BA Spanish and Italian
About this course
Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Italian, an undergraduate degree in Italian and Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies focusing on the language, literature, and culture of both linguistic areas. Core topics include Global & Comparative Perspective. The programme incorporates a compulsory third-year period abroad spent studying or working in a Spanish- or Italian-speaking region. The first year introduces foundational language skills and cultural studies through modules such as Italian Language 1 (Beginners), Spanish Language 1 (Advanced), Visions of Italy on paper and screen, and Introduction to Hispanic Cultures. The second year builds proficiency with modules like Italian Language 2 (Intermediate), Spanish Language 2 (Advanced), Exploring Italian cities: texts and contexts, and Icons of the Hispanic World, alongside options in linguistics, film, and cultural history. The final year involves advanced language study and independent research through modules such as Italian Language Final Year, Spanish Language Final Year, and Final Year Extended Independent Study Module in Modern Languages, while offering optional modules covering topics in translation, literature, digital culture, and regional history.
Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.
Entry requirements
A Level: ABB A level grade B is required for any advanced language you wish to study. See below for full information.. IB: 6,5,5 including 32 points total. See below for full information.. BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma: DDM, plus a B at A level in the required subject/s. See below for full information.
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What students say
Based on about 11 final-year students who answered, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Teaching on my course: 83%
- Learning opportunities: 80%
- Assessment and feedback: 85%
- Academic support: 88%
- Organisation and management: 69%
- Learning resources: 87%
- Student voice: 72%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 70 students who started, across similar courses at this university
- Continued on course: 89%
- Left higher education: 11%
What graduates do next
Based on about 39 graduates who answered, across similar courses at this university
- Working: 67%
- Working and studying: 5%
- Further study: 10%
- Unemployed: 11%
Most common jobs
- Business and public service associate professionals: 15%
- Teaching Professionals: 15%
- Elementary occupations: 5%
- Administrative occupations: 5%
- Managers, directors and senior officials: 5%
- Find their work meaningful: 85%
- Feel on track for their future plans: 80%
- Use what they learnt on the course: 50%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 265 graduates, across similar courses at this university
- North East: 1%
- North West: 7%
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 5%
- East Midlands: 5%
- West Midlands: 21%
- East of England: 9%
- London: 35%
- South East: 10%
- South West: 6%
- Wales: 1%
Who gets in
Based on about 10 students who started, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- A levels: 100%
Accreditation & quality ratings
TEF 2023 (whole university): Silver overall, Bronze for student experience, Gold for student outcomes.
Modules
- Discover: Personal, Academic and Professional Development in Modern Languages
- Italian Language 1 (Beginners)
- Visions of Italy on paper and screen
- Visions of Italy through music
- Introduction to Hispanic Cultures
- Spanish Language 1 (Advanced)
- Spanish Language 1 (Beginners)
- Introduction to European Film A
- Introduction to European Film B
- Introduction to Linguistics A: Science of Language
- Introduction to Linguistics B: language change and variation
- Landmarks in European Literature A
- Landmarks in European Literature B
- Translation in Practice I
- Translation in Practice II
- Latin American Histories and Cultures A
- Latin American Histories and Cultures B
- Hispanic Visual Cultures A
- Hispanic Visual Cultures B
- Beginners Catalan Language A
- Beginners Catalan Language B
- Catalan Culture Project A
- Catalan Culture Project B
- IWLP Arabic Level 1A
- IWLP Arabic Level 1B
- Exploring Italian cities: texts and contexts
- Italian Language 2 (Intermediate)
- Spanish Language 2 (Advanced)
- Spanish Language 2 (Intermediate)
- Cultural Industries: Creativity in Change
- Cross-Cultural Cinema: Film Adaptation beyond the Nation-State
- Cross-Cultural Cinema: Migration and Displacement
- Global Enterprise Project
- Language and power
- Teaching and Learning (languages) in the 21st century
- Work, The Future and You
- Translation in the Workplace
- Digital Media and Spanish Youth Culture
- Histories of the Excluded: Inquisition and the Birth of Human Rights
- Icons of the Hispanic World
- Mexican and Chicano Art in the Twentieth Century: Revolution and Beyond
- Reading the World in Contemporary Spanish American Fiction
- Structures and Varieties of the Modern Hispanic Languages
- Beginners Catalan Language A
- Beginners Catalan Language B
- Intermediate Catalan Language A
- Intermediate Catalan Language B
- Artistic and Literary Representations of Barcelona
- Gender, New Media and Cultural Identity
- IWLP Arabic Level 2A
- IWLP Arabic Level 2B
- Final Year Extended Independent Study Module in Modern Languages
- Final Year Independent Study Module in Modern Languages Semester 1
- Exploring the self: Dante and Leopardi
- Italian Language Final Year
- Spanish Language Final Year
- Thinking Otherwise: Decolonial Approaches to Contemporary Thought and Culture
- Back to the Future – Hidden Histories and Utopian Possibilities, 1800-present
- Border Crossings: Word & Image in Twentieth- and Twenty-first-century Russophone Cultures
- Contemporary representations of the body: literature, theory and art
- Echoes of Colonialism and Imperialism Across Cultures
- From Text to Tech: Digital Approaches to Languages and Cultures
- Language, Culture and Communication: Digging into the text
- The Romance languages: structure, variation and change
- Translation and Creativity in the Digital Age I
- Translation and Creativity in the Digital Age II
- Uniformity and diversity in the Iberian-Romance speaking world
- Imagining the Truth: Latin American Culture in a Post-truth World
- Performing Gender/Translating Performance
- Social and Political Processes in Contemporary Latin America
- Spanish Exile Culture
- The Digital Past
- The Spanish Caribbean: History and Literature
- US Latinx Cultures: Spanish Caribbean
- Advanced Catalan Language A
- Advanced Catalan Language B
- Intermediate Catalan Language A
- Intermediate Catalan Language B
- IWLP Arabic Level 3A
- IWLP Arabic Level 3B
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of BA Spanish and Italian at University of Birmingham earn?
The median salary is £28,500 after 15 months, £26,500 after 3 years, £34,000 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £27,500 and £45,000. The £34,000 median after five years is £1,000 more than the UK median for Italian studies.
What do graduates of BA Spanish and Italian at University of Birmingham do next?
81% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on BA Spanish and Italian at University of Birmingham?
83% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for BA Spanish and Italian at University of Birmingham?
The typical offer is ABB at A level, or 32 points in the IB. The average entrant had 147 UCAS points.
Does BA Spanish and Italian at University of Birmingham include a placement year or year abroad?
The course has a compulsory year abroad.
How many students continue on BA Spanish and Italian at University of Birmingham?
89% of students continued into their second year, and 11% left higher education.