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Business Management and Language (French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese)

BA (Hons)

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Key information

Key information for 2027-28

Start date:
October 2027
Study route:

  • Three years full-time, on campus


    UCAS code: N142

  • Four years part-time, on campus

  • Four years full-time, on campus with International Experience


    UCAS code: N144

  • Four years full-time, on campus with Foundation Year


    UCAS code: N143

  • Six years part-time, on campus with Foundation Year

Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:
Full-time | Part-time | On campus | with Foundation Year | with International Experience

Course Overview

This BA Business Management and Language is ideal if you want to combine your interest in the dynamic world of business and management with the study of a modern language and its culture, enabling you to achieve advanced language skills and cultural understanding.

  • Why choose this course?
    • It has been developed by world-leading researchers who will share their knowledge and experience with you in the classroom.
    • It gives you the chance to study business management along with either French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean or Mandarin Chinese.
    • In developing knowledge and key skills in both areas you can enhance your employability prospects within the international corporate, financial and business worlds.
    • We also offer this course with an International Experience pathway which gives you the opportunity to spend a year abroad studying at one of Birkbeck’s partner universities.

  • What will I learn?

    This BA Business Management and Language gives you the chance to study both disciplines in depth, developing knowledge and skills that complement and strengthen one another throughout your degree.

    You can choose to develop an intellectual interest in areas such as entrepreneurship, marketing or organisational culture. The course also emphasises communication, intercultural awareness and global perspectives, all key facets of both theory and practice in business and management contexts. It allows you to learn a language to a high level and acquire advanced knowledge of its associated culture via literature, history and film.

    You can choose to study French, German, Italian, Spanish or Japanese starting at the level of language learning that suits you, whether you are a complete beginner or a native speaker. Korean and Mandarin Chinese are offered starting from beginner level. If you decide to take either of these languages, your final degree award will be a ‘with’ degree, so for example BA Business Management with Korean, because we currently offer these languages up to intermediate level only.

  • How will I learn?

    This course is available to study full- or part-time. It allows you to fit in your studies with work or other commitments, offering classes in the evening, and sometimes on Saturdays depending on the language you choose. Some of the business and management modules may also be available to study in the daytime.

  • How often will I attend classes?

    Full-time: Two to three evenings a week, plus some Saturday classes (depending on the language), October to July

    Please note that attendance may differ during your year abroad if you choose the International Experience route.

    Part-time: One to two evenings a week, plus some Saturday classes (depending on the language), October to July

  • Foundation year

    If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study during an additional year (full-time) or two years (part-time) of supported study. This option is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.

    Once you successfully complete your Foundation Year studies, you will automatically advance onto the main full-time degree.

  • International experience

    If you opt for the International Experience pathway, you will have the opportunity to spend your third year abroad studying at one of our partner institutions in a country in which the language you are studying is spoken. You may also decide to transfer to this route at the end of Year 1 if you are studying this course full-time and without a Foundation Year.

  • Course disclaimer

    Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

    Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the How will I learn? section.

More Highlights

  • Birkbeck is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in teaching, research and consultancy in the broad field of management as well as in languages.
  • All teaching takes place in our central London location in Bloomsbury, a stone’s throw from important research libraries such as the British Library and Senate House Library, and all the cultural richness that London has to offer by way of theatre, museums and galleries.
  • We are surrounded by cultural institutes relevant to the study of languages and literature, such as the Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies (at Senate House), the Goethe Institute, German Historical Institute, Institut Français, Instituto Cervantes and Japan House London.
  • We have particular research strengths in international business and strategy, the management of innovation and entrepreneurship, human resource management, corporate governance, sport management and marketing.
  • Our community of scholars in languages and linguistics share interests in interdisciplinary topics and cross-cultural research. Our affiliated research centres, the Centre for French, Francophone and Comparative Studies (CFFCS), the Centre for Iberian and Latin American Visual Studies (CILAVS) and Eighteenth-Century Research Group provide a dynamic platform for this exchange, with plenty of workshops and lectures taking place each year.

Modules and Teaching

School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication

The school's teaching and research is highly interdisciplinary, spanning cultures and periods. Academic and practice-based study will equip you for a career in the creative and cultural industries.

Visit the school

Entry Requirements

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

This course is suitable for all language entry levels, from beginner to proficiency, including native speaker level if you choose to study French, German, Italian, Spanish or Japanese. If you decide to study Korean or Mandarin Chinese, then these languages are available at beginner entry level.

Please indicate the language you would like to study in your application.

  • Full-time study - how many UCAS points do I need?
    • Three years full-time or 4 years full-time with international experience: 112 points (e.g. A-levels BBC)
    • Four years full-time with Foundation Year: 48 points

    For full-time study on this course, you apply via UCAS. The UCAS tariff score applies if you have recently studied a qualification that has a UCAS tariff equivalence. UCAS provides a tariff calculator for you to work out what your qualification is worth.

  • Part-time study

    For part-time study our standard requirements are a minimum of two A-levels or equivalent.

  • Year abroad

    Please note you must make satisfactory progress during Years 1 and 2 of your degree to be eligible for a year abroad. Additionally, the non-UK partner institution may set its own entrance criteria, including, but not limited to, academic criteria, language requirements and visa requirements. In instances where you do not meet the eligibility criteria for an approved year abroad or if it is not completed for another reason, your registration may be transferred to the corresponding BA degree pathway without the ‘with International Experience’ designation.

    If you are a Student visa student, please be aware that you will initially be provided with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) to study for the first two years of your course while at Birkbeck. During your third year of study at an overseas institution, you will be required to obtain a visa for that specific country. When you return to the UK to complete your fourth year, Birkbeck will issue you with a second CAS so that you can apply for another Student visa for your final year. You will therefore need to make a total of three visa applications: two for Birkbeck and one for the overseas institution.

  • What are the English language requirements?

    If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.

    If you don't meet the minimum English language requirements, please Global Recruitment at Birkbeck or see our international study skills page for more details about how we can help.

    Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

  • What are the visa and funding requirements?

    If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

    The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

    • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
    • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

    International students who require a Student visa should apply to study on our courses full-time as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol to study part-time courses at Birkbeck (with the exception of some modules).

    As a Student visa student, you should also apply to study on campus only, as online and flexible options of study (if they are available for your course) may affect the conditions of your visa.

    For full information, read our visa information for international students page.

    Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.

    Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

  • Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

    If you have studied at university (or have an HND or Foundation Degree), you may have accumulated credits. It may be possible to transfer these from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

Clearing for 2026 is open
Apply now

Fees

Three years full-time, on campus

Academic year 2027-28, starting in October 2027

Full-time home students: £10,050 per year
Full-time international students: £19,320 per year

Four years part-time, on campus

Academic year 2027-28, starting in October 2027

Part-time home students: £7,530 per year
Part-time international students: £14,490 per year

Four years full-time with International Experience, on campus

Academic year 2027-28, starting in October 2027

Full-time home students, 3 years of study: £10,050 per year
Full-time international students, 3 years of study: £19,320 per year
Full-time home students, international year: £1,505 per year
Full-time international students, international year: £2,900 per year

Four years full-time, with Foundation Year, on campus

Academic year 2027-28, starting in October 2027

Full-time home students: £5,760 per year
Full-time international students: £19,320 per year

Six years part-time, with Foundation Year, on campus

Academic year 2027-28, starting in October 2027

Part-time home students, Year 1 and 2: £2,880 per year
Part-time international students, Year 1 and 2: £9,660 per year
Part-time home students, Year 3+: £7,530 per year
Part-time international students, Year 3+: £14,490 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing their course may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see our Fees Policy.

Birkbeck's campus is located in the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury area of central London - named one of the best places to live in London 2025 by The Times.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating from this business management and language course, you will have gained an array of valuable transferable skills including:

  • a heightened awareness of how to interact with people from other countries linguistically and culturally
  • increased confidence when presenting complex issues in a succinct and convincing manner both in writing and orally
  • analytical skills that will enable you to critically appraise and challenge existing managerial or business practices
  • an appreciation of the impact of new technologies and globalisation on the business management function.

Our graduates begin new careers or accelerate their current career path because what we teach can be applied almost immediately in the workplace.

You will find business management and language graduates pursuing career paths in the following kinds of roles:

  • management consultant
  • human resources officer
  • corporate investment banker
  • marketing executive
  • diplomatic roles
  • roles within the publishing industry
  • roles within the cultural sector
  • teacher
  • civil servant

If you find that you especially enjoy studying language and culture on this course, you can progress your studies further at postgraduate level on our MA Modern Languages and Comparative Literatures.

If you would like to take your business and management studies to the next level then our MSc International Business Management is ideal.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Student Support

Birkbeck offers study, learning and wellbeing support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed.

Our Learning Development Service provides a lively programme of free weekly workshops building essential academic skills - from writing and critical thinking to maths and referencing - offering flexible sessions, practical tips, and online resources to boost your skills and confidence.

Our Disability and Mental Health Service can support you if you have disabilities, specific learning differences, mental health conditions or neurodivergence, by providing practical support to help you achieve your academic potential.

Our Counselling Service aims to support you with any emotional and psychological difficulties that are affecting your experience and engagement with your studies at university. It is a free, non-judgemental and confidential service which consists of a consultation process followed by time limited counselling contact.

Find out more about the full range of student services we offer at Birkbeck.

How to Apply

You apply via UCAS for our full-time undergraduate courses or directly to Birkbeck for our part-time undergraduate courses. For more detailed, step-by-step guidance on how to apply, visit our How to apply page.

  • How do I apply to study full-time (UCAS entry)?

    If you are applying for a full-time undergraduate course at Birkbeck you apply through UCAS. Use the Apply now button on this course page which will direct you to UCAS. There you will be prompted to sign in and create an account. You will have to give UCAS a few personal details, including your name, address and date of birth, and then you can start working on your application.

    The first UCAS deadline is in January, and the majority of university applications through UCAS are made by then. Find the exact deadline date on the UCAS website. We welcome applications outside of the UCAS deadlines, so you can still apply through UCAS after the January deadline, depending on the availability of places. We also take late applications via the UCAS Clearing system in August.

  • How do I apply to study part-time?

    If you are applying for a part-time undergraduate course (usually four or six years), you apply directly to Birkbeck online by using the Apply now button. You will need to prove your identity when you apply.

    Please note that online application opens in September.

  • When should I apply?

    You are strongly advised to apply now, to ensure there are still places left, and to give you enough time to complete the admissions process, to arrange funding and to enrol.

    You don't need to complete your current programme of study before you apply - Birkbeck can offer you a place that is conditional on your results.

  • How can I get help with my application?

    Get all the information you need about the application, admission and enrolment process at Birkbeck.

    Our online personal statement tool will guide you through every step of writing the personal statement part of your application.

  • International agents

    If you are an international agent applying to Birkbeck on behalf of an international student, please use Birkbeck's agent portal.

Related courses

Study routes for Business Management and Language (French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese) (BA (Hons))

Please select a study route below to continue your application.

Please note that international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK can only apply for full-time, on campus routes.

Important: Applications to study part-time in 2027/28 will open in October 2026.

2027-28

Full-time