competence in their language of choice, you will graduate with the ability to communicate and defend their views clearly in this language, either orally or in writing. In addition, you will have strong research and organisational skills and be confident working independently or in a team. You will also have a strong understanding of cultural diversity, allowing you to work effectively with people whose backgrounds differ from your own. In the third and final year, you undertake a dissertation on an in-depth and specialised topic with advice from tutors.

The programme gives you a diverse skillset, useful for career development in a broad range of fields and professions, including journalism, research, advocacy, the civil service, and roles in local and national government. Other language-based careers such as translating or interpreting or training in these, will also be open to you.

Year 1

(For students entering from September 2024 onwards)

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

At Level 1, students must study 120 credits. 

Students must take 100 credits across their two subjects. Students are required to take 40 credits in International Relations (IR) and 60 credits in Italian. Students may take the remaining 20 credits as discovery modules or as further options with Italian. 

Compulsory Modules

Students will be required to study the following compulsory modules: 

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
ITAL1025Exploring Italy: Introduction to Italian Culture and Society20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL1100Politics, Culture and Society20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
PIED1110Comparative Politics20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)PFP
PIED1511International Politics20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)PFP

Optional Modules

Route A

Students with prior knowledge of Italian (B1 of the CEFR or equivalent) will be required to study the following module:

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
ITAL1015Intermediate Italian (B1 of the CEFR)20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)PFP

Route B

Students with no prior knowledge of Italian will be required to study the following modules:

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
ITAL1030Beginners Italian (A1 of the CEFR)20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
ITAL1032Lower Intermediate Italian (A2+ of the CEFR)20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)PFP

Route A

Students with prior knowledge of Italian (taking ITAL1015) may take up to 20 credits of the following list of optional modules:

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
ITAL1034Art and Literature in Medieval and Renaissance Italy: An Introduction10Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
ITAL1040Italy from Fascism to the Present10Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Year 2

(For students entering from September 2024 onwards)

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

At Level 2, students must study 120 credits. Overall, students must take 100 credits across their two subjects. Students are required to take 40 credits in IR and a minimum of 40 credits in Italian.  

The remaining 20 credits may be taken as discovery modules or as further options with Italian.

Compulsory Modules

Students will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
PIED2501Theories of International Relations20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)PFP
PIED2559Global Security Challenges20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)PFP

Optional Modules

Route A 

Students who took ITAL1015 in Year 1 will be required to study the following module:

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
ITAL2028Advanced Italian (B2 of the CEFR)20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)PFP

Route B 

Students who took ITAL1030 and ITAL1032 in Year 1 will be required to study the following module: 

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
ITAL2027Upper Intermediate Italian (B1/B2 of the CEFR)20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)PFP

All students will be required to study a minimum of 20 credits and can study up to 40 credits from the following list of optional modules:  

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
FILM2202Screening Italy: Neorealist cinema to Netflix20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
ITAL2025Linguistic Variety in Modern Italy20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
ITAL2500Modern Italian Identities Across Cultures20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL2045From Inferno to the world. Reading Dante’s Divine Comedy in a global context20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

All students may study up to 20 credits from the following optional modules: 

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
MODL2001Linguists into Schools20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL2003Global Queer Politics and Cultures20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL2015Black Europe20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL2070Reception, Transmission and Translation: The Global Circulation of Literature20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL2075Global Environmental Humanities20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL2250Digital Communications Across Cultures20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Discovery Modules

All students may choose to take 20 credits of discovery modules.  

Year 3

(For students entering from September 2024 onwards)

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

Compulsory Modules

Students will be required to study the following compulsory modules

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
MODL9500LCS Year Abroad120Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)PFP

Year 4

(For students entering from September 2024 onwards)

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

At Level 3, students must study 120 credits. Students are required to take a minimum of 40 credits in Italian and 40 credits in IR. Overall, students must take 100 credits across their two subjects. The remaining 20 credits may be taken as discovery modules or as further options with Italian. 

All students must take 40 credits as a Final Year Project (FYP) module, which can be taken in - and count towards - either of their two subjects (EITHER IR OR Italian). 

Compulsory Modules

Students will be required to study the following compulsory module

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
ITAL3010Italian Language 320Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)PFP

Optional Modules

All students will be required to study ONE of the following Finale Year Project (FYP) modules:  

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
MODL3050Final Year Project40Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)PFP
PIED3750Dissertation40Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)PFP

Students who take their FYP in Italian (MODL3300/MODL3340/MODL3350) are required to take 40 credits and rom the following lists of optional modules (from EITHER Basket 1 OR Basket 2). Students can take only ONE module per Basket. 

Basket 1 

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
PIED3158British Foreign Policy20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PIED3342Gender and Security in Global Politics20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PIED3402American Foreign Policy20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
PIED3565Terrorism: Concepts, Debates, Cases20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PIED3810Video Games: Politics, Society and Culture20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Basket 2:

Climate Emergencies - 20 Credits

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
PIED3261Violence and Reconciliation in Africa20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PIED3325Europe in the World20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PIED3408Nuclear Weapons and Global Politics20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
PIED3650Global Political Economy20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Students who take their FYP in IR (PIED3750) are required to take a minimum of 20 credits and may take up to 40 credits from the following list of optional modules. 

Students who take their FYP in Italian (MODL3300/MODL3340/MODL3350) may take up to 20 credits from the following list of optional modules. 

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
ITAL3200‘Femminismi’. Theories and practices of gender in the Italian context20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
ITAL3400Made in Italy. Italian for Business20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

All students may choose to take 20 credits of the following optional modules: 

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
MODL3200Representing the Holocaust: Transgression and the Taboo20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MODL3410Contemporary World Literature20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL3600Material Cultures and Cultures of Consumption20Not running in 202526
MODL3610Adventures of the Imagination: Crime and the Fantastic Across Continents20Not running in 202526
MODL3620Decolonial Approaches20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MODL3630Social Movements across Cultures20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL3650Minoritised Languages, Dialects and Cultures from Past to Present20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL3800Linguists into Schools20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Discovery Modules

Students may choose to take 20 credits of discovery modules.  

Last updated: 21/07/2025 14:30:30

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team