Undergraduate Courses

History and Modern Languages

The richness and variety of the cultural and intellectual topics that are available at Oxford make this a stimulating and exciting course, enabling language, literature and culture to be related to their historical contexts.

In recent years History has experienced a ‘linguistic turn’ while literary studies have undergone a ‘historical turn’, making this combination of subjects more exciting than ever. Knowledge of the past contextualises literary artefacts, while the forensic literary skills of the linguist are vital for interrogating historical documents. While historians have to be aware of genre, plot and rhetorical techniques in the creation both of their sources and their own arguments, linguists need to appreciate the social and political concerns that are woven into literary works. This degree brings these two skill sets together.

Learn more about History and Modern Languages at Oxford

The course at St Peter's

The College admits up to four students per year across the joint schools with History. The degree takes four years to complete since students spend their third year abroad in the country of the language studied.

The modern languages offered at St Peter’s include French, German, Modern Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Czech (with Slovak).

Visit the main course pages for further information about the College’s teaching provision in History and Modern Languages.

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