How you learn
Teaching is by classes, lectures and supervisions.
Classes allow for plenty of interaction between teaching officers and fellow students and are the typical method for language instruction. Homework is regularly set in order to prepare for classes and to consolidate learning.
Lectures usually last for two hours each (actually two consecutive slots of 50 minutes’ duration each); they are an opportunity for the close, focused consideration of a particular theme or topic within a subject area using primary and secondary materials. While under the general leadership of the lecturer, they can be flexible in format and may take the form of seminar-style learning. There are specified readings to prepare for lectures and to extend learning.
Supervisions build very specifically upon the ideas you meet in classes, lectures and through your private study, as well as serving to develop your powers of analysis, and written and spoken argumentation. They last for 60 minutes and are conducted between a supervisor – a subject specialist – and two or more undergraduates, usually based around an exercise or source to be prepared beforehand. The type of preparatory work set for supervisions will depend on the type of supervision: for language supervisions, it could be a specified reading in the language or a practice exercise; for content paper supervisions, it could be an essay or some other exercise (e.g. for literary papers a translation exercise may be set).
The amount of contact time depends on the language(s) studied and the content papers chosen. Students should expect per content paper one two-hour lecture per week plus one to two supervisions per term.
If you choose to combine an AMES language with a modern European language from the MML Faculty, then you will also have an MML Director of Studies for the modern European language element of your course as well as the staff below.
Entry requirements
| Typical Offer Conditions |
| A–Level: |
A*AA |
| IB: |
41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Other: |
See the University’s Entrance Requirements page |
| Subject Requirements |
| Essential: |
None, unless you are combining with a modern European language, in which case you must have an A Level or equivalent in the European language |
| Desirable: |
A modern or ancient language |
Written Work
Two school essays on any subject. If you are combining with a modern European language, at least one of the essays should be written in that language.
Admissions Assessment
All applicants are required to take the pre-interview written assessment for AMES at an authorised centre local to them (for a lot of applicants, this will be their school/college). You must be registered in advance (separately to your UCAS application) to take the assessment – the registration deadline is 15 October 2019. Please see the Admissions Assessments page on the University website for further details.
If you are combining with a modern European language, you will also need to take a written assessment on the day of your interview, if you are interviewed.
Preparatory Reading Lists:
