Politics and Language
Politics combined with a modern language is a degree that addresses a real gap in how political understanding is often formed: most political science is conducted in English and from English-speaking or Western European perspectives, and adding a serious modern language to your political education opens access to political cultures, debates, and intellectual traditions that are largely invisible in translation. Whether you choose French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, or another language, you are developing the ability to understand political life from the inside of another linguistic and cultural tradition.
At Birkbeck College, part of the University of London, this part-time BA is designed for working adults and is taught in the evenings and at weekends, making it possible to pursue a rigorous degree alongside professional and personal commitments. You will become competent in your chosen modern language while acquiring advanced knowledge of cultural topics and a thorough understanding of the nature of politics and government in contemporary societies. The programme draws on Birkbeck's distinctive strength as a university built for working learners, and its central London location provides access to the institutions and organisations that are themselves subjects of political analysis.
Political science topics include comparative politics, political theory, international relations, and the politics of specific world regions.
Graduates of politics and a modern language work in diplomacy, the civil service, international organisations, journalism, public affairs, the cultural sector, education, and the many private and public sector roles where political literacy and language competence are both valued. The combination is particularly well suited to careers in European or international affairs. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in politics, international relations, or language-related fields, or to professional development in areas such as translation, diplomacy, or public administration.