Skip to main content

Welcome to the School of Modern Languages and Cultures

You can study Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Visual Arts and Film with us at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Our undergraduate courses allow you to study one or more languages, or take a language alongside history, English or many other subjects. Studying here is transformative for your employment prospects.

We rank in the top 70 language departments globally.

Our Centre for Foreign Language Study offers language teaching to Durham students on other degree programmes and to the public.

 

Find out more about us
2nd for Italian Studies Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
4th for Russian Studies
4th for Russian Studies Complete University Guide 2026
4th for Iberian Languages
4th for Iberian Languages Complete University Guide 2026
5th for French Studies Complete University Guide 2026

Ready for Your Year Abroad Adventure?

From Italy, Spain, all the way to Jordan, China, and Japan: Hear what our students have to say about their exciting time abroad.
Watch My Year Abroad videos
My year abroad heroes
This is the image alt text

Scholarships in Modern Languages

Are you considering starting your undergraduate study with us in 2025? Thanks to generous gifts from our alumnae, we have scholarships to offer to talented students from low-income backgrounds.

Find out more

What's New?

The Battleship Potemkin at 100: why Sergei Eisenstein’s powerful silent film remains unforgettable

Dr Dušan Radunović, Director of Russian Studies in Durham’s School of Modern Languages and Cultures, and Daniel O’Brien from the University of Essex, mark 100 years of Sergei Eisenstein’s The Battleship Potemkin. They explore why this silent masterpiece continues to resonate, inspiring filmmakers and audiences across shifting historical and cultural landscapes.
An image of a mother holding her head from silent film The Battleship Potemkin

Dr Polly Dickson on BBC Radio 4 and the Art of Doodling

Polly Dickson explored her research on doodling and the potential virtues of idleness on BBC Radio 4’s Free Thinking
BBC4 Free Thinking logo

Our research

The School's research community is organised through a number of interdisciplinary Research Groups and is home to some 60 postgraduate students pursuing research degrees.
Find out more
Cable car station, Innsbruck, Austria
QS World University Rankings 2024

World-leading status affirmed in QS World University Rankings 2026

Durham University has been named in the QS World University Rankings world top 100, a position it has achieved every year since 2010. The rankings have confirmed the University’s strong global reputation for employability (64th) and it is also 22nd in the world for sustainability.

Learn more about the QS World University Rankings

Get in touch

Find out more about our undergraduate and postgraduate opportunities at The School of Modern Languages and Cultures.

School of Modern Languages & Cultures

Durham University
Elvet Riverside
New Elvet
Durham, DH1 3JT

Questions about studying here?

Check out our list of FAQs or submit an enquiry form.

Your Durham prospectus

Order your personalised prospectus and College guide here.