History and Modern Languages & Cultures

Develop your language skills and historical awareness while deepening your understanding of cultures and societies in Europe and beyond. Both disciplines involve imagination and empathy - to interpret the traces of the past or other languages requires us to appreciate and understand many points of view.

Hone the analytical, practical and language skills you need to conduct international historical research - and to shape a successful future.

Investigate past societies, from the ancient world through to the modern period, addressing political and social themes. When combined with your study of one or two languages, this will be the lens through which you examine the cultures and societies of Europe and beyond.

The freedom and choice in this dual honours degree means you can design your course according to your growing interests.

Choose from cultural modules that cover topics such as visual cultures, literary studies, post-colonialism and language families.

As you progress, you’ll learn to exercise independent judgement, to be critical of accepted opinion and to present your arguments effectively - all while developing your chosen language or languages to a high level.

Why study this course?

Delve into the history and cultures of the world: Combine history with one or two languages, leading to a richer cultural understanding – and enhanced study options. Choose from 10 languages including German, French, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Czech, Catalan, Italian, and Luxembourgish.

History Special Subject: Sheffield’s research-led history special subject, which you take in your third year, enables you to become an expert in your chosen area over a full year of teaching. In four hours a week of small group seminars, you'll explore a specialised area of history with a subject expert, work with original sources and engage with cutting-edge historical analysis.

Year abroad: The year abroad in third year enables you to immerse yourself in the language, culture and society of the language or languages you study.