Spanish and International Development BA (Hons)

University of Reading

On the BA Spanish and International Development programme, you will develop your abilities in Spanish, and achieve a profound understanding of different cultures and their development needs and aspirations.

Join our friendly and dynamic Department of Languages and Cultures, which offers the opportunity to study in a lively, multilingual community with staff and students from all over the world. We offer a flexible and supportive approach to learning which allows you to tailor your degree to your interests, including the opportunity to learn other languages.

A joint honours degree that combines Spanish and International Development can give you an insight into fascinating societies, cultures and histories around the world. This programme provides an interdisciplinary grounding in development, addressing real world issues affecting people and planet, in conjunction with in-depth study of the Spanish language and its diverse cultures.

Through this course you will become confident and highly skilled in written and spoken Spanish. You will master the fundamental elements of the language, to the point where you will graduate with a near-native command of it. We provide accelerated learning in Spanish, meaning that you can start from beginner's level if you have not done Spanish A level. Regardless of which level you join the course at, you can expect to become confident and highly skilled in written and spoken Spanish by the final year. 90% of our students agreed that staff are good at explaining things in the Department of Languages and Cultures [1].

A wide range of optional modules in Spanish and Latin American culture, history, literature, theatre, politics and film enhance your learning, and provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the country. This includes parts of the developing world. You will have the opportunity to study with staff who are internationally recognised experts in Spanish and Latin American literature, history and culture; including history and film, as well as translation and adaptation studies. These include comprehensive first-year modules including Icons of Spain and Latin America and Introduction to Spanish and Latin American Culture; second-year modules including Literature and Society in the Modern Hispanic World and Culture and Revolution in Modern Latin America; and final-year modules including Memory, Dictatorship and Cultural Resistance in the Southern Cone, Writers and Publishers in Spain and Narrating the Colombian Conflict.

An integral part of the course is the opportunity for you to spend up to a year in a Spanish-speaking country, either studying at a partner institution, undertaking a work placement or working as a British Council language teaching assistant. It enables you to directly immerse yourself in the culture and develop your language to a near-native level. Modules in the second year will prepare you for studying abroad, equipping you with the skills and knowledge required to work and live in a different culture.

[1] National Student Survey, 2022.