This Joint Honours course will give you the opportunity to study French or German alongside classical Greek.

Whether you start at beginners’, advanced or native-speaker level, you will study the core language components of French or German, gaining skills in writing, reading, speaking and listening. All our language teaching is led by native speakers.

The remainder of your modern languages study will give you an opportunity to explore the literature, art, culture and history of the language area you are studying, from seventeenth-century French theatre to representations of childhood and youth in German culture.  As a modern linguist, you will develop excellent communication and research skills, and combine lingusitic proficiency with cross-cultural perspectives.

In your third year you will have the opportunity to spend a year working, teaching or studying abroad in a French or German-speaking country, where you will immerse yourself in the language and culture, truly broadening your horizons in the process.

• On graduation you will have language and analytical skills in a modern language together with additional knowledge of culture, society, and history, that will give you a valuable competitive edge in an increasingly globalised world.
• Our research staff are engaged in research at the highest level internationally; we are in the top 10 of UK Modern Language departments for research quality and the top in London (Research Assessment Exercise 2014).

Studying classical Greek develops your language by focusing on the study of ancient Greek texts. Over three years you’ll become a specialist in both the language and literature of the ancient Greeks, with the option to study classical archaeology, ancient philosophy as well as ancient history and classical literature in translation.

Greek is part of our Classics Department, where the combination of quality of research that informs our teaching, and the friendly, individual approach that shapes the way we guide our students, creates an unbeaten academic experience.

On completion of this joint degree you will be a modern and ancient linguist with excellent communication, analytical and research skills. You will be able to understand and process complex issues, to critically evaluate resources and construct coherent arguments both verbally and in writing, all of which are skills that employees are looking for. 

Having spent a year abroad you will have developed the kind of sensitivity to different cultures that is highly prized in the workplace. This experience and the skills gained will make you highly employable and ready to pursue your chosen career, whether that be in Britain or abroad.

Modern Language graduates have entered a wide range of careers including international management, consultancy, sales and marketing, media and publishing, banking, the arts, politics, teaching, travel and tourism, as well as translating and interpreting.

Recent employers include:

• Mazda Motors Europe
• The British Council
• Oxfam Head Office
• Merlin Entertainments Group
• Ralph Lauren

Studying Greek involves analysing the cultural, social and political context of the ancient world. This intellectually demanding discipline you will help you develop a broad range of skills which are highly prized by employers, including: the ability to communicate views and present arguments clearly and coherently; the ability to critically digest, analyse and summarise content; time management and the discipline to meet deadlines; organisation and research skills; and problem-solving skills and capability.

Being able to understand and process complex issues, to critically evaluate resources and construct coherent arguments both verbally and in writing is why many Royal Holloway graduates enter careers in law, marketing, publishing, the media, government and finance.