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Our five-year BA program in European Studies and Modern Languages (including a foundation year) is designed to build your subject expertise while enhancing your academic abilities. The foundation year (Year Zero) provides comprehensive preparation in these key areas, setting you up for four subsequent years of undergraduate study at Essex.
Upon successfully completing Year Zero through our Essex Pathways Department, you'll advance to finish your degree with our School of Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies.
Whether you tune into daily news broadcasts or browse national newspapers, European affairs consistently make headlines. The continent's future represents a geopolitical issue of global significance, yet few grasp the complexities of contemporary Europe.
You'll explore Europe's economic frameworks, legal systems, and social structures alongside its historical roots, while gaining appreciation for its vibrant cultural heritage. European artists, writers, musicians, and filmmakers continue to exert cultural influence worldwide, maintaining relevance despite America's global prominence.
In addition to European studies coursework, you'll achieve fluency in one or more modern European languages. Your fourth year offers the opportunity to live abroad in Europe, fully engaging with its diverse cultures. Language shapes our cognition, relationships, and societies.
From casual coffee invitations to presenting groundbreaking research or resolving international conflicts, language serves as our primary tool for knowledge exchange and communication.