About This Course
There are profound connections between language, literature, art and culture, and the combination of Music and Modern Languages allows you to study these in depth. You will use and develop your language and musical skills in an integrated way, using each to inform and enrich the other. Choose from Chinese, French, German, Italian or Spanish at beginners or advanced level. You will develop written (e.g. translation) and oral skills and will learn about cultural aspects related to the chosen language, in which you will be fully immersed during your year abroad.
There are profound connections between language, literature, art and culture. The combination of Music and Modern Languages allows you to study these in depth.
You will use and develop your language and musical skills in an integrated way, using each to inform and enrich the other. You will study Music together with your chosen language, developing advanced language skills and a broad range of insights into the culture, society and history that go with it. Choose from Chinese, French, German, Italian or Spanish at beginners or advanced level. You will develop written (e.g. translation) and oral skills and will learn about cultural aspects related to the chosen language, in which you will be fully immersed during your year abroad. As a musician, you will have the opportunity to grow in knowledge, skills and creativity, guided by world-renowned composers, performers, musicologists and researchers. You will perform in, or attend performances at, public venues like Pontio or the magnificent Prichard Jones Hall. You will also enjoy unrivalled facilities in our arts and innovation centre, Pontio, which regularly attracts world-class theatre productions and musical events.  
The course has music and language at the heart of it, with core language modules developing your key oral, aural and written skills in each year. These modules also foster cultural awareness, which you will need for your year abroad, and later on, for the world of work. Your musical experience will extend beyond the lecture room, with opportunities to join the University Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Choir or one of the many student societies for Music, such as Opera, Concert Band, DJ, Musical Theatre, and String Orchestra. You will also benefit from Bangor’s excellent links with leading organisations in the UK, including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, with whom we have an annual composition workshop.
Why choose Bangor University for this course?
- Top 10 in the UK for Student Satisfaction for Music and Top 15 for Modern Languages subject areas (NSS 2020).
- UK Top 20 subjects in Guardian Good University Guide 2021.
- Research-led teaching by prestigious academic staff: Modern Languages 13th, Music 25th in the UK in REF 2014 (Research Excellence Framework).
- Flexible degree structure to tailor the course to your interests and strengths.
- A dynamic music-making community: choirs, orchestras, bands, student ensembles and more.
Course Content
Your Music and Modern Languages degree programme at Bangor is flexible: you will shape your degree course to reflect your interests and strengths. Our courses are taught by world-renowned staff committed to helping you develop your subject-specific knowledge, whilst giving you the freedom to discover and explore your own interests. Tuition is mainly in small group seminars and workshops, and there are few formal lectures. You will also spend time on background reading, listening to music, completing essays and coursework as well as rehearsing and performing in ensembles, choirs and orchestras. Several modules involve visits to theatres, concerts, recording studios and composition workshops.
You will begin your Music studies in a genuinely all-embracing way, engaging with musical theory and practice from modal polyphony to electroacoustic composition. You will use this broad framework as a launch pad for developing your own expertise in one of several fields of musicology, performance or composition, including 20th-century music, classical performance, editing, music in health and well-being, and all styles of composition. You have the option of choosing Solo Performance, taught through an innovative combination of individual tuition, workshops and masterclasses.
Your Modern Language studies will consist 3-4 hours of language classes each week plus classes in your other chosen modules. Assessment involves coursework and written and oral examinations. You will also complete a dissertation as part of your degree. All of our 4-year language degrees include a year abroad. You will spend your third year working or studying abroad before returning to Bangor for your final year. This experience provides a fantastic opportunity to develop your language skills further whilst immersing yourself in the life and culture of your host country.
Facilities
General University Facilities
Library and Archive Services
Our four libraries provide a range of attractive study environments including collaborative work areas, meeting rooms and silent study spaces.
We have an extensive collection of books and journals and many of the journals are available online in full-text format.
We house one of the largest university-based archives not only in Wales, but also the UK. Allied to the Archives is the Special Collections of rare printed books.
Learning Resources
There is a range of learning resources available, supported by experienced staff, to help you in your studies.
The University’s IT Services provides computing, media and reprographics facilities and services including:
- Over 1,150 computers for students, with some PC rooms open 24 hours a day
- Blackboard, a commercial Virtual Learning Environment, that makes learning materials available on-line.
Careers
A degree in Music and Modern Languages offers you excellent employment prospects and the skills developed will allow you to excel in a wide range of music careers. As well as working as composers, performers, editors and conductors, many of our graduates take up posts with music publishers, orchestras, opera houses, or arts centres as music directors, creative coordinators, or administrators, teaching and translating. Equally, many graduates have embarked upon successful careers in the civil service, business and commerce, industry and the media. Others have entered the media as technicians, producers, programme-planners, and writers. Other possible career paths include specialist music journalism, music publishing, music librarianship, and arts marketing. Several of our graduates have gone on to become distinguished academics, composers, and performers, many others are teachers, at all educational levels (up to and including university). The skills you learn whilst studying music and languages – cultural awareness, creativity, communication, accuracy, planning and logical analysis – are valued highly by employers from all sectors of the economy.
EXPLORE MORE IN FRENCH
Our French courses will give you advanced skills in the French language, and a broad range of specialised insights into the culture, society and history that go with it.
Foundation Year
A ‘with Foundation Year’ option is available for this course. Apply for Music (with Foundation Year) or Modern Languages (with Foundation Year).
What is a Foundation Year course?
If you don’t have the required qualifications for the degree-level course or are looking to re-enter education after time away from study, then a Foundation Year Programme might be the right choice for you.
The Foundation Year is an excellent introduction to studying this subject at university and will provide you with the knowledge, skills and confidence required to go on to study this course at degree-level.
When you have successfully completed the Foundation Year, you can progress on to the first year of this degree-level course.
My name is Kavisha Prince Anthony, and I always had a dream of studying abroad. Thankfully, that dream came to life since I applied to the Study Advisor. I was able to receive my visa within four days. I also had some visa refusals in the past; I had about six UK visa refusals in the past, but thankfully, it was not an issue since the Study Advisor was able to make things work this time. I highly recommend Study Advisor for your dreams of going abroad, whether it be the UK or any other European country there is.