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To apply you’ll need to:
- Make note of the Queen Mary institution code: Q50
- Make note of your chosen course UCAS code:
Hispanic Studies and Comparative Literature
- QR24 — BA (Hons)
- Click on the link below:
Have further questions? How to apply | Entry requirements
Hispanic Studies and Comparative Literature
Key information
- Degree
- BA (Hons)
- Duration
- 4 years
- Start
- September 2023
- UCAS code
- QR24
- Institution code
- Q50
- Typical A-Level offer
- Grades BBB at A-Level. This must include at least one essay based A-Level in a humanities or social sciences subject. Applicants will also be expected to have a GCSE in a language or have experience of learning a language other than your mother tongue. Excludes General Studies.
Full entry requirements - Home fees
- £9,250*
- Overseas fees
- Fees for 2022 entry will appear here shortly
*These fees are for the 2021-22 academic year and are provided as a guideline. Fees for 2022-23 have not yet been set.
Overview
Explore Catalan, Portuguese and Spanish language and culture while expanding your literary and cultural horizons.
Our BA in Hispanic Studies and Comparative Literature will see you combine these two subjects, with an equal focus on each.
From the regions of Spain to the diverse countries of Latin America, Hispanic Studies covers the history, politics, sport, literature and film of several nations. As the second most widely spoken language in the world, Spanish is considered an important tool for intercultural communication. You can also choose to learn Portuguese or Catalan, thereby gaining access to other rich cultures.
At the same time, you’ll gain a solid grounding in the discipline of literary studies, choosing from a range of topics from modern fairy tales to First World War literature, and a host of themes from madness to migration.
You’ll spend your third year in Spain or Latin America, boosting your language skills among native speakers.
Structure
The Spanish language modules you take will depend on your entry level. We offer separate classes for beginner, post-A-level and native speakers.
Year 1
- Culture and Language
- Introduction to Literature: Texts and Contexts
- Spanish language module (streamed according to entry level)
- The Scene of Learning
- Understanding Culture: An Introduction to Cultural Theory
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Year 2
Compulsory
- Spanish language module (streamed according to entry level)
- The Scene of Reading
Choose up to three from
- Colonial Literatures, Post-Colonial Perspectives
- Experiments in contemporary Women’s Writing
- Fairy Tales in the Modern World
- Homeward Bound: From the Odyssey to O Brother Where Art Thou?
- Literature and Philosophy
- Madness, Past and Present
- Migration through Photography
- Photography and Narrative
- Presentations of London in Modern European Literature and Film
- Why Belgium? Identities, Cultures, Narratives
Choose one or two from
- Brazilian Cinema: The Social Tradition
- Catalan Literature: An Introduction
- Colonialism and Culture in Latin America
- Cuban Poetry and Fiction: Post 1980
- Culture and Society in Medieval Spain: Christian, Jews and Muslims
- Introduction to Translation Studies: Catalan, Spanish, English
- Introductory Catalan
- Introductory Portuguese
- Literature, Dictatorship and Cultural Memory in the Hispanic World
- Modern Spanish Fiction
- The Spanish Inquisition
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Year 3
- Year abroad
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Year 4
Compulsory
- Spanish Language Module
- The Scene of Writing
Choose up to three from
- Comparative Literature Research Project
- Comparative Modernisms: the Case of China and India
- Constellations: Online Anthology Group Project
- Faust in Legend, Literature and the Arts
- First World War Literatures
- Grand Tours: 19th century Adventure Stories for Young Readers and their 20th century Afterlives
- Lost in Translation?
- On the Subject of Sex II: Queen to Queer
- Photography: The Self and its Image
- The East in the West
Choose one or two from
- Advanced Oral Competence in Spanish
- Catalan II Intensive
- Cervantes and the Nature of Fiction
- Languages in the Classroom: Teaching Spanish
- Modern Languages Research Project
- Portuguese II Intensive
- Slavery, Colonialism and Postcolonialism in African Cinema
- Spanish Translation: Theory and Practice
- Subversive Humour in Modern Spanish and Latin American Literature and Film
- The Mexican Revolution and its Aftermath
- War, Humour and Love in Medieval Spanish Literature
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Year abroad
You have three options for how to spend the year abroad:
- teaching English as a foreign language assistant
- attending university
- in the professional world, either on a work placement, with our support, or independently, with our approval.
You could also split your time abroad between two countries and two different placements.
We have partner institutions in Spain (Almería, Barcelona, Madrid, Málaga, Murcia, Oviedo, Seville, Salamanca, Santiago de Compostela, Valencia, and Vigo), Latin America (Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico) and Colombia (Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá).
Find out more about study abroad opportunities at Queen Mary.
Teaching
Teaching and learning
You’ll receive approximately 12 hours of weekly contact time, in the form of lectures, seminars and language classes.
You will spend up to five hours per week in language classes – in small groups of no more than 20 for classroom or language lab teaching, and no more than 10 for oral and aural work.
For every hour spent in class, you’ll complete a further two to three hours of independent study.
Assessment
Assessment typically includes a combination of coursework and exams, or coursework only. You’ll also be assessed through oral exams for language modules (including producing a short radio programme), final-year dissertations, independent projects and creative journals.
Resources and facilities
The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:
- the Queen Mary library
- the Multimedia Language Resource Centre, equipped with digital labs and resource rooms, teacher and student workstations, interactive whiteboards, and software for viewing live international satellite TV broadcasts
- language clubs and social activities, including film screenings, discussion groups and debates
- subscriptions to foreign newspapers and journals
- guest speaker seminars, which allow you to hear from academics, researchers and experts from institutions in Europe and North America.
Learn another language
If you’re interested in learning another language, you can sign up for a course at Queen Mary’s Language Centre, where you can choose from Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German or Japanese.
Entry requirements
| A-Level | Grades BBB at A-Level. This must include at least one essay based A-Level in a humanities or social sciences subject. Applicants will also be expected to have a GCSE in a language or have experience of learning a language other than your mother tongue. Excludes General Studies. |
| IB | International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 30 points overall, including 5,5,5 from three Higher Level subjects. This must include an essay based humanities or social sciences subject at Higher Level. |
| BTEC | See our detailed subject and grade requirements |
| Access HE | We consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall, with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 15 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. For programmes with French, applicants must have studied French to at least GCSE level. For all other single and joint honours language programmes, experience of learning a language other than your mother tongue, and a demonstrable aptitude for language study are required. Applications are considered on a case by case basis, and we may request an interview. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not make offers of study purely on the basis of meeting grade requirements. |
| GCSE | Minimum five GCSE passes including English at grade C or 4. |
| EPQ | Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification. For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq |
| Contextualised admissions | We consider every application on its individual merits and will take into consideration your individual educational experiences and context. More information on how academic schools and programmes use this information as part of the admissions process, can be found on our contextualised admissions pages. |
Non-UK students
We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.
If your qualifications are not accepted for direct entry onto this degree, consider applying for a foundation programme.
English language
Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.
You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.
Further information
Funding
Loans and grants
UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.
Scholarships and bursaries
Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.
Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.
Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.
Support from Queen Mary
We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.
Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:
- additional sources of funding
- planning your budget and cutting costs
- part-time and vacation work
- money for lone parents.
Careers
Hispanic Studies and Comparative Literature graduates have a broad range of skills that can take them through to successful careers, such as analytical and critical thinking. Some apply their degree knowledge directly, entering careers such as interpreting, teaching and publishing, whilst others transfer skills gained during study into areas such as marketing.
Recent graduates have been hired by:
- Bloomberg
- British Council
- ESI International
- Hall & Partners
- Mildmay International
- Sony.
Career support
Final year students can attend two bespoke events: 'What a difference the year abroad makes', which highlights how the year abroad helps you stand out in the graduate job market, and 'Career avenues for literature students', which explains the wide range of career options and how studying comparative literature prepares students for these. Alumni share their own experience at both events.
Our careers team can also offer:
- specialist advice on choosing a career path
- support with finding work experience, internships and graduate jobs
- feedback on CVs, cover letters and application forms
- interview coaching.
Unistats data
About the School
The School of Languages, Linguistics and Film is friendly and collaborative, bringing a vibrant range of disciplines together. We teach and research on subjects from practical filmmaking to postmodern literature, and from experimental neurolinguistics to Brazilian Portuguese.
This year, Russian and French students have produced plays in their language, linguistics students have presented their research at conferences and film students have directed, shot and edited many short films.
Our work engages the local community through workshops, research projects and public events. We are visited by poets, novelists and outside experts, and we make the most of our location, forging strong links with London’s cultural institutions.
In the 2017 National Student Survey, French and Hispanic Studies received overall satisfaction ratings of 100 per cent – top in the UK. Satisfaction among linguistics students was at 92 per cent. German was ranked first in London and Hispanic Studies and Russian in the top five by the Complete University Guide 2018.
