Modern Languages

French and German together represent the two most studied modern European languages in UK higher education, and combining them produces graduates with access to two major European cultures, economies, and intellectual traditions. French, spoken across Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean, is a language of diplomacy, literature, and global commerce. German, the most widely spoken native language in Europe, is central to European politics, philosophy, science, and economic life.

Developing high-level proficiency in both places graduates in a strong position for careers with a European or international dimension.

At the University of Bath, this four-year full-time programme develops your command of both languages to an advanced level through systematic language teaching and engagement with a wide range of texts and cultural material in each. You will study French and German literature, culture, history, and contemporary society, developing not just linguistic competence but genuine cultural understanding of both traditions. The programme includes a sandwich year with a work placement, which typically takes place in a French and German-speaking country or in a professional environment that uses both languages, giving you sustained immersion and professional experience that significantly deepens your practical fluency and professional readiness.

Graduates from French and German programmes enter careers in translation and interpreting, international business and commerce, diplomacy, the European institutions, journalism, education, publishing, and the civil service. The combination is particularly valued in roles involving the European Union, multinational companies with European operations, and bilateral professional contexts. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in translation, European studies, or a specific national literature or culture, and some go on to language teaching or academic research in French or German studies.