Which main languages can I take on BA Professional Language Studies?

Common options include French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Arabic, Russian, Portuguese and Italian, subject to tutor availability for your intake. Heritage and post-A-Level entry routes are available. Admissions confirms current language coverage at application.

Does BA Professional Language Studies include a year abroad?

It includes a structured study or work-abroad term in Year 2 for on-campus students; online and distance students complete an equivalent supervised in-country project. The model is more flexible than a traditional year abroad and works for international and mature students.

How is BA Professional Language Studies different from a Joint Honours language degree?

A Joint Honours degree typically pairs a language with literature or another subject. BA Professional Language Studies is applied — translation, business, public-service language work, language policy — designed for students who want a language-using career rather than an academic-literature route.

Can BA Professional Language Studies be done online?

Yes. Live language classes run in UK working hours with recordings; distance learners set their own pace within deadlines and complete speaking assessments by video. Heritage speakers and students based abroad are well accommodated.

Is BA Professional Language Studies recognised by CIOL?

The degree is aligned with CIOL Chartered Linguist standards and prepares graduates well for CIOL membership and the DipTrans examination, which are sat separately. The Bachelor's degree is the academic foundation; CIOL membership is built on top of working hours.

BA Professional Language Studies in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA Professional Language Studies at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-year UK honours degree for students who want to use one or two modern languages professionally — in translation, international business, public-service language work and the wider language industry. You will combine deep linguistic competence with the cultural, commercial and policy literacy professional employers actually pay for.

Most UK language degrees are organised around literature and a year abroad; BA Professional Language Studies is organised around the working sectors that hire linguists. By graduation you will operate at C1 in your main language, have a translation and applied-language portfolio, and understand the markets your language opens.

Key Features

UK honours degree — three years full-time, with online and distance routes for international and working students.
Main language (French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Arabic, Russian, Portuguese, Italian and others, subject to availability) taught from beginner or post-A-Level entry to C1.
Second language option at intermediate level in Year 2 onwards.
Applied strand — translation, business languages, public-service language work, language for diplomacy.
Industry-led masterclasses from translators, bilingual editors, international account managers and public-service interpreters.
Final-year portfolio — translation samples, an applied research piece, and a structured workplace project.

What You Will Learn

The BA Professional Language Studies is structured around the applied capabilities working employers in translation, international business and public services recruit linguists for — accurate translation, defensible cultural reading, confident business and professional language use, and the ability to operate in mixed-language teams. You finish at C1 in your main language with a working second.

Main language to C1 — advanced grammar, professional reading and writing, presentation and meeting language.
Translation theory and practice — equivalence, register, professional standards, CAT tools.
Business languages — commercial correspondence, negotiation, contracts at working level.
Public-service language work — health, legal, immigration settings; ethics and confidentiality.
Cultural literacy — political, economic and social context of the language's regions.
Second language to B1 — intermediate competence in a complementary language.
Applied research methods — sociolinguistic survey, corpus methods, qualitative interview.
The language industry — translation agencies, in-house language teams, freelance markets.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers committed to a language-using career rather than a literature degree.
International students seeking a UK applied-languages degree in London's translation and international-business sector.
Heritage speakers wanting a formal UK credential and the academic literacy to work in their language professionally.
Career-changers from teaching, customer-service multilingual roles or international trade entering formal language work.

Career Pathways

BA Professional Language Studies graduates move into translation, bilingual editorial, international account management, public-service language work and language-policy roles across UK and international employers. Typical first roles include:

Languages Programme Coordinator (local authority, NHS trust, professional body)
Language Policy Researcher (think tank, university research centre)
Bilingual Project Officer (international NGO, embassy, professional services firm)
Multilingual Content Strategist (publisher, broadcaster, e-commerce)
Junior Translator (agency, in-house multilingual team)
International Account Coordinator (cross-border B2B sales, export desk)

Graduates progress to a Master's in Translation, Interpreting, or Applied Linguistics, or to professional certification (CIOL DipTrans, ITI membership).

Entry Requirements

Three A-Levels at BBC or above (or international equivalent — IB 28 points, BTEC DMM, or accepted national qualification).
GCSE English Language at grade 5 or equivalent English proficiency test.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
A short personal statement; A-Level or equivalent in chosen main language preferred (or demonstrated competence).
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with a portfolio and short interview.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.