School of Modern Languages & Cultures

World Rankings

Durham is one of the world’s leading universities as shown by our world top 100 position in the QS World University Rankings 2021, where we are ranked 86th.

A record 19 Durham subjects are also in the world top 100 of the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020, including 11 in the world top 50 and three in the world top ten.

The School of Modern Languages and Cultures consists of Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and the Centre for Foreign Language Study. Its community of academics, teachers and support staff aims to foster a world-class student experience in all its disciplines. Some 80 full-time members of staff are engaged in teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, offering expertise in a wide range of subjects, including language, literature, cultural history, cinema and visual culture, and translation; this is reflected also in an exciting range of taught degrees at postgraduate level. Sections within the School figure regularly in the top five in national league tables such as the Good University Guide and the Complete University Guide.

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.

The Centre for Foreign Language Study offers learners not taking a specialist degree in Modern Languages, including students, staff and members of the public, the opportunity to learn a range of languages from beginners to more advanced levels.

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A top-ranking School of Modern Languages in the UK

In the recently published Complete University Guide 2020, the School of Modern Languages and Cultures of Durham University is ranked 2nd in French, Hispanic Studies, and Arabic (Middle Eastern & African Studies) and 3rd in Russian (Russian & East European Languages), Italian, and German. Its Chinese and Japanese Studies are ranked 5th nationally in the East & South Asian Studies category. At the institutional level, Durham is currently ranked 6th in the UK.