History and Modern Languages
The joint degree in History and Modern Languages combines the best of both subjects. It offers the opportunity to develop near native-speaker skills in a foreign language while studying a range of papers relating to the culture and history of the relevant language area. Students will also develop analytical skills in History through a wide range of topics in British, European, American and World history, as well as the history of political thought. As for other language students, those who take this course will spend their third year studying or working abroad, thereby immersing themselves in the language, culture, history and politics of a foreign country.
You can find more about the History Faculty and the Modern Languages Faculty on their websites.
Overview
Students admitted per year: 1-2
Typical offer:
A Level: A*AA
IB Diploma: 41 points, with 776 at Higher Level
Subject requirements: no subjects required. Applicants intending to study a language post-A Level (rather than from scratch) should have studied that language to A Level or equivalent. French cannot be studied ab initio.
Useful subjects: almost all applicants will have taken History to A Level. If you have not taken a language to A Level, we will look for evidence of language aptitude.
Admissions Assessment: n/a
Written work: two pieces, of a maximum of 3,000 words total
Why choose Newnham for History and Modern Languages?
Newnham students benefit from the excellent resources provided by the College as well as the University. The College runs an unusually well-stocked undergraduate library, including one of the largest modern languages collections in Cambridge. We also have periodicals and newspapers in the major European languages. Newnham is also just across the road from both the History and MML Faculties, on the Sidgwick site.
Newnham has a long tradition of valuing teaching as an integral part of College life. Its current Fellows continue to uphold the ideals of their forebears in taking teaching seriously and seeking the most effective teaching methods for an individual’s style of learning. Newnham was one of the pioneers of the supervision mode of teaching, still the mainstay of any humanities degree, and an important element of the Director of Studies’ job is securing the best supervisors for students.
Academic financial support
Newnham is one of the most generous Colleges when it comes to student support. As well as being able to access support for maintenance, opportunity and sports funding, all Newnham undergraduate students can apply for our book grants and research expenses funds each term for essential purchases and expenditure relating to their studies. A proportion of expenditure on books can be reimbursed against receipts (up to a limit of £200 each year), with research expenses assessed on a case-by-case basis. Funds for essential equipment purchases are also available, for example for stethoscopes for medics. We are also fortunate to have very generous funding available for summer research and/or travel. None of these grants are means-tested, so all students can benefit. Students achieving first-class results for their end of year exams will in addition receive at least £400 as a prize or scholarship.
The Ann Duncan Fund students with funding of at least £400 per year for language-related Christmas or Easter travel, and can be applied for at any time; additional awards can be made subject to DoS approval. Further funding is also available for summer travel from the Haslewood, McCarron and Lahn Funds, as well as Duncan.
