Modern & Medieval Languages

Modern and Medieval Languages (MML) at Cambridge is a hugely flexible 4-year course, offering a broad and multifaceted approach to the study of language and culture which incorporates literature, linguistics, history, thought, film and art. You will study two out of the following languages: French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Alternatively, you can combine any of these with either Classical Latin or Classical Greek. One of the languages chosen can be learnt from scratch (the exceptions being French and Latin, for which A Level/IB Higher Level standard is required). The third year includes at least eight months spent abroad, during which time you prepare either a project dissertation, a translation project or a linguistics project. Further information about the course can be found on the .

MML at 51��

51�� typically admits 5-6 undergraduate MML students each year, and our subject community also includes several postgraduate students. Our student-run society, the Gabe Society, hosts events for students, researchers, and Fellows, which contribute to a friendly and vibrant atmosphere. As you might expect, MML students make good use of the travel funding available in the College: activities in recent years have included language and cultural courses, internships, and volunteering opportunities across the globe.

Typical offer

A Level: A*AA

IB: 42 (776)

Required subjects

A Level: A Level in at least one of the languages to be studied

IB: Higher Level in at least one of the languages to be studied

Admissions assessment

Applicants are required to take a written assessment if invited for interview. You do not need to register in advance for this assessment. The College will provide details directly to you. Check the page for more details.

Written work

Applicants are required to submit two pieces of written work. These should be recent examples of writing completed for school, one of which should be in one of the languages you intend to study.

What the students say

Isobel Butter

I did an open application to Cambridge for Spanish and Russian ab-initio and was serendipitously allocated to 51��. Whilst a complete accident that I ended up here, Medwards is by far (in my humble opinion) the best college in Cambridge. From the welcoming and supportive atmosphere to its unique architecture and surroundings, the college is a community that has a real desire to see each other succeed, and to help along the way if we can.

For my final year, I have chosen to specialise in Russian for my language papers, but I am still keeping in touch with the Spanish side by doing a Latin American literature paper. I can honestly say I have no regrets about choosing this degree, although intense, learning Russian from scratch has been incredibly rewarding. My favourite part about the MMLL Tripos is the option of being able to do an “Intro to” paper in your second year and your fourth year. This gives you the opportunity to pick up another language completely from scratch and learn it for a year whilst also studying a sample of its literature, from classic texts to contemporary ones. In my second year I did an Introduction to Polish and this year I’m doing an Introduction to Portuguese. The MMLL Tripos also offers a diverse range of papers to choose from, so you can really personalise your degree and choose what interests you most.