Bachelor of Arts (BA)

BA French and Italian

Gain specialist language and culture skills with a focus on France and Italy.

  • Duration: 4 years
  • Year of entry: 2026
  • UCAS course code: RR13 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Study abroad
  • Study with a language

Full entry requirementsHow to apply

Overview

Course overview

  • Perfect your expertise in two languages and extend your knowledge of a wide range of countries and cultures.
  • Spend your third year studying or working abroad in Italy and a French-speaking country.
  • Study at a university ranked 6th in the UK for Modern Languages (QS World University Rankings by subject 2024).

Contact details

School/Faculty
School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
Telephone
+44 (0)161 509 2871
Email
Website
https://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/modern-languages/
School/Faculty overview

See: About us

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

A-level

ABB including French and/or Italian.

You will be placed in the Advanced stream for your post A Level language(s) with a requirement of grade B or above and the Beginners stream if you have not studied the language before. Only one language can be studied at Beginners level.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

A-level contextual offer

BBC including French and/or Italian

You will be placed in the Advanced stream for your post A Level language(s) with a requirement of grade B or above and the Beginners stream if you have not studied the language before. Only one language can be studied at Beginners level.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Contextual offers are available for applicants who:

  • live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and
  • live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and
  • have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years.

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

UK refugee/care-experienced offer

BBC including French and/or Italian.

You will be placed in the Advanced stream for your post A Level language(s) with a requirement of grade B or above and the Beginners stream if you have not studied the language before. Only one language can be studied at Beginners level.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

UK refugee/care-experienced offers are available for applicants who:

  • have been looked after in care for more than three months; or
  • have been granted refugee status by the UK government or have been issued a UK visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

International Baccalaureate

34 points overall, 6,5,5 in Higher Level subjects including French and/or Italian

Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.

GCSE/IGCSE

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade 6 or B in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and 4 or C in Mathematics. GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the admissions team in your academic School/Department for clarification.

Other entry requirements

Other entry requirements exist for this course. You may view these by selecting from the list below.

Country-specific entry requirements

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements including English language see accepted entry qualifications from your country .

English language requirements

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

GCSE/IGCSE English Language grade B/6, or;

IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.5 in each component, or;

An acceptable equivalent qualification.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

If you need to improve your English language skills to meet the entry requirements for your academic course, the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) summer pre-sessional courses can help. Check if your academic course offers the option of taking a pre-sessional course on the UCAE page .

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language (common European Framework (CEFR B2 level) to be granted a Student Route visa (previously known as a Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

In addition, our academic Schools/Departments may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found  here .

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years.

Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Fees and funding

Fees

Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

Residence abroad support

We offer dedicated financial support packages of up to £2,000 for residence abroad students, based on household income.

You will be automatically assessed for this, based on your Student Finance financial assessment - you just need to make sure you apply for a financial assessment in the academic year in which your residence abroad will take place.

Scholarships and Bursaries

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply through UCAS

Advice to applicants

Mitigating circumstances may be personal or family illness, other family circumstances, change of teachers during a course, problems with school facilities or an unusual curriculum followed by your school or college. 

We recommend that information on mitigating circumstances that have affected or are likely to affect your academic performance should be included in the referee's report. 

We cannot usually consider information that is supplied after an adverse decision has been made on an application by the admitting School. 

If you encounter mitigating circumstances after you have submitted your application, please inform the admissions staff in the School to which you applied as soon as possible. 

Where mitigating circumstances have already been considered, for example by the relevant Exam Board, we will not be able to make further allowances.

Home-schooled applicants

If you are a student who has followed a non-standard educational route, e.g. you have been educated at home; your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course for which you are applying.

You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the specified academic entry requirements of the course.

We will also require a reference from somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education.

If you are a home schooled student and would like further information or advice, please contact the academic School for your chosen course who will be able to help you.

Non-standard educational routes

Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences.

Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest. There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.

The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates.If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.

Further information for mature students can be found on our How to apply page.

Returning to education

We welcome applicants who are looking to return to study and value their contribution to the departmental culture and social life.

Access courses are acceptable as an entry route to this course - please contact the UG Admissions Team.

Deferrals

Applications for deferred entry are considered equally to other applications up to the point of confirmation.  Deferred entry is granted on the discretion of admissions staff, and is normally granted for one year only and two years at the maximum. Some English Language test results, such as IELTS or TOEFL are only valid for two years from the test date.

Policy for applicants who resit their qualifications

If you have re-sat individual modules to improve your grades, we will consider your application according to the standard selection process. If you are planning to re-sit the final Year 13 examinations, or have already done so, the University will consider your application, but we may require further information in order to make an informed judgment on your application.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry.  In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved.  We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.If you are applying for a place for the same year of entry through UCAS Extra, you should provide additional evidence of your suitability for the course. If you are applying through clearing you are required to meet the clearing requirements. In both UCAS Extra and clearing the places will be subject to availability.

Course details

Course description

French

  • Over 70% of our staff are native speakers, teaching you in French in 'language' classes as well as most 'culture' classes.
  • You will experience between 3 and 6 hours of French grammar and conversation every week (at post A-Level or beginners' level), in order to reach near-native precision and fluency. This will run in parallel with optional course units on French and Francophone history, politics, literature, popular culture and/or linguistics, from the Early Modern period to the present.
  • You will benefit from our long-established partnership with the Alliance Française de Manchester with cultural events throughout the year, such as film screenings, talks, plays, concerts, exhibitions and intensive language classes.
  • You will also benefit from our collaboration with the Institut de Touraine in the Loire Valley, which hosts Easter and Summer French language classes that are appropriate for anyone from beginners to finalists.
  • Our range and quality of courses are regularly cited for praise by external examiners and three colleagues have won University Teaching Excellence Awards.

Italian

  • Our course units give you advanced Italian language skills together with an in-depth understanding of Italian culture and society, taught by a range of specialists within these fields.
  • We also offer linguistics options for those interested in the history of the Italian language and its dialects.
  • Language courses are taught by native speakers, and involve comprehension, translation, grammar and oral work.
  • Colleagues in Italian have won University Teaching Excellence awards and are regularly nominated for the annual Student Union teaching awards. They have also been recognized nationally for their innovative use of digital technologies in teaching and learning and for their research
  • You will benefit from extensive interaction with Italian cultural agencies in the North West.
  • You will also benefit from the world-class Italian holdings of the John Rylands Library, including one of the largest collections of early Italian printed books in the UK.

The course unit details listed below are those you may choose to study as part of this programme and are referred to as optional units. These are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this programme.

Although language units may show here as optional, they are a mandatory part of your modern languages degree and you will take the units relevant to your level of language in each year of study.

It is compulsory to study language at all levels of your modern languages degree.

Aims

  • Provide you with a comprehensive grounding in French and Italian language, literature, culture, history and linguistics, enabling you to become proficient enough to live and work effectively in French and Italian-speaking environments.
  • Develop your knowledge of the language, culture and history of Italy and France.

Special features

Residence abroad

You can study and/or work  for up to a year in a country or countries relevant to your chosen language(s) to improve your communicative language skills in a native-speaker environment.

Collaborations and partnerships

The University has links with language and cultural institutions across the city, including:

  • Instituto Cervantes - a centre for Spanish culture;
  • HOME - international and contemporary art, theatre and film;
  • Manchester China Institute - promoting mutual understanding in UK-China relations through research, teaching, and activities;
  • Alliance Française - home of French language and culture.

Societies

The University is home to over 30 international and language-related student societies offering a breadth of cultural activities and experiences.

Join the Francophone Society and benefit from French classes, discussion groups, cheese and wine nights, film screenings, themed socials and a yearly trip to Paris.

Teaching and learning

You will learn through a mixture of formal lectures, seminars and tutorials, spending approximately 12 hours a week in formal study sessions.

For every hour of university study, you will be expected to complete a further 2-3 hours of independent study. You will also need to study during the holiday periods.

The individual study component could be spent reading, producing written work, revising for examinations or working in the University's Language Centre .

Coursework and assessment

You will be assessed in various ways, including:

  • written and oral examinations;
  • presentations;
  • coursework (which may include library research, linguistic fieldwork and data collection, or web-based research);
  • in your final year, you will have the option to write a dissertation based on a research topic of your choice.

Assessment methods vary from course unit to course unit - see individual course unit listings for more information.

Course content for year 1

You will study 60 credits from each discipline. 

The first year equips you with a range of important skills such as linguistic expertise, the ability to read and analyse material, skills in presentation, group work and independent language learning. 

Language instruction is divided between complete beginner (ab initio) and post-A-level groups. 

French  

  • Course units are broad-based at this level and cover 350 years of key French events, people, ideas and cultural production. 

Italian  

  • In Year 1 Italian language instruction is divided between complete beginners (ab initio) and post-A-level groups (with the majority of students being beginners). 

  • Ab initio students have four contact hours per week with their nominated Italian teacher as part of a course specifically designed to build confidence in comprehension, writing, speaking and listening skills. Post-A-level students have 3 hours consolidating and building competency on specific language points. All first year students also have an additional linguistics hour, introducing them to the history and structures of the Italian language. 

  • Culture units cover topics from the filmic and literary to the historic and linguistic, all of which reflect academic staff research interests. 

  • Year 1 is specifically designed to begin furnishing candidates with the tools to enable them to read cultural products with confidence, be they texts, pictures, buildings or linguistic constructions. 

You will take only the language units relevant to your level of language in each year of study.

Course units for year 1

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
FREN10150 20 Mandatory
ITAL10300 20 Mandatory
FREN10070 20 Optional
FREN51011 20 Optional
FREN51022 20 Optional
FREN51030 20 Optional
ITAL10500 20 Optional
ITAL51011 20 Optional
ITAL51022 20 Optional
ITAL51030 20 Optional

Course content for year 2

You may choose to study up to two-thirds of your credits from either discipline or maintain equal weighting.  

This year's core language course units develop those of the previous year and prepare you for the linguistic challenges of your year abroad, including dedicated sessions on writing CVs and cover letters for job applications in your chosen language(s).  

French   

  • Year 2 course units broadly fall under four categories: literature, history and politics, popular culture, and linguistics and translation. Topics covered include race and colonisation, cinema, literary representations of the 'tragic', and sociolinguistics. 

  • All include a research component that encourages you to develop your skills of analysis and information-gathering, working independently or in a group.  

Italian   

  • In Year 2, the core language component builds on the grammar topics covered in Year 1, in order to prepare you for the year abroad. Both the post-beginners and post-A-level language modules have three contact hours per week in addition to working on set assignments and undertaking private study.  

  • Your course units in second year are more specialized than in first year, allowing you to explore a diverse range of subjects and approaches. Current options include the Italian Renaissance and Italian Fascism.   

  • All our culture units have three contact hours per week and are augmented by materials and content placed in the units' Blackboard virtual learning environment.  

  • Our modules are assessed by a variety of different coursework assessment types, including essays and commentaries, book reviews, reports, presentations, and innovative digital projects such as group curated exhibitions.

Course units for year 2

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
FREN20271 20 Optional
FREN20682 20 Optional
FREN21212 20 Optional
FREN21771 20 Optional
FREN51040 20 Optional
FREN51050 20 Optional
ITAL20502 20 Optional
ITAL21011 20 Optional
ITAL21102 20 Optional
ITAL51040 20 Optional
ITAL51050 20 Optional
LELA20292 20 Optional
Displaying 10 of 12 course units for year 2

Course content for year 3

Your third year of study is  spent abroad  under approved conditions.

Course content for year 4

You may choose to study up to two-thirds of your credits from either discipline or maintain equal weighting.  

You will continue with your core language course unit and choose additional units from a wide range of even more specialised options, including a dissertation in one of your subjects.  

French   

  • In Year 4, your language study is centred on sophisticated essay writing, translation and oral debate.   

  • Also available are course units that cover topics closely related to the research interests of individual members of staff (eg exoticism and travel writing, popular music, and cinema).   

  • As part of your final-year work, you can write a dissertation on a theme of your choice related to one of your course units.  

Italian   

  • In Year 4, you build on the linguistic authenticity acquired abroad in the core language unit, and can choose from a range of specialized content course units.   

  • The final year language course develops your core skills to an advanced level, including translation into English, writing different kinds of target-language texts, and oral work including discussion of texts, debates, and presentations. The language component of the course comprises three contact hours per week, in addition to working on set assignments and undertaking private study. 

  • Course units available in final year are closely related to the research interests of individual members of staff, in areas such as romance linguistics, Renaissance Florence, Italy and the Grand Tour, book history, and the political and cultural history of Italy. 

  • You will also be able to undertake a research-orientated dissertation in Italian (often using the primary sources held in the Rylands Library, which has outstanding Italian holdings), and can participate in the Italian department's mentoring and outreach programmes.

Course units for year 4

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
FREN51060 20 Mandatory
ITAL51060 20 Mandatory
ELAN30241 20 Optional
ELAN31182 20 Optional
FREN30731 20 Optional
FREN30832 20 Optional
FREN30842 20 Optional
ITAL30582 20 Optional
ITAL31001 20 Optional
ITAL32001 20 Optional
LALC30000 40 Optional
Displaying 10 of 11 course units for year 4

Facilities

The University Language Centre is home to language resources, including a new interpreting suite, purpose-built recording rooms, and resources for more than 70 languages.

The Centre also offers multilingual word processing, language learning software, off-air recording and AV duplication, multilingual terrestrial and satellite TV, and extensive support and advice for learners.

Learn more on our Facilities page.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

A degree in Modern Languages and Cultures paves the way for a broad range of careers. You'll develop intercultural awareness and enhanced communication skills - both highly valued by employers.

You'll also acquire transferable expertise at the very heart of language learning, including enhanced powers of perception and interpretation and advanced decision-making and multitasking skills.

You'll develop independence and self-confidence during your residence abroad, and your intercultural communication skills will make you a strong contender for media, journalism and PR roles.

Many of our graduates go straight into business services, marketing, advertising, management, banking or communications.

Others pursue postgraduate study or further vocational training to become accountants, lawyers, teachers (both in the UK and overseas) or to enter the Civil Service.

The University of Manchester is the second most targeted university in the UK for top graduate employers (High Fliers Research, 2024).

Employers who have taken on graduates of our French courses in the past include KPMG, Deloitte, L'Oréal, BT, Louis Vuitton, Rothschild, Hilton Hotels, British Council, Teach First, Barclays and the BBC.

Employers who have taken on graduates of our Italian courses in the past include Zalando, Greenpeace, NHS, Barclays,Roblenko, Alfred H Knight, Fresh Direct, P&A Receivables, Connexity Europe, Sane Communications, Benchmark International, Wellocks,Cognolink and Penguin Random House.

The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate.

At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability.

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.