Hebrew and Serbian/Croatian

Hebrew and Serbian/Croatian is an unusual but coherent combination, bringing together two languages from very different families and traditions. Hebrew carries with it an extraordinary literary and historical weight, spanning ancient biblical texts through to a vigorous modern literature in a language that was revived as a spoken tongue in the twentieth century. Serbian and Croatian, while closely related, open up the cultures of the former Yugoslavia and the wider South Slavic world, with their own rich literatures, turbulent modern histories, and distinctive cultural traditions.

Studying both languages gives you access to parts of the world and bodies of thought that relatively few non-native speakers engage with seriously.

At University College London, this four-year full-time joint honours degree divides equally between your two languages. You will study all aspects of each language, including speaking, listening, reading, writing, and translation, and you will also explore cultural topics including literature, history, film, linguistics, and politics in both traditions. The wide variety of modules available allows you to tailor the degree to your own interests as they develop.

In your third year you will spend a year abroad, divided between countries where each of your languages is spoken, giving you immersive linguistic experience and a deeper cultural understanding that is impossible to acquire from a classroom alone. With a typical entry tariff of 152 UCAS points, this is a programme suited to students with strong academic ability and a genuine fascination with language and culture.

Graduates from Hebrew and Serbian/Croatian programmes bring a distinctive and rare combination of linguistic and cultural knowledge to the job market. Careers in translation and interpreting, journalism, diplomacy, international organisations, the foreign office, academia, heritage work, and publishing are all open to graduates with serious competence in these languages. Many go on to postgraduate study in linguistics, area studies, translation, or related fields.