Course Overview
Attendance
* Price per 20-credit module
Course summary
On our Spanish and English Literature BA, you'll develop the skills you need to become a competent linguist, ready to enter graduate employment. Our course places particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context of language learning, offering high-quality teaching in all language skills and a thorough knowledge of the way language is used in real-life situations.
The course will develop your Spanish reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in a culturally aware style, allowing you to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations. You'll study an integrated curriculum with a focus on applied language skills and cultural studies, supported by a rigorous development of your foreign language skills in all areas.
In English Literature you'll have the opportunity to examine literary and non-literary works of all periods, from Shakespeare to the present day, taking in a wide range of authors and themes, with a full and balanced coverage of dramatic, poetic and prose works. You'll consider the wider historical and political contexts in which cultural and literary works have been produced and received, and relate the works both to intellectual history and to work in other arts and media, such as architecture and the visual arts. You'll also have the opportunity to consider the theoretical tools of textual, cultural and literary analysis in detail.
You'll have the option to spend an academic year abroad at a partner institution and/or, depending on your language level, an approved form of employment in a country where Spanish is the official language. A year abroad will not only improve your language skills but also contribute to your employability, encourage intercultural awareness, and build confidence. You can also study an elective module from across the University in each year.
We accept students at two different entry points – beginner or intermediate. Please note that we may need to test you to determine your entry point.
Top reasons to study with us
- Learn real-world language skills – our authentic teaching, which focuses on language in a cultural context, equips you for real-life situations in the Spanish-speaking world
- Study literature in the heart of London – discover a historic literary city with centuries of literature to uncover and explore
- Practise your language skills abroad – spend a year abroad perfecting your language skills in a Spanish-speaking country
- Academic support – individually focused academic support through our tutorial modules ensures you'll get the most out of your course
Course structure
Teaching methods include lectures, tutorials, practical sessions, seminars and workshops, but most of your learning is independent, conducted beyond the classroom (individually and in groups) in the library, at home, and via online learning.
Assessment methods include essays, exams, individual and group presentations, and critical analysis.
The contents of this course are the same, whether you study full-time or part-time. Please note, Level 4 corresponds to Year 1 of the full-time version of the course, Level 5 corresponds to Year 2, Level 6 corresponds to Year 3.
The following subjects are indicative of what you will study on this course.
Subjects of study include:
- Introduction to the Study of Language and Culture
- Introduction to Translation (available to intermediate students)
- Objects and Meaning: The Social Life of Material Culture
- Poetry and Politics
- The Spanish World and the Word
- What Is Literature?
Credit Level 4
Subjects of study include:
- Expressions of Spanish Culture
- Language in the Public Space
- Making Memory: Culture, History and Representation
- Multilingual e-Collaboration: Transposing Current Affairs
- Romanticisms
- The Novel
- The Victorian World
- Understanding Culture: Hispanic Studies in Focus
Credit Level 5
Professional experience or study abroad year
Between Years 2 and 3, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a professional placement year in industry. Completing the placement year will lead to the final award Bachelor of Arts with Honours – Spanish and English Literature with Professional Experience.
Alternatively, you can undertake a period of study abroad at one of Westminster’s partner institutions. Successful completion will lead to the final award Bachelor of Arts with Honours – Spanish and English Literature with International Experience.
Subjects of study include:
- Fiction after 1950
- Final Year Project
- Issues in Culture
- Identities on the Move: Hispanic Studies in Focus
- Multilingualism in Society: Theory and Practice
- Reading the Present
- Sex Strike: Gender and Protest
- Sexualities in Literature and Culture
- Special Topic
- The Modernist World
- Themes in Contemporary Hispanic Studies
- Tragedy: Ancient to Modern
- Work Placement for Humanities
Credit Level 6
Professional recognition
The University of Westminster is a Higher Education Language partner of the Chartered Institute of Linguists.
For more details on course structure, modules, teaching and assessment Download the programme specification (PDF).
To request an accessible version please email [email protected]
Get your copy of the University of Westminster prospectus and browse the range of courses on offer.
Contact us for general course enquiries:
+44 (0)20 7911 5000 EXT 65511
(Mon–Fri, 10am–4pm BST)
Live chat with us
(Mon–Fri, 10am–4pm BST)
Open days
Join us at an open day online or on campus. Get a feel for student life at the University of Westminster and talk to course leaders and our support teams.
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Careers
With a growing global network of 3,000 employers, our Careers and Employability Service is here to support you to achieve your full potential.
Boost your employability
Spanish was the second most desired language by employers, according to a report by CBI/Pearson.
Source: CBI/Pearson 2019.
Futureproof your career
The British Council named Spanish as the top language for the future in 2017.
Source: British Council.
International experience
Gain international experience while developing your language skills by taking part in an academic year studying or working in a Spanish-speaking country. Previous destinations include Spain, Cuba and Mexico.
Career development
As part of the degree, you'll have the option to spend an academic year abroad at a partner institution and/or, depending on your language level, in an approved form of employment in a Spanish-speaking country, enabling you to develop your language skills in a real-world setting. Previous destinations have included Spain (Madrid, Barcelona), Grenada, Cuba, Mexico and Argentina. You may have the opportunity to work as a paid language assistant in a foreign school or undertake a work (or volunteering) placement, both of which provide valuable opportunities to boost employability while improving language competence.
Job roles
The course prepares you for roles in a range of sectors including:
- Advertising, marketing and PR
- Business and finance
- Interpretation and translation
- Media and journalism
- Public sector work
- Publishing
- Teaching
Graduate employers
Previous graduates have found roles in companies including:
- Bell Pottinger
- Chapel Down Winery
- Explore Learning
- Monsoon Accessorize
- The Reach Free School
International Opportunities
Many of our courses offer international study and work experiences, and the University provides other global opportunities that all students can apply for - so whatever you're studying, you'll have the chance to go abroad.
Opportunities could include:
- Taking part in semester or year-long exchanges at institutions around the world
- Attending an international summer school or field trip
- Developing your CV through volunteering or work placements abroad
International experience broadens horizons, boosts self-confidence, and improves global understanding, alongside being fantastic for your career.
Find out more about our international opportunities, including funding options and where you can go.
Course Leader
Dr Liz Harvey-Kattou
Senior Lecturer
Liz is the Leader of Modern Languages combined courses and a Senior Lecturer in Hispanic Studies. She was educated at UCL (BA Modern Iberian and Latin American Regional Studies, MA Hispanic Studies, PhD Hispanic Studies). She has lived and worked in Costa Rica.
She teaches modules on world cinema, Hispanic cultural studies, and Spanish language. Her research looks at national identity and cultural production, specifically literature and film. She has published a book, Contested Identities in Costa Rica: Constructions of the Tico in Literature and Film (LUP, 2019), as well as several articles and book chapters on Latin American film and literature.
Studying languages and cultures helps you see your own place in the world more clearly.
Course Team
- Olga Nunez Pineiro - Senior Lecturer
- Dr Federica Mazzara - Reader in Cultural Studies
- Dr John Baker - Senior Lecturer
- Dr Elinor Taylor - Senior Lecturer
- Dr Matthew Charles - Senior Lecturer in Cultural and Critical Theory
- Dr Liz Harvey-Kattou - Senior Lecturer
- Dr Kate M. Graham - Senior Lecturer in English Literature (Theatre)
- Dr Lucy Bond - Principal Lecturer
- Dr Ailsa Peate - Lecturer
- Maria-Jose Galan - Lecturer
- Maria Blanco-Hermida - Senior Lecturer
- Debora Staryfurman - Lecturer
Why study this course?
International study
You'll have the opportunity to study or work abroad for a year in a Spanish-speaking country, allowing you to immerse yourself in the language and culture.
Language in practice
You'll have access to our Languages Plus programme which puts you in touch with native speakers through the Language Exchange, gives you one-to-one grammar help at the Language Clinics, and allows you to gain valuable work experience in a languages-related field.
A literary city
Study English literature in the heart of London - a historic literary city and home to some of the world's most celebrated writers.
Studying languages with us
Entry Requirements
- A levels – BCC (104 UCAS Tariff points)
- T levels – 104 UCAS Tariff points
- International Baccalaureate – 104 UCAS Tariff points from all components of the Diploma Programme. International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme will be considered on a case-by-case basis
- BTEC Extended Diploma – DMM
- BTEC Diploma – D*D
- Access – 104 UCAS Tariff points from the Access course
In addition to one of the above, you should have:
- GCSE English Language grade 4/C – IB grade 4 Higher level, GCSE Maths grade 4/C – IB grade 4
If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS of 6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each component.
We are ideally looking for evidence of successful language learning, formal or informal, in the applicant’s personal statement. We accept students at Beginners’ and Intermediate levels. Proficient students (native speaker level) will be directed towards our BA in Translation as a more appropriate course.
We also welcome applications from students who are taking a combination of qualifications listed above. For further information, please contact Course Enquiries.
View more information about our entry requirements and the application process.
- International Baccalaureate – 104 UCAS Tariff points from all components of the Diploma Programme. International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme will be considered on a case-by-case basis
If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS of 6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each component.
We are ideally looking for evidence of successful language learning, formal or informal, in the applicant’s personal statement. We accept students at Beginners’ and Intermediate levels. Proficient students (native speaker level) will be directed towards our BA in Translation as a more appropriate course.
More information
Learn new skills
Learn a new language
From Arabic to Spanish, you can learn a new language alongside your degree with our Polylang programme.
Develop your entrepreneurial skills
Our award-winning Creative Enterprise Centre offers industry networking events, workshops, one-to-one business advice and support for your startup projects.
Gain extra qualifications
We provide access to free online courses in Adobe and Microsoft Office applications, as well as thousands of specialist courses on LinkedIn Learning.
Fees and Funding
UK tuition fee: £1,540 (Price per 20-credit module)
When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.
Find out how we set our tuition fees.
Funding
As well as tuition fee loans, there is a range of funding available to help you fund your studies.
Find out about undergraduate student funding options.
Scholarships
The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible undergraduate students, which cover all or part of your tuition fees.
Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.
Additional costs
You should budget for about £50 in each year for additional materials.
See also our general policy on what your tuition fees cover.
International tuition fee: £2,570 (Price per 20-credit module)
When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.
Find out how we set our tuition fees.
EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme
If you are an international student accepted on an undergraduate programme starting in September 2024 or September 2025 at level 3 (Foundation) or level 4 (first year) on the basis of an eligible EU qualification only, you will be awarded a tuition fee reduction which will align your fee more closely to the one for UK students. For more information, see the EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme.
International student funding
Find out about funding for international students.
Additional costs
You should budget for about £50 in each year for additional materials.
See also our general policy on what your tuition fees cover.
Teaching and Assessment
Below you will find how learning time and assessment types are distributed on this course. The graphs below give an indication of what you can expect through approximate percentages, taken either from the experience of previous cohorts, or based on the standard module diet where historic course data is unavailable. Changes to the division of learning time and assessment may be made in response to feedback and in accordance with our terms and conditions.
How you'll be taught
Teaching methods across all our undergraduate courses focus on active student learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based and blended learning, and where appropriate practical application. Learning typically falls into three broad categories:
- Scheduled hours: examples include lectures, seminars, practical classes, workshops, supervised time in a studio
- Placement: placement hours normally include placement opportunities, but may also include live projects or virtual activity involving employers
- Independent study: non-scheduled time in which students are expected to study independently. This may include preparation for scheduled sessions, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks, or revision
How you'll be assessed
Our undergraduate courses include a wide variety of assessments.
Assessments typically fall into three broad categories:
- Practical: examples include presentations, videos, podcasts, lab work, creating artefacts
- Written exams: end of semester exams
- Coursework: examples include essays, reports, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertation
Data from the academic year 2023/24
Supporting you
Our Student Hub is where you’ll find out about the services and support we offer, helping you get the best out of your time with us.
- Study support — workshops, 1-2-1 support and online resources to help improve your academic and research skills
- Personal tutors — support you in fulfilling your academic and personal potential
- Student advice team — provide specialist advice on a range of issues including funding, benefits and visas
- Extra-curricular activities — volunteering opportunities, sports and fitness activities, student events and more
Course location
Our Regent Campus is comprised of two sites, situated on and around Regent Street – one of the most famous and vibrant streets in London.
Subjects including Criminology and Sociology, English and Creative Writing, History, Languages, Politics and International Relations and Visual Culture are based at 309 Regent Street, which includes recently refurbished social spaces, gym facilities and our Regent Street Cinema.
For more details, visit our locations page.
Contact us
Call our dedicated team on:
+44 (0)20 7911 5000 ext 65511
Opening hours (GMT): 10am–4pm Monday to Friday
Opening hours (GMT): 10am–4pm Monday to Friday
More information
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