History & Modern Languages
History and Modern Languages at Cambridge is a joint degree that gives you the opportunity to combine the study of languages, culture and history.
Language options include German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian. As part of the course, you’ll spend a year abroad perfecting and practicing your language while you study, teach or work.
- UCAS Code: VR18
- Campus Code: 4
- Duration: 4 years
- Places per year: 2-3
Entry requirements
Minimum offer level
A-Level: A*AA
IB Diploma: 42 points, with 776 at Higher Level
Please also read our Entry Requirements page.
Subject requirements
You will need A level/IB Higher Level (or the equivalent) in:
- History
- the language you want to study (unless you are studying it from scratch)
French may only be chosen if you have already completed an A Level/IB Higher Level or equivalent.
Why Trinity Hall?
At Trinity Hall, you’ll study History and Modern Languages in a place with a strong sense of continuity and intellectual breadth. Founded in 1350 by Bishop William Bateman, the College has long combined a rich historical tradition with a commitment to language study that dates back to the 19th century.
You’ll be taught by Fellows who bring expertise across a wide range of periods, regions and languages. Historians at the College include Professor Clare Jackson, known for her BBC work on the Stuarts, and Professor Pedro Ramos Pinto, whose research addresses the legacies of enslavement. Alongside them, language specialists ensure focused support across different combinations within the course, so you are guided at every stage of your studies.
Your experience is shaped by a wider academic community where subjects overlap naturally. History and Modern Languages students work closely with those studying each discipline separately, and many are involved in the student-led History Society, which brings external speakers into College and creates opportunities to engage with new research and ideas beyond the curriculum.
Our academics
History and Modern Languages at Cambridge
Admissions process
Written work
Two recent examples of essays you have written at school. One should be from your History A Level or equivalent. The other should be written in the language you intend to study at university (unless applying for a language from scratch, in which case it should be in English).
You do not have to send this work before applying; we will write to you after you have applied and let you know exactly what you need to send and when.
Admissions assessment
If shortlisted for interview, you will be asked to take a written language assessment. The College will register you for this – you do not need to register yourself.
See also the University website’s page on College Admission Assessments.
Interviews
Two interviews of around 25 minutes each. One will focus on History, the other on the language you wish to study.
