French and Spanish

French and Spanish at Oxford combines two of Europe's greatest literary and cultural traditions, studied together at the highest level of scholarly rigour in the UK. French connects you to a language and literature that has shaped European thought for centuries, from the medieval chanson de geste and the Renaissance writers through Molière and Voltaire and the modernists, and to a contemporary France that remains a major force in European politics, philosophy, and culture. Spanish connects you to more than 500 million speakers across two continents, to the extraordinary literary tradition that stretches from Cervantes to Borges, and to the contemporary cultural and political dynamism of the Spanish-speaking world.

Studying both at Oxford means developing genuine fluency and critical depth in each.

This four-year programme at Oxford requires intensive language work from the start, with language study running throughout the degree in parallel with literary, cultural, and historical study. You will read widely in both French and Spanish in the original, from medieval texts to contemporary writing, and you will develop the close reading and analytical skills that Oxford's tutorial system cultivates at a very high level. The university's extensive library resources in both languages are exceptional, and the faculty includes leading scholars in French and Hispanic studies.

The combination of French and Spanish from Oxford produces graduates with an intellectual profile that is genuinely rare: fluency in two major Romance languages, deep engagement with two vast literary and cultural traditions, and the analytical and writing skills that come from one of the world's most demanding educational environments.

Graduates go on to careers in diplomacy and international relations, law, journalism, publishing, translation, academia, international business, and cultural organisations. Postgraduate study in French or Hispanic studies, comparative literature, or translation studies is a natural further step for those who wish to develop specialist expertise.