Dutch

Dutch is a West Germanic language closely related to English and German, spoken natively by around 24 million people in the Netherlands and Belgium and widely understood across those countries as a language of commerce, culture and public life. The Netherlands is one of the UK's closest trading partners and near neighbours, a country with a strong scientific and technological tradition, a major role in global trade and logistics through Rotterdam, a distinguished history in art, architecture and design, and a political and social culture that has contributed significantly to European democratic and liberal values. Studying Dutch to a high level at university opens this world directly.

At University College London this four-year programme takes you to an advanced level in Dutch, developing your proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening through sustained engagement with the language and its cultures. You will study Dutch and Flemish literature from the medieval period to the contemporary, engage with the history and culture of the Dutch-speaking world, and examine the social and political dimensions of the Netherlands and Belgium as modern European states. UCL's Department of Dutch is one of the few in the UK offering a full degree in the language, with a scholarly tradition of considerable depth.

London's proximity to the Netherlands and its large Dutch-speaking community provide additional opportunities for engagement with the language beyond the classroom.

Graduates with advanced Dutch go on to careers in international business, diplomacy, translation and interpreting, journalism, legal practice, the civil service, European institutions, cultural organisations and academic research. The combination of Dutch language competence and the analytical skills that literary and cultural study develops is valued wherever engagement with the Netherlands or the Dutch-speaking world matters professionally. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in Dutch, Germanic studies, translation or European affairs.

The degree is a genuine specialism in a language that is less commonly taught but consistently valuable.