Languages and Global Cultures

MLang Hons

  • UCAS code R810
  • Entry year 2026 or 2025
  • A level requirements AAB
  • Duration Full time 4 years
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We welcome applications from the United States of America

We've put together information and resources to guide your application journey as a student from the United States of America.

Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • 3

    3rd for French

    The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2025)

  • 3

    3rd for Iberian Languages

    The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2025)

  • 4

    4th for Italian

    The Complete University Guide (2025)

Deep dive into the fascinating world of language, where words become bridges to understanding and cultures come alive through communication. For those that excel in language learning, this degree will enable you to fast-track your learning and take up to three languages. You’ll graduate with a postgraduate language degree and advanced skills that will get you noticed by future employers.

Choose to major in up to two languages from Chinese, German, French and Spanish, or study one major language and pick up to two ‘discovery’ languages – including Italian and Arabic.

Why Lancaster?

  • Accelerate your learning experience as you go from undergraduate to master’s level in just four years, with three years at Lancaster and one year abroad
  • Challenge yourself as a linguist whilst engaging with the cultures of the countries where they are spoken
  • Discover the value of transcultural approaches to resolving complex societal challenges
  • Embrace the opportunity to study abroad, giving you the chance to immerse yourself fully in your chosen country or countries
  • Gain an internationally recognised qualification and the skills and confidence to work as a language and cultures specialist, either in the UK or abroad

Tailor your own pathway

The MLang Hons in Languages and Global Cultures requires you to have previously studied at least one language up to A-Level or equivalent. In your first year, you will develop your core language skills at advanced level whilst exploring the presence of languages and cultures across the globe.

Embracing an interdisciplinary perspective, your language studies will be enriched with a range of cultural studies relating to your chosen languages. You will explore film, visual media, literature, art, and history, providing a comprehensive understanding of the society contexts of your chosen languages.

You will examine major global issues such as the climate emergency, global health crisis, human rights, and community engagement, and learn how these topics intersect with issues of race, gender, sexuality, disability, and belief across diverse language communities around the world.

If you join with one language, you will also be able to pick one “discovery” language – for which you can choose to study Arabic, Chinese, German, French, Italian or Spanish from beginners' level.

Your first year will also help you prepare to study abroad in your second year at one of our partner universities in China, France, Germany or Spain.

Fast-track to higher levels

On returning to Lancaster after your year abroad, you will study on our ‘Becoming Proficient’ level for your core language(s); students with one major language will be able to choose to continue with their “discovery” language or pick up a new one.

Modelled on the Common European Framework of Reference for languages and HSK proficiency levels, this course allows you to follow the progressional ladder on an internationally recognized scale, ensuring you become a multi-lingual graduate.

Alongside your language studies, you will work collaboratively with students from all languages, working together to answer questions such as: What is the impact and opportunities of AI for language professionals? What will future language communities look like across the globe? What is the role of languages and cultures in co-designing responses to some of the major challenges facing the world today?

Progress and specialise

Alongside your language skills and cultural knowledge, you will develop a strong set of professional skills and expertise, preparing you to specialise in your chosen field in your final year. You will acquire enhanced skills in analysis and decision-making, the ability to exchange and articulate ideas, teamwork, and problem-solving, all of which will aid you in your final year and beyond.

You will also join workshops with students on our Global Leadership master’s programmes and have opportunities to explore areas such as global affairs, sustainability and the environment, AI, and health humanities. Your choice of final project can be drawn from your academic, personal or professional experience and interests, and a range of innovative assessment types will give you the freedom to represent your chosen topic creatively and persuasively.

Expand your horizons with a year abroad

Granada. The fortress and palace complex Alhambra.

Your Global Engagement Year

Spending up to a year abroad is an integral and assessed part of our language degrees.

Through studying or working overseas, engaging globally gives you the opportunity to improve your language proficiency, broaden your cultural knowledge and gain transferable skills that are much valued by employers.

The Global Engagement Year is compulsory for students taking Chinese, French, German or Spanish. Please note that there is no placement year for Italian.

Global Engagement Year
Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai

Study at a partner university

We offer flexibility to split your time abroad between different activities.

You can choose to study courses taught in your target language at one of our partner universities.

If you are studying Chinese, you will be able to study or undertake a work placement in a Chinese language environment.

Global Engagement Year
Graz city centre

Work placements

We offer flexibility to split your time abroad between different activities.

You may wish to spend your Global Engagement Year on a work placement for a company or as a Language Assistant for the British Council. This adds invaluable work experience to your academic skills.

We provide plenty of support to identify opportunities and secure an internship.

Global Engagement Year
view of Jet d'eau fountain Geneva

Work with the British Council

You may apply to spend your Global Engagement Year working as a Language Assistant with the British Council.

This role involves supporting the teaching of English in a school or university, planning activities and producing resources to help students improve their English as well as introducing UK contemporary culture through classroom and extra-curricular activities.

You may also support the running of international projects and activities.

Global Engagement Year

The student experience

Our students share their experiences of spending a year abroad, the skills they gained and learning how to become more independent.

Global Engagement Year
the forbidden city in Beijing

Support

We aim to offer a range of support including:

  • Regular preparation meetings and a dedicated preparation course
  • All aspects covered: organisational, social and cultural, health and safety
  • Dedicated tutors providing individual personalised advice

We take your health and safety seriously and make sure that you feel fully prepared for any issues that may arise during your placement.

Global Engagement Year

Careers

This integrated master’s programme is a fantastic opportunity to achieve a postgraduate language qualification in just four years. This will mark you out in job applications as a high achiever. By the time you graduate, you will have a brilliant combination of interpersonal, intercultural, and transferable skills that can be applied to a range of rewarding career paths, often international in scope or location.

Graduates of this course may go on to multilingual roles such as:

  • Sales manager
  • Business consultant
  • Translator or interpreter
  • Language teacher
  • Travel and tourism specialist

Beyond language-related career paths, graduates of this course could also embrace careers that have a strong element of global solutions such as:

  • Print, digital and broadcast media
  • Journalism
  • Publishing
  • Marketing
  • Government and NGO policy roles
  • Public administration and civil service
  • Intelligence and security
  • The arts, including GLAM (Galleries, libraries, archives, and museums)

This course is also a great stepping stone to further study, preparing you to progress directly into a PhD.

Careers and employability support

Our degrees open up an extremely wide array of career pathways in businesses and organisations, large and small, in the UK and overseas.

We run a paid internship scheme specifically for our arts, humanities and social sciences students, supported by a specialist Employability Team. The team offer individual consultations and tailored application guidance, as well as careers events, development opportunities, and resources.

Whether you have a clear idea of your potential career path or need some help considering the options, our friendly team is on hand.

Lancaster is unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which recognises activities such as work experience, community engagement or volunteering and social development. A valuable addition to your CV!

Find out more about Lancaster’s careers events, extensive resources and personal support for Careers and Employability.

Careers

Find out about some of the careers our alumni have entered into after graduation.

Entry requirements

These are the typical grades that you will need to study this course. You may need to have qualifications in relevant subjects. In some cases we may also ask you to attend an interview or submit a portfolio. You must also meet our English language requirements.

Find more about these qualifications and others not shown here

Learn about how we will assess your application

Qualifications and typical requirements accordion

Important information

You will not be able to study a language if you are an L1 speaker of that language, or if you are fluent above CEFR B2. You will typically not be able to study a language from beginners' level if you have studied it to A level or equivalent. If you have studied a language to A level, we would expect you to have achieved at least grade B.

Contact Admissions

If you are thinking of applying to Lancaster and you would like to ask us a question, please complete our enquiry form and one of our team will get back to you.

International foundation programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Contextual admissions

Contextual admissions could help you gain a place at university if you have faced additional challenges during your education which might have impacted your results. Visit our contextual admissions page to find out about how this works and whether you could be eligible.

Course structure

Enhancing our curriculum

We continually review and enhance our curriculum to ensure we are delivering the best possible learning experience, and to make sure that the subject knowledge and transferable skills you develop will prepare you for your future.

We will publish more detailed information about the structure of this degree course for 2026-entry in June 2025, ahead of our summer undergraduate open days. This will include overviews of the core modules you will take and examples of optional modules which may be available to you.

Fees and funding

We set our fees on an annual basis and the 2026/27 entry fees have not yet been set.

As a guide, our fees in 2025/26 were:

Home International
£9,535 £24,700

Fees and funding information

Additional fees and funding information accordion

Scholarships and bursaries

Details of our scholarships and bursaries for students starting in 2026 are not yet available.

You can use our scholarships for 2025-entry applicants as guidance.

Important information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2026/2027 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

Undergraduate open days 2025

Our summer and autumn open days will give you Lancaster University in a day. Visit campus and put yourself in the picture.

Undergraduate Open Days
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