BA Modern Languages and Politics (Spanish)

Programme overview

Entry requirements

Entry Requirements are available on the Course Search entry

Programme specification

The BA in Modern Languages and Politics will give you the opportunity to explore the political ideas and questions that shape our globalised world. At the same time, you will develop the language skills and cultural competence that will enable you to engage with and understand other 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.

The programme offers you a broad grounding in the academic study of politics, both domestically and globally. You will also be provided with conceptual and methodological tools to enable you to critically analyse political events and phenomena. The programme provides you with a solid grounding in the core areas of political studies, including political theory, comparative politics, international politics and British politics. In addition, you are given the opportunity to pursue more specialist modules on a broad range of crucial topics including, but not limited to: the media and democratic politics, gender, race and culture, the far right, British political parties, human rights, foreign policy, contemporary political theory, national identity, African politics, US politics and Chinese politics.

Having begun your studies with anything from beginner to post-A-level competence in, your language of choice, you will graduate with the ability to communicate and defend your 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.

You will also have the opportunity to pursue study in the wider set of courses offered in your schools, including within development studies and international relations. 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. What is more, this programme will help you to become a better citizen, equipping you with the skills and confidence required to successfully navigate the increasingly challenging political landscape we face.

Year 1

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
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At Level 1, students must study 120 credits. Students are required to take 40 credits in Politics and a minimum of 40 credits in Spanish as well as the cornerstone module MODL1100.

Students on Route A may take any remaining 20 credits as discovery modules or as further options with Spanish.

Compulsory Modules

Students will be required to study the following compulsory modules 

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
MODL1100	Politics, Culture and Society	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
PIED1110	Comparative Politics	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)	PFP
PIED1601	Freedom, Power and Resistance: An Introduction to Political Ideas	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)	PFP

Optional Modules

Route A

Students with prior knowledge of Spanish (B1 of the CEFR, usually an A-level in Spanish)) will be required to study the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO1260	Upper Intermediate Spanish (B2)	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP
SPPO1420	Researching Spanish and Latin American Studies	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Route B

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

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO1250	Beginners Spanish (A1)	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)	PFP
SPPO1255	Pre-intermediate Spanish (A2)	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
SPPO1410	Researching Spanish and Latin American Studies	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Route A

Students with prior knowledge of Spanish (SPPO1260) may take up to 20 credits of the following optional modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO1045	The Historical Development of Spain and Hispanic America	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO1145	Catalan Language and Culture I	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO1160	Introduction to the Cultural Production of Spain and Spanish America	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO1230	Beginners Portuguese (A1)	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Discovery Modules

Route A
Students with prior knowledge of Spanish (taking SPPO1260) may study up to 20 credits of discovery modules.

Year 2

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
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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 Politics and a minimum of 60 credits in Spanish.  

Optional Modules

Route A 

Students who took SPPO1010/SPPO1260 in year 1 will be required to study the following module:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO2010	Practical Language Skills in Spanish 2	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP

Route B 

Students who took SPPO1091/SPPO1255 and SPPO1093/SPPO1250 in year 1 will be required to study the following modules: 

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO2215	Politics and Social Issues in the Contemporary Spanish-speaking World	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO2220	Spanish Language Skills B1/B2	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP

Route A
Students taking SPPO2010 are required to study a minimum of 20 credits and may study up to 60 credits of the following optional modules:

Route B
Students taking SPPO2220 and SPPO2215 may study up to 40 credits from the following list of optional modules. Students on Route B CANNOT select SPPO2110.

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO2100	Issues in Hispanic Cinema	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO2110	Literature and the Arts in the Spanish-speaking World	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO2510	Latin America since Independence (c1800 - c1930)	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO2680	Modern Spain (1868-1975)	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it

Route A
Students taking SPPO2010 may study up to 20 credits of the following optional modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO2580	Translation Theory and Practice in a Spanish - English Context	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO2595	Catalan Language and Culture II	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it

All students may study up to 40 credits from the following optional modules: 

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
MODL2003	Global Queer Politics and Cultures	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL2006	Social Class across Cultures	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL2015	Black Europe	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL2070	Reception, Transmission and Translation: The Global Circulation of Literature	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL2075	Global Environmental Humanities	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL2090	Languages in Action: from Theory to Practice	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL2250	Digital Communications Across Cultures	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it

Students will be required to study 40 credits from the following lists of optional modules (from Basket 1 AND Basket 2). Students can take only ONE module per Basket:

Basket 1

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
PIED2601	Revolution and Reaction: Political Problems in the 20th Century	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PIED2602	Justice, Community and Conflict	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

Basket 2

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
PIED2161	Media and Democracy	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
PIED2255	Latin America in Global Historical Perspective	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PIED2301	Politics and Policy in the EU	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
PIED2455	State and Politics in Africa	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
PIED2463	United States Politics	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PIED2721	Approaches to Analysis	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

Discovery Modules

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

Year 3

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

Compulsory Modules

Students will be required to study the following compulsory modules: 

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
MODL9500	LCS Year Abroad	120	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP

Year 4

[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 Spanish and a minimum of 40 credits in Politics. Overall, students must take at least 100 credits across their two subjects. The remaining 20 credits may be taken as discovery modules or as further options with Spanish.
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 Politics OR Spanish).

Compulsory Modules

Students will be required to study the following compulsory module: 

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO3010	Practical Language Skills in Spanish	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP

Optional Modules

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

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
MODL3050	Final Year Project	40	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP
PIED3775	POLIS Final Year Project	40	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP

Students who take their FYP in Spanish (MODL3050) are required to take 40 credits from the following lists of optional modules (from Basket 1 and Basket 2). Students can take only ONE module per Basket.

Basket 1:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
PIED3158	British Foreign Policy	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PIED3171	The Politics of national identity in the UK	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PIED3305	The Far Right in Europe and Beyond	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
PIED3325	Europe in the World	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
PIED3640	Ethics and Politics of Human Rights	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

Basket 2

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
PIED3170	The End of British Politics?	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
PIED3590	The Global Politics of Climate Change	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
PIED3605	Confronting Tyranny: Adventures in Democratic Theory	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
PIED3810	Video Games: Politics, Society and Culture	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

Students who take their FYP in Politics (PIED3775) are required to take a minimum of 20 credits and may take up to 60 credits from the following lists of optional modules (from Basket 3 and Basket 4).
Students who take their FYP in Spanish (MODL3050) may take up to 20 credits from the following list of optional modules (from EITHER Basket 3 OR Basket 4).

BASKET 3: SPANISH OPTIONAL MODULES

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO3062	Spanish in an Economic and Business Context	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO3071	Contemporary Spain: Politics, Culture and Society After Franco	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO3420	Spanish-English Translation	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO3535	Catalan Language and Culture III	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO3800	Icons and Stars: Celebrity and Revolution in Spain and Latin America	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO3900	Race and Representation in the Spanish-speaking world	20	Not running in 202627

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

BASKET 4: TRANSNATIONAL CULTURE AND SOCIETY OPTIONAL MODULE

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
FOAH3230	Transnational Feminism and Creative Practice	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL3130	Languages in Action: from Theory to Practice	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL3200	Representing the Holocaust: Transgression and the Taboo	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MODL3410	Contemporary World Literature	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL3620	Decolonial Approaches	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MODL3630	Social Movements across Cultures	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL3650	Minoritised Languages, Dialects and Cultures from Past to Present	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

Discovery Modules

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

Last updated: 08/05/2026 16:51:27

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