University of Kent, School of European Culture and Languages

The Department of Classical & Archaeological Studies is based in the School of European Culture and Languages, which is one of the largest academic schools in the University. Staff is renowned for the quality of their research and for their enthusiasm as teachers. The department is small and friendly which means you quickly develop close working relationships with lecturers and seminar leaders.

Exploring this fascinating and enriching period in Canterbury, a late Iron Age settlement, a Romano-British city, an Anglo-Saxon town, and a center of early Christianity gives you an ideal base for studying different cultures.

Much of European civilization grew out of the classical world so it is not surprising that it is still highly relevant today. Classical & Archaeological Studies is a wide-ranging programme. You can choose to follow a specialized pathway, either Literature, History or Archaeology, or you can include elements from all these areas in one programme.... [-]

Genres studied include the novel, the short story, science fiction, tragedy and the epic, with a particular emphasis on how literary forms have evolved in different cultures, and linguistic traditions. For example, what makes a tragedy by Sophocles so different from one written by Shakespeare? How has the genre of science fiction developed across Europe? What are the similarities and differences between a novel by Charlotte Brontë and one by Gustave Flaubert?

Themes explored in our modules include freedom and oppression, film adaptations of literary works, gender and sexuality, travel, the body, childhood and adolescence, and vampires in literature and film. You do not need to be able to read a foreign language to take a Comparative Literature degree as we study translations into English of a great range of major literature from other countries alongside literature originally written in English.... [-]

The Kent English Language and Linguistics programme provides an opportunity to discover spoken and written language in all its complexity. Language plays a central role in everything we as human beings do, and this programme explores its many facets, allowing you to tailor your studies to suit your individual interests and possible career paths. While the focus will be on English, currently the world’s most powerful and prestigious language, you will also explore the meaning of language more generally, and discover what language systems have in common.

Combining theoretical and practical elements, the programme explores both the structure of language and its relationship with culture, society, and the mind. A broad choice of theoretical topics encompasses such areas as syntax, phonetics and phonology, morphology, sociolinguistics, language acquisition, semantics, pragmatics, literary stylistics and critical and cultural theory, while courses in language learning and teaching, creative and media writing, and language and media have a more vocational focus.... [-]

The University of Kent is an ideal location to study French. Canterbury is the closest British university city to mainland Europe, and our proximity to the Channel ports and Ashford International station means you can be in Paris in just a couple of hours. There are also many French-speaking students on campus, so you have a better chance to immerse yourself in the language than at any other university in the country.

At Kent, we have a wide range of links with French, Canadian, Belgian and Swiss universities. During your year abroad, as part of an Erasmus exchange programme, you could begin to study for a French qualification (Licence), or alternatively, you can gain work experience by becoming a language assistant in a French school or pursuing other career paths. Our link with the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris also gives any student at Kent the opportunity to sit for the internationally recognized diplomas offered by that body.... [-]

Both culturally and commercially, German is an extremely important language. Within Europe, it is spoken by more people than English or French. Worldwide, it is the third most widely used language on the internet (after English and Japanese), and it is frequently used as a second language in Eastern Europe, where it serves as a means of communication across international boundaries. Fluency in the German language, combined with knowledge of political and cultural developments in the German-speaking world, opens up career opportunities in many parts of the continent. At Kent, we specialise in teaching the language, literature and culture of the German-speaking world of today, as well as in exploring its literary and social history.... [-]

Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world – outside Spain, it is the official language of all countries in South and Central America except Brazil and is widespread in many parts of North America. The Hispanic Studies programme at Kent gives you the opportunity to explore the languages and cultures of Spain and Spanish America while developing your language skills. You can study Hispanic Studies at Kent whether you have an A level or GCSE in Spanish, or whether you are a beginner.

The programme offers some unique features. You have the opportunity to spend a year abroad in Spain, Uruguay or in Peru and we offer advanced language modules focusing on translation and interpreting – valuable skills when looking for employment. Another peninsula language, Catalan, is also taken on this single honours programme.... [-]

Italian is spoken not only in its home country but also by over 15 million people in Switzerland, North America and Australia. By learning Italian, you give yourself a tool to explore Italy's cultural richness and open your eyes to its Roman heritage, the Renaissance, modern architecture and fashion.

Italian was one of the first language departments created at Kent and we are proud to offer a course of study which gives you the opportunity to learn Italian to a high standard and gain insight into Italian culture. The course covers topics such as the history of Italian literature, 19th and 20th-century Italian fiction, Fascism, neorealist and post-neorealist cinema, and women writers. You can study Italian at Kent whether you have an A level or GCSE in Italian, or as a beginner. You can study either full-time or part-time.... [-]

Philosophy at Kent is taught within the School of European Culture and Languages. We have a thriving research culture with internationally recognized experts. Our staff interests range from philosophers such as Aristotle, Kant, Wittgenstein, Arendt, and Anscombe to topics such as philosophy of mind, ethics, aesthetics, logic, political philosophy, metaphysics and artificial intelligence.

Your programme begins with an introduction to philosophy, including ethics, knowledge and metaphysics, logic and reasoning. You are taught to read and write as a philosopher. If you are keen to widen your field of interest further, you can study modules from other subjects.... [-]

The Department of Religious Studies is part of Kent’s School of European Culture and Languages. Staff in the department have a range of interests in the field, including expertise in Asian Studies, which means they can offer you an insight into world religions.

Our campus is in Canterbury, a well-known center in world religion, and the University has strong links with the Cathedral library and archives.

Religious Studies at Kent is a varied programme covering world religions and also other areas such as psychology and film.

In your first year, you take one compulsory module, which asks ‘What is religion?’

You can choose options from introductory modules in Judaism and Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, Christianity, or assess religion in contemporary society.... [-]