| UCAS code | Q200 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 years |
| Entry year | 2026 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Discipline | Modern Languages and Cultures |
| Contact |
| Typical offer | A-Levels: ABB |
|---|---|
|
A-Level: BBC |
| UCAS code | Q202 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 years |
| Entry year | 2026 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Discipline | Modern Languages and Cultures |
| Contact |
| Typical offer | A-Levels: ABB |
|---|---|
|
A-Level: BBC |
| UCAS code | Q203 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 years |
| Entry year | 2026 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Discipline | Modern Languages and Cultures |
| Contact |
| Typical offer | A-Levels: ABB |
|---|---|
|
A-Level: BBC |
Overview
- Gain a breadth of knowledge in literature, film and art from around the world, from the ancient to the contemporary.
- You will develop your translation literacy and understanding of the cultural, political, social and economic forces that shape how material travels from one language and context to another.
- Our BA takes a comparative lens on pressing issues such as migration, the environment, and gender and sexuality.
- We have a decolonial focus, both in terms of theory and our commitment in considering literature beyond the Western canon.
Top 150 in world subject rankings for Modern Languages and Cultures
QS World University Subject Rankings 2025
Top 20 in UK subject rankings for Modern Languages
The Complete University Guide 2026
Internationally recognised fine art, heritage and film collections on site, including the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum
Opportunities for study abroad and employment experience in the UK or abroad
Top 150 in world subject rankings for Modern Languages and Cultures
QS World University Subject Rankings 2025
Top 20 in UK subject rankings for Modern Languages
The Complete University Guide 2026
Internationally recognised fine art, heritage and film collections on site, including the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum
Opportunities for study abroad and employment experience in the UK or abroad
Entry requirements (typical offer)
| Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
|---|---|---|
| A-Level | ABB | n/a |
| IB | 32/655 | n/a |
| BTEC | DDM | n/a |
| GCSE | C or 4 | English Language |
| Access to HE | 24 L3 Credits at Distinction Grade and 21 L3 credits at Merit Grade | N/A |
| T-Level | Distinction | N/A |
| Contextual Offer | A-Level: BBC |
Specific subject requirements must still be achieved where stated above. Find out more about contextual offers. |
| Other accepted qualifications | ||
| English language requirements |
International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country. |
|
NB General Studies is not included in any offer.
Grades advertised on each programme webpage are the typical level at which our offers are made and provide information on any specific subjects an applicant will need to have studied in order to be considered for a place on the programme. However, if we receive a large number of applications for the programme we may not be able to make an offer to all those who are predicted to achieve/have achieved grades which are in line with our typical offer. For more information on how applications are assessed and when decisions are released, please see: After you apply
Course content
Comparative Literatures and Cultures at Exeter is unique for its breadth, introducing you to literature, film and art from around the world, from the ancient to the contemporary. You will be taught by world-leading scholars with expertise in literature and culture from the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. You will develop the key intercultural understanding and communication skills necessary to be a global citizen.
This programme will prepare you for a range of careers around the world. It includes a compulsory element of either an employability module (e.g. Humanities in the Workplace) or a module preparing you for MA study. You have the option to study abroad and to study a language from one of the 14 on offer across the Faculty, from British Sign Language to Syriac, from Spanish to Mandarin.
The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
Stage 1: 30 credits of compulsory modules, 90 credits of optional module
30 credits of a language from across LCVS (including the Language Centre) and IAIS can be taken as modularity, subject to pre-requisites.
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SML1003 | Comparative Literatures and Cultures: Theories and Approaches | 15 |
| SML1004 | Reading Comparatively | 15 |
Optional modules
90 credits of optional modules from a selection from Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies, Classics, the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies and Humanities. These modules are subject to change each year due to availability. Examples from 23/24 include the below. Other literature and culture modules from across the Department of Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies can be taken subject to pre-requisites.
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Comparative Literature and Cultures Stage 1 Option Modules 2025-6 | ||
| CLA1006 | Greek and Roman Drama | 30 |
| SML1207 | Introduction to Film | 15 |
| MLF1018 | The Devil is in the Detail: An Introduction to the Short Story in French | 15 |
| MLM1014 | Chinese Art and the Art of Living | 15 |
| MLP1002 | Introduction to the Lusophone World | 15 |
| MLS1064 | An Introduction to the Hispanic World: Texts in Context | 15 |
| HAS1002 | Introduction to Black British Studies | 15 |
| THE1101 | The Bible: Past and Present | 15 |
| SML1002 | Constructing Nature: Stories we Live By | 15 |
| MLG1014 | A Nation Remembers: Issues in German Cultural Memory | 15 |
| MLI1016 | Italy Inside Out: Popular Visual Narratives about Italy | 15 |
| MLR1006 | An Emotional Experience: Russian Literature and the Expression of Feeling | 15 |
| MLS1164 | A Journey of Discovery: Hispanic Global Culture | 15 |
| AHV1005 | Inside the Museum | 15 |
| ARA1021 | Introduction to Persian History and Culture | 15 |
| EAS1037 | The Novel | 15 |
| EAS1041 | Rethinking Shakespeare | 15 |
Stage 2: 30 credits of compulsory modules, 90 credits of optional modules
Alongside the compulsory SML2001 Migrating Texts, students should choose at least one of HUM2001 or SML2003.
30 credits of a language from across LCVS, Classics and IAIS can be taken as modularity, subject to pre-requisites.
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SML2001 | Migrating Texts: Classical Reception, Adaptation, Translation | 15 |
| HAS2010 | Work Experience: Building Skills and Unlocking Opportunities | 15 |
| SML2003 | Research Skills in Languages and Cultures | 15 |
Optional modules
75–90 credits of optional modules from a selection from Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies, Classics, the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, English and Humanities. These modules are subject to change each year due to availability. Examples from 23/24 include the below. Other literature and culture modules from across the Department of Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies can be taken subject to pre-requisites.
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Comparative Literature and Cultures Stage 2 Option Modules 2025-6 | ||
| CLA2006 | Greek and Roman Drama | 30 |
| SML2004 | Contemporary Latin American Cinema | 15 |
| MLF2005 | Classical myth in French and francophone cinema | 15 |
| MLG2003 | Youth and Age: Generations in German Fiction and Film | 15 |
| MLI2004 | From Page to Screen: The Italian Female Detective in Literature, Film and Television | 15 |
| MLR2026 | The Deceptive City: the Creation of St Petersburg in Russian Literature | 15 |
| AHV2023 | Global Impressionisms | 15 |
| EAS2103 | Modernism and Modernity: Literature 1900-1960 | 30 |
| SML2003 | Research Skills in Languages and Cultures | 15 |
| SML2247 | Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence | 15 |
| MLM2008 | Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature | 15 |
| MLM2003 | Chinoiserie and Europeenerie: Artistic and cultural exchanges between China and Europe | 15 |
| MLR2025 | Imperfect Murder: Reading Crime and Punishment | 15 |
| EAS2113 | Culture, Crisis and Ecology in a Postcolonial World | 30 |
Stage 3: 30 credits of compulsory dissertation, 90 credits of optional modules
90 credits of optional modules from a selection from Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies, Classics, the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, English and Humanities. These modules are subject to change each year due to availability. Examples from 23/24 include the below. From English, you can take EAS3195 or up to 30 credits of other selected English modules. Other literature and culture modules from across the Department of Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies can be taken subject to pre-requisites.
30 credits of a language from across LCVS, Classics and IAIS can be taken as modularity, subject to pre-requisites.
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SML3030 | Extended Dissertation | 30 |
Optional modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Comparative Literature and Cultures Final Stage Option Modules 2025-6 | ||
| CLA3265 | Art and Visual Culture in the Roman World | 15 |
| EAS3194 | Resource Fictions: Oil, Water and Conflict in the World-System | 30 |
| EAS3195 | Acts of Writing: From Decolonisation to Globalisation | 30 |
| EAS3421 | Picturing the Global City: Literature and Visual Culture in the 21st Century | 30 |
| HAS3006 | The Legend of King Arthur | 30 |
| MLG3037 | Coping with Catastrophe: German Culture, Literature and Politics in the Interwar Years | 15 |
| MLM3009 | China through the Lens: Cultural Translation and Self-Presentation | 15 |
| MLR3026 | The Deceptive City: The Creation of St Petersburg in Russian Literature | 15 |
| SML3052 | The Place of Meaning: Gardens in Europe and Asia | 15 |
| AHV3007 | Global Modernisms | 15 |
| ARA3197 | The Arabian Nights: Perception and Reception | 15 |
| CLA3275 | Women Writing Classics | 15 |
| MLG3036 | Dictatorships on Display: History Exhibitions in Germany and Austria | 15 |
| MLM3008 | Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature | 15 |
| MLR3125 | Imperfect Murder: Reading Crime and Punishment | 15 |
| SML3040 | Women in Translation: Gender and Publishing in the 21st Century | 15 |
| SML3041 | Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures | 15 |
| SML3044 | Migration in World Cinema | 15 |
Course variants
BA Comparative Literatures and Cultures with Employment Experience
UCAS code: Q202
Our four-year ‘with Employment Experience’ degree offers you the option of spending your third year carrying out a graduate-level work placement or placements, within the UK or abroad, as part of your degree.
Why choose to include Employment Experience?
Undertaking graduate-level work during your degree unlocks a world of experience that allows you to develop essential employability and interpersonal skills that relate to your degree and future career.
A work placement will dramatically boost your confidence, enhance your CV and develop graduate-level skills and competencies that employers are looking for.
Where will I do my work placement?
The sector and country you choose to work in is very much your choice, as you will be responsible for finding and organising your placement.
We will provide plenty of guidance and support during your first and second years which will prepare you to research and apply for placements. Ultimately, the university will give final approval to your placement to make sure you have a valuable experience.
How does it affect my tuition fees and funding?
For your ‘Year In Industry’ you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter – for more information visit our fees pages. If you were previously eligible, you will continue to receive a maintenance loan whilst on your year of work placement/s.
Is the placement paid?
You will be paid in accordance with the rules of the country you work in and there may be visa restrictions or requirements which you need to consider when applying.
Find out more
BA Comparative Literatures and Cultures with Study Abroad
UCAS code: Q203
Why Study Abroad?
Living and studying in a different country is an exciting experience that broadens your academic and cultural horizons, as well as giving you the opportunity to widen your circle of friends. Students who have studied abroad demonstrate initiative, independence, motivation and, depending on where they stay, may also have gained a working knowledge of another language – all key qualities that employers are looking for in today’s competitive employment environment.
Does it count towards my degree?
Yes - the Study Abroad year is an assessed year and the marks obtained count towards your final degree classification.
How does it affect my tuition fee and funding?
For your Study Abroad year you will pay a significantly reduced tuition fee to Exeter – for more information visit our fees pages. You will also continue to receive any Student Finance support for which you are eligible. Other financial support may also be available for certain students.
How do I apply?
You may apply directly to the four-year BA Comparative Literatures and Cultures with Study Abroad programme via UCAS – these students will be given priority of available study abroad placements. Alternatively, you may apply to the three-year BA Comparative Literatures and Cultures and are able to request to apply to change onto the four-year programme once you are at Exeter, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.
Please note that study abroad placements at partner universities are subject to availability and are not guaranteed on either option. The allocation of study abroad places is competitive based on your first-year average grade along with your successful completion of Years 1 and 2.
What happens if I am unable to secure a study placement?
Once at Exeter, if students cannot go or are unwilling to go on their International Placement year, they can apply to move to either the three-year BA Comparative Literatures and Cultures or the three-year BA Comparative Literatures and Cultures and Global Cultural Studies programme, dependent on their language level by the final year. This would need to be approved by the department.
Fees
Tuition fees for 2026 entry
UK students: £9,535 per year
International students: £24,950 per year
Scholarships
The University of Exeter offers a wide range of scholarships to support your education, with £7 million available for international students applying to study with us in the 2026/27 academic year, including our prestigious Exeter Excellence Scholarships*. We also provide scholarships for sport, music and other achievements, alongside regional and partner awards such as Chevening, The Beacon Trust and the British Council. Financial support is available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, lower income households and other under-represented groups to help them access, succeed and progress through higher education.
* Terms and conditions, including deadlines, apply. See our website for details.
Learning and teaching
How will I learn?
The nature of learning at university involves considerable self-guided study and research. You will be taught through a combination of lectures and discussion-based seminars. We also support the development of team-based learning by organising students into study groups, and we make full use of both traditional learning resources and our virtual learning environment. Lecturers and tutors are all available to provide further support in one-to-one consultations.
Most of your work will be done in group and self-directed study: reading or viewing module material, writing essays or preparing for your seminars. Active participation in seminars develops important transferable skills such as good verbal and visual communication and effective interaction with other people. You will also develop a range of professional abilities, such as time management and team working, plus valuable critical, analytical and communication skills.
We are actively engaged in introducing new methods of learning and teaching, including the increasing use of interactive computer-based approaches to learning. Through our virtual learning environment, you can access detailed information about modules, and interact through activities such as discussion forums. You will also have access to online subscription databases and websites, such as Early English Books Online (EEBO), Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO), MLA FirstSearch and JSTOR.
How will I be assessed?
You will be assessed by coursework, which will take a variety of forms, from traditional essays to reflective portfolios, videos and research projects. The range of assessments is designed to develop skills including communication, critical thinking and creativity. Some assessment will involve group work to strengthen your ability to work in a team. If you choose to take modules beyond the programme through modularity, these may be assessed by exams as well as coursework.
Other/extra-curricular opportunities
We provide an exciting range of special lectures and seminars by visiting academics and cultural practitioners. In addition to your academic work, student-run cultural societies (e.g. Literary Society, French Society) organise book and poetry readings, film screenings and social events, providing an opportunity to meet students who share a love of literature, culture and the arts.
Students from the Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies department are active in the University student newspapers, radio and TV station. The department also has strong links with Exeter UNESCO City of Literature, the Phoenix arts centre, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and other local cultural organisations.
Optional modules outside of this course
Each year, if you have optional modules available, you can take up to 30 credits in a subject outside of your course. This can increase your employability and widen your intellectual horizons.
Proficiency in a second subject
If you complete 60 credits of modules in specified subjects, you may have the words 'with proficiency in’ added to your degree title when you graduate.
Your future
This programme will equip you with a comprehensive understanding and skillset for a range of careers across a multitude of industries. In particular: intercultural understanding and communication skills, which are at the heart of this programme, are increasingly required by employers in a globalized world.
The course includes a compulsory element of either an employability module (e.g. Humanities in the Workplace; Making a Career in Publishing) or a module preparing students for further study. Digital literacy and translation literacy are embedded throughout the course.
Career paths
Example destinations for our students include:
- Publishing
- Journalism
- Translation
- Teaching and roles in other educational organisations
- Accountancy and financial services
- Public sector roles
Further study
This course is also excellent preparation for postgraduate study in areas such as:
- MA Comparative Literature and Cultures
- MA Translation Studies
- MA Intercultural Communications
- MA Publishing
- MA English Literary Studies
- MA Classics
- MA Creativity
