Czech and Hungarian

Czech and Hungarian at University College London's School of Slavonic and East European Studies brings together two Central European languages from different linguistic families, each with its own remarkable literary tradition and cultural history. Czech is a West Slavic language, closely related to Slovak, spoken in a country whose modern history has been shaped by Habsburg rule, the First Republic, the Nazi occupation, communist governance, and the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Hungarian is a Finno-Ugric language, entirely unrelated to the Slavic languages around it, with a distinctive grammatical structure that makes it one of the more challenging and rewarding European languages to learn, and it opens access to a literary tradition that includes some of the most celebrated poetry and prose of Central Europe.

This four-year programme gives you genuine proficiency in both languages alongside deep cultural and historical knowledge.

You will take modules in language skills across speaking, listening, reading, writing, and translation in both Czech and Hungarian, alongside cultural study covering literature, history, film, linguistics, and politics. The wide variety of modules available allows you to tailor the degree to your own interests. The year abroad in your third year, split between countries where your languages are spoken, is essential for developing real fluency and cultural understanding.

SSEES is one of the UK's largest centres for the study of Central and Eastern Europe, and studying there connects you to an exceptional scholarly community.

A typical entry tariff of 168 points reflects the selectivity of the programme. Graduates move into careers in translation and interpreting, journalism, academia, diplomacy, international organisations, business with a Central European focus, cultural institutions, and government. Many continue to postgraduate study in Slavonic studies, Hungarian studies, or area studies.