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Spanish and Latin American Studies BA

London, Bloomsbury
Spanish and Latin American Studies BA (2024)

This four-year degree combines the study of Spanish language and its varieties with modules in the literature, film, history and cultures of Spain and Latin America, from the early modern period to the present day.

If you are interested in Portuguese, you may study it from beginner level alongside Spanish on this programme.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
4 academic years
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£9,250
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£28,100
Programme starts
September 2025
Application deadline
29 Jan 2025
UCAS course code
R4T7
Apply via UCAS

Entry requirements

A levels IB Diploma Other qualifications
Grades
ABB
Subjects
Spanish grade A required.
GCSEs
English Language at grade B or 6 and Mathematics at grade C or 4.

Contextual offer information

Contextual offers are typically one to two grades lower than the standard offer. Grade and subject requirements for contextual offers for this programme will be published in Summer 2024.

Points
34
Subjects
A total of 16 points in three higher level subjects including Spanish at grade 6, with no higher level score below 5.

Contextual offer

Contextual offers are typically one to two grade boundaries (equivalent to A levels) lower than the standard offer. IB Diploma grade and subject requirements for contextual offers for this programme will be published in Summer 2024.

UK applicants qualifications

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

Equivalent qualification

Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 30 credits at Distinction, 12 credits at Merit and 3 credits at Pass in the Level 3 units. Please note, where subject specific requirements are stipulated at A level we may review your Access to HE syllabus to ensure you meet the subject specific requirements prior to a final decision being communicated.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

D3,M1,M1 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects. Spanish at D3 required.

A,B,B at Advanced Highers (or A,B at Advanced Higher and B,B,B at Higher). Spanish grade A at Advanced Higher required.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades ABB. Spanish A level grade A required.

International applications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

Access and widening participation

UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.
Check your Access UCL Scheme eligibility

Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates

The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.

English language requirements

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.

Course overview

The integrated study of language, literature, history and film is the hallmark of this degree. You are required to take modules to the value of 120 credits each year comprising an introductory core module in Year 1, Spanish language modules (with the option of also studying Portuguese), as well as choosing from a wide range of optional modules in all years on subjects including Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American literature, history, and film.

You will be exposed to broad cultural movements, issues and approaches and be able to draw on the full range of specialisms within the School. You will also take comparative modules, allowing you to study subjects like literature, art and culture in a wider, cross-cultural frame.

Over the four years, you will deepen your knowledge of the Spanish language while also developing valuable skills in cultural literacy and critical thinking.

What this course will give you

UCL is a leading, exceptionally well-connected centre for Hispanic and Latin American studies, with a wealth of expertise in all areas and periods. Portuguese and Brazilian studies are a recent and thriving addition, with expertise ranging from Renaissance Portugal to Modernist Brazil and Lusophone Africa.

You will have high-quality language instruction combined with innovative, research-led cultural teaching. You will take classes in literature: Cervantes through Borges to contemporary fiction; film: Buñuel to current Latin American trends; and history: Cortés through Andean cultures to 20th century dictatorships.

Your third year is spent in a Spanish-speaking country, an experience which benefits your linguistic and cultural understanding. We have links with leading universities in Spain and Latin America.

You will benefit from the resources of the UCL and Senate House libraries, the Instituto Cervantes, Canning House, and numerous Spanish-speaking embassies. London hosts the UK's largest Hispanic community and provides a wealth of cultural events, from film festivals to literary evenings.

Teaching and learning

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded a BA (Hons) in Spanish and Latin American Studies.

Modules

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

In Years 1, 2 and your final year, you will take language modules in Spanish, as well as cultural modules, covering a range of topics that draw on literature and film, history and linguistics.

You will spend your third year abroad, in a country where Spanish is spoken. You will achieve the same linguistic competence regardless of whether you start a language from beginner level or have previous knowledge of it.

We are keen to ensure that students feel part of our community at UCL and therefore offer programme-specific core modules in Year 1 that students take together with their respective cohort. These offer a broader sense of their chosen discipline and an opportunity to share learning experiences. They also support students to make informed choices for their future years of study to carve out a degree pathway that suits them. Please visit our Undergraduate Modules page for more details.

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Compulsory modules


Introduction to Spanish and Latin American Studies


Optional modules






The Literary World of J.L. Borges A

The Andean World of JM Arguedas

Contemporary Catholicisms in Latin American Culture: Experimentation, Perversion, Revolution

Literary Migrations in Latin American Culture

Memoria, verdad y justicia in Argentine and Chilean Culture



Compulsory modules



Optional modules







Compulsory modules




Compulsory modules



Optional modules





Your learning

Language teaching takes place in small classes. There is an emphasis on the interaction between teacher and student to ensure the scope and pace of learning meets your needs. You will also attend lectures and small-group seminars in which the literary, historical and cultural elements of your studies will be discussed. Extra resources including conversation groups, personal tutorials and other activities are available.

During Terms 1 and 2, approximately 35% of a student's time is spent in lectures, seminars or tutorials and the remainder in independent study. There is minimal teaching during Term 3, which focuses on examinations and assessment.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a combination of written and oral examinations, essays, language work, projects and other coursework. Additional weight will be given to your achievements in the later years of your programme.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team.

Visit us

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Undergraduate Virtual Open Days

UCL is London's leading multidisciplinary university, voted University of the Year 2024 by the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide. With students from over 150 different countries, UCL is a diverse global community of world leading academics and students. Join us at our Virtual Open Days and discover why UCL might be the place for you! Check out our Open Days webpages where you can find out about the programmes on offer, student services and book live Q&A sessions to get your questions answered.

The foundation of your career

Fluency in Spanish or Portuguese opens up exciting career possibilities around the world with graduates having an understanding of literature, culture, media, politics and business across the continents. Beyond the Americas and the Iberian Peninsula, Spanish and Portuguese are fast-growing languages in many other parts of the world, including the UK.

Popular career paths for graduates include teaching or education (20%), consultancy (20%), working in charities, NGOs and international development (20%), construction, built environment and property (20%) law, or translation and interpreting. The pursuit of further study and academic research (20%) is also an option open to you.*

*Graduate Outcomes Survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017-2021 cohorts.

Employability

There are many career opportunities for UCL's modern language graduates. We seek to embed within our teaching the acquisition of transferable skills such as leadership, teamwork and communication skills, as well as linguistic and cultural knowledge.

70% of Spanish and Latin American Studies BA graduates were in work, further study or due to start work or study, 15 months after graduation.* 

*Graduate Outcomes survey

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £9,250
Tuition fees (2024/25) £28,100

The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2024/25 academic year. The UK fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2024/25 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.

Additional costs

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL Library as hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions.

In addition, please note that if you study abroad during your programme at UCL, this is likely to incur additional costs. Studying abroad may cost between £200–£1,000 per month depending on where you choose to study. The cost of studying abroad can be difficult to predict as it will depend on your priorities and choices. There is more information available on the UCL Study Abroad website.

A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

Funding your studies

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Scholarships

The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.

Next steps

Your application

We seek to select candidates who, in addition to academic achievement, have the motivation and passion for language learning, for inter-cultural inquiry, and who have a deep commitment to developing and finessing their language proficiency to an advanced level.

How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

Selection

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.

Our admissions process aims to assess your linguistic abilities and attainments as well as your cultural awareness, motivation for study and intellectual potential. We may interview candidates by telephone in order to establish a level of language ability.

Applicants must have A level or equivalent knowledge of Spanish. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are a native speaker of Spanish.

If your application demonstrates that your academic ability and motivation make you well-suited to our degree and you receive an offer, we shall invite you to a Post-Offer Open Day. There, you will be able to experience the sort of teaching we offer and the lively atmosphere of the department.

Apply via UCAS
Application guidelines
Download prospectus

Got questions? Get in touch

School of European Languages, Culture and Society
School of European Languages, Culture and Society

selcs-cmii.enquiries@ucl.ac.uk

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