| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-09-18 | - |
Program Overview
Why this course?
With more than 500 million native speakers, Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in the world. Speaking Spanish will help you conduct business more confidently in countries that are becoming increasingly important in world markets.
Studying with us will give you the chance to become a fluent linguist and, with our year abroad programme, an opportunity to experience living, working and/or studying in another country.
Recognising and understanding customer requirements and the achievement of customer satisfaction are at the heart of marketing studies.
Our department is widely recognised as one of the leading centres of marketing education and research in the UK. We aim to equip you for a variety of marketing and management careers.
Our BA degrees in Humanities & Social Sciences are initially broad-based. In Year 1, you'll study three subjects, including your chosen subject(s).
What you’ll study
Spanish
In every year, teaching focuses heavily on language work, but you'll also discover the culture of Spain and Spanish-speaking countries.
Year 1
Two streams are offered in first-year: one for students with Higher Spanish or equivalent qualification in their chosen language and another for those without. Students in both classes study contemporary Spanish language and aspects of the country’s culture and society.
Year 2 & 3
You'll continue to develop your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. In the cultural class each year, you'll learn more about the history, politics, literature, and cinema of Spain and Spanish-speaking countries.
Year abroad
Honours students spend a year abroad after Year 3, usually working as an English teaching assistant, gaining experience on a work placement or studying at a foreign institution.
This is a central highlight of the course and a major formative experience for students not just in terms of language, but on many different levels, personal as well as professional.
Year 4
In your final year, you'll concentrate on translation, written and oral language and interpreting. You'll also have the chance to write a dissertation in Spanish. If however, you choose to write your dissertation for your other Honours subjects, you'll take two of our cultural classes. These classes reflect the research expertise of our staff and currently focus on topics such as social and political issues in Spanish and Latin American cinema, Spanish 20
th
century philosophy and history or an Introduction to Translation theory.Major projects
At Honours level, you'll work on a specific project for your dissertation. You'll be supervised by a member of our teaching staff.
Student competitions
The Stevenson Exchange Scholarship is a competitive award which offers students funding towards a project they wish to undertake while on their year abroad. Staff select and interview several candidates for this each year.
Marketing
You'll learn about the basic principles of marketing and explore marketing within an organisation.
In your final year of study, you'll learn about the value of brands to firms and consumers. Options include International Business Management, Sports Marketing and Social Marketing.
Work placement
Third-year students have the option to study abroad at one of our partner institutions across a number of countries worldwide. This study period can last for one or two semesters.
Student competitions
CIM The Pitch
Each year, students are offered the opportunity to partake in the annual student marketing competition – CIM The Pitch in which students are able to apply theory to practice for a live brief for a major company operating within the UK. Students from Strathclyde have been awarded first place in this competition for three years running (2018, 2019 & 2020). This competition is open to all second, third and Honours year students.
The Marketing Society Awards
Students write an essay, compete in an ‘Apprentice-style’ day in Edinburgh and shortlisted students attend an awards ceremony in May. The prize is a three-month paid internship.
Target Jobs: Scotland Undergraduate of the Year Award
Students must sit a series of online tests, application forms, interviews and assessment exercises, culminating in an awards ceremony in Canary Wharf, London in April. The prize is the chance of a graduate job with a number of leading companies.
These prizes were won by Strathclyde Marketing students in 2018.
Single & joint Honours information
English, English and Creative Writing, History, Politics and International Relations and Psychology may be studied to Single or Joint Honours level.
Education, French, Spanish, Law, Journalism, Media and Communication and Social Policy are available only as Joint Honours Programmes. Economics, Human Resource Management, Marketing, Mathematics and Tourism can also be studied alongside a Humanities and Social Sciences subject.
The available subject combinations may change each year. Once accepted on the programme you'll be allocated an advisor of studies who will be able to let you know which subjects can be combined, in first year, and beyond.
FT Rankings 2022
Program Outline
Course content
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year abroad
Year 4
Spanish
Spanish 1A
This course will further your knowledge of the Spanish language and develop the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking in the Spanish language through intensive practical and communicative language work. This course aims to bring you up to level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. You'll extend your knowledge of the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world and focus on the development of contemporary Latin America and on how issues relating to it are reflected in its cultural production (for example, films, journalism, songs).
Spanish 1B
Following on from Spanish 1A, this course will broaden your knowledge of the Spanish language, and enhance basic skills already acquired in reading, writing, listening and speaking. This course aims to bring you up to level A2+ of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. It'll also introduce you to new aspects of the culture of Spain through the materials used. Practical language activities, such as pair and small group work and intensive exposure to Spanish through audio, video and written texts, will enable you to progress from the levels achieved in Spanish 1A. Successful completion of this class will enable students to take Spanish 2A in semester 1 of second year.
or
Introduction to Spanish 1A
This course aims to give an introduction to the Spanish language, assuming limited or no previous knowledge of Spanish. It introduces everyday Spanish language, as well as certain aspects of the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. The class is intended to help students to develop the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking in basic Spanish.
Introduction to Spanish 1B
This course builds on and develops the knowledge acquired in Introduction to Spanish 1A. The class will broaden your knowledge of Spanish language and enhance skills already acquired of reading, writing, listening and speaking in basic Spanish. This class also introduces students to new aspects of the culture of the Spanish-speaking world.
Marketing
Introduction to Marketing
Marketing is a key part of any successful business, and a good theoretical and practical knowledge of the subject will be of immense benefit to an aspiring manager or entrepreneur. In this class, you'll be exposed to concepts and ideas from economics, sociology, psychology, geography and other social sciences, all in the context of the competitive business environment.
Spanish
Spanish 2A
This course will introduce you to more complex and formal areas of language, and enable you to develop further the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking in the Spanish language. It'll also introduce you to certain aspects of the different cultures of Spain and Latin America through the materials used. Practical language activities such as pair and small group work and intensive exposure to the Spanish language through audio, video and written texts will build on what you already know, and give you a feel for the Spanish language as it is used in professional contexts. This course aims to bring you up to level A2+/B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Spanish 2B
This course builds on and develops the knowledge acquired in Spanish 2A and will introduce you to yet more complex and formal areas of language, improving and developing further the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking in the Spanish language. It'll also introduce you to certain aspects of the culture of Spain and Latin America through the materials used. Practical language activities such as pair and small group work and intensive exposure to the Spanish language through audio, video and written texts will build on what you already know, and give you a feel for the Spanish language as it is used in professional contexts. Successful completion of this class will enable students to take Spanish at third-year level. This course aims to bring you up to level B1+ of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Spanish & Latin American Studies II
This course will explore the interlinked themes of independence and isolation in Spain and Latin America. The class is intended to give students a broad overview of Spanish and Latin American social, political and cultural history through the examination of specific texts and films, as well as to develop their critical and research skills.
Marketing
Understanding Consumers & Markets
Many of the fundamental concepts of marketing are based on an ability to understand consumers and the marketing concept can be implemented more effectively when adequate information about the market and potential consumer behaviour is available. Marketing Research and customer information provide a critical input to the planning and development of a company's marketing strategy in relation to marketing communications, strategic marketing and branding.
Services & Retail Marketing
At the heart of this class is the recognition that services present unique challenges, and that building customer relationships through quality service is fundamental to marketing success in every organisation. Over the past decade the retail sector has been one of the most dynamic areas in business. The retail sector also provides a very clear indication of the overall health and robustness of the economy. The rise or fall of the individual’s disposable income is very quickly reflected in terms of expenditure on items. In this respect, the retail sector acts as the weather vane for the economy.
Spanish
Spanish 3A
This course builds on and develops the knowledge acquired in Spanish 2B and will consolidate the students’ knowledge and use of the Spanish language within an appropriate cultural context in order to enable the student to live, study and work in a Spanish-speaking country. This course aims to bring you up to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Spanish 3B
This course aims to build on and develop the knowledge acquired in Spanish 3A and will focus on two relevant topics which includes the preparation for the year abroad. This course aims to bring you up to level B2+ of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. In addition to the final exam, a comprehensive project will comprise the other 50% of your final mark for this course. This project will enable you to put into practice and further develop the linguistic skills and cultural knowledge you have developed since you started studying Spanish at Strathclyde.
Spanish & Latin American Studies III
This course builds on and develops the knowledge acquired in Independence and isolation in Spain and Latin America - Hispanic Studies 2 (R4200), and adds a dimension of critical and theoretical awareness, as well as developing critical skills through a study of individual texts and films from Spain and different countries of Latin America, to build an understanding of the history and cultures in which they were produced.
Marketing
Strategic Marketing in an International Context
This core class addresses the strategy formulation and planning aspects associated with strategic marketing management as it is applied in domestic and international contexts. The class offers students an analytic decision oriented approach for the development and implementation of international marketing strategy.
Marketing Communications in the Digital Age
This class will outline and discuss the strategic role of marketing in a digital context, and further elaborate on the integration of digital marketing, social media marketing, mobile marketing and traditional and digital marketing communications. You will learn about the enduring strategic power of marketing communications in a digital world and learn how to plan for effective, strategic communications which integrate a wide range of channels including the traditional communications mix and the extended mix including all the assets of the brand and digital opportunities.
Elective classes
Year abroad
This is the year abroad, spent either studying in a foreign university or working as a language assistant or on a work placement. This year is compulsory to gain entry into Honours.
Spanish
Compulsory classes
Spanish Honours Language 4
There are three strands in the Spanish 4 Language programme, which are closely integrated with each other: Language A (writing in Spanish), Language B (analysis and translation into English of Spanish texts), and Language C (oral presentation and interpreting). The programme will enable students to function in the target language at a sufficiently high level of ability, both spoken and written, to be accepted as a fully competent member of the target language community, and effectively to discharge a professional role within and/or in relation to that community.
Hispanic Studies 4
This is a level four Honours class designed to build on the knowledge of Hispanic cultural studies acquired in Spanish and Latin American Studies 1A, II and III. The purpose of this class is to explore contemporary issues in Hispanic cultures. Class content will reflect the research specialisms of staff in Spanish and the actual texts and films studies may vary from year to year to reflect student demand and staff availability, as determined by the research focus of the subject. Each year, the class will focus on specific aspects of Hispanic history, politics, society and/or cultures. For example, possible class titles are: Gender and Sexuality in the Hispanic world; The Politics of the Fantastic in Hispanic Fiction and Film; Dictatorship and Resistance in Hispanic Cinema.
Elective classes
The Latin American Short Story
This course builds on and develops the knowledge on Latin American literature and culture acquired in Spanish and Latin American Studies II and III; and adds a dimension of theoretical analysis, as well as developing critical skills through a study of texts from the different countries of Latin America.
Shaping Spain: Ideas, Beliefs & Identity
Rooted in the Spanish History of Ideas, this course explores the condition and motivations for the development of some of the existing main currents of thought in Spain since 1989. It encourages a critical understanding of Spanish history and contextualises the work of several Spanish seminal thinkers (Unamuno, Ortega, Azaña and Zambrano) and it explores their thought in relation to the key themes of the course: ideas, beliefs, and identity.
Marketing
Compulsory classes
Brand Management
The importance of brands raises significant questions of how to develop brand equity and how to communicate a branding strategy of differentiation, value and identification. The role of the Brand Manager is reviewed along with formulating the necessary communication strategies to build brand equity and secure market share.
More recent approaches in this vein suggest that the traditional Brand Management approach is all too limited, leaving many questions unanswered. Consequently more recent approaches address the co-construction of brand value, through viral branding, using social media, co-branding and brand extensions. In this respect, the principles of branding are now being applied beyond simply new product development, to such strategies as places, communities and countries.
Other key strategies that may be discussed include, luxury branding, nation branding, business-to-business branding and corporate brands.
Dissertation
The dissertation is an important part of the fourth year programme. Single honours students are required to submit a dissertation in Marketing while joint Honours students can submit a dissertation in Marketing or in their other Honours subject.Elective classes
Social Marketing
This course aims to build foundational knowledge of traditional commercial-oriented Marketing, by examining applications of Marketing in a social context. Each year millions of pounds are spent world-wide to combat health and social problems such as HIV/AIDS, smoking, drug and alcohol abuse and rising obesity levels. At the same time excessive consumptions burdens society with building landfills and increasing pollution. Meanwhile there are still people who consume 'too little' and who suffer from hunger.
The class considers recent research in a variety of Social Marketing contexts and material is continuously updated to ensure that students gain an understanding of the most relevant and critical Social Marketing trends.
Advances in Consumer Behaviour
This class provides students with an understanding of some of the contemporary issues and challenges in understanding consumers. Building on the undergraduate Consumer Behaviour class, this module aims to develop students’ ability to analyse consumer behaviour in a variety of situations and to explore the complexity of 21st century consumption.
The class reviews consumer trends and the significance of consumer culture, and then explores topics that are the focus of recent research attention. Current topics include consumer identity (possessions and body image); consumer vulnerability; postmodern consumers; consumer tribes; consumption spaces; consumers and celebrities and consumers and ethics.
Managing Customer Relationships
The class explores the development of relationship marketing from its transactional roots and introduces concepts such as: CRM, customer loyalty, customer equity and customer perspectives on relationships. A contemporary look at relationships within marketing is introduced through examination of S-D Logic, co-creation and customer engagement, these highlight how firms build and utilise relationships with a customer ‘resource’ to create and offer increasingly more specialised and individualised offerings.International Business Management
This class examines the theoretical underpinnings which help explain the operations of such enterprises, covering both international business strategy and international business management. This will be achieved by exploring contemporary issues in academic thought and international business practice.
Managing Integrated Marketing Communications: Theory & Practice
The class will create a learning environment in which students can enhance their knowledge of relevant marketing communications theories and develop the necessary analytical, creative and decision-making skills required to effectively manage IMC in a variety of contexts.
Sports Marketing
This class provides you with an opportunity to study and apply marketing principles and concepts to a sector that has gained increasing significance in society world-wide. We’ve witnessed the emergence of a sports culture in many countries. This, in turn, has led to the emergence of sport as a global industry.
Sport is one of the most important sectors in the UK in terms of spectator interest, participation and consumer spending. It is also a varied industry consisting of sports products as well as sports services, spectator sports, sports media and sport-related travel.
Sustainability, Marketing & Society
This class explores sustainability and the role of marketing in society as an agent of change. Marketing as a discipline is often tarnished by the assumption that it focuses on encouraging overconsumption, driving sales for sales sake and is misleading the public. Whilst this is often true, marketing also has a substantial role to play in tackling the biggest challenges in our society, and in particular driving societal discourse and market change towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This class builds from a foundation of evidence-based marketing, driven by systems thinking, understanding full product and service life cycles and fact-led decision-making. Ensuring the claims made and communication approaches employed are substantiated, well-designed and targeted at change for good. A number of different techniques are explored to identify and exploit vectors for change through different approaches to understanding market systems, targeting key stakeholders to drive change, and marketing tactics for reshaping market, organisational and consumer behaviour. The class is an advanced marketing class, assuming a sound grounding in areas of consumer behaviour, branding, strategic marketing and marketing research as a foundation on which more advanced concepts can be built.
Learning & teaching
Spanish
We focus on the four important language skills:
We make great use of technology in the classroom – interactive lectures and digital language laboratories – and outside, through the use of web-based learning and streamed Spanish television.
In later years, you'll perform presentations, write reports and interpret into English, which prepares you for potential future careers.
Marketing
Teaching is given over two semesters in blocks of 12 weeks each. Methods include lectures, tutorials and seminars. As a student you will take part in team-based projects and make use of online teaching materials. Our industrial partners regularly assist in teaching and the assessment of student presentations.
Assessment
Spanish
Our assessment methods include:
Continuous assessment ranges from online grammar tests to group projects, while oral/aural tests are performed throughout the course. Students write a dissertation in their final year.
Marketing
The majority of our classes are assessed by a final, unseen exam, supplemented by one or more forms of individual and/or group coursework. In some cases, students can obtain exemption from the exam on achieving a specified mark for their coursework (often in conjunction with satisfying attendance requirements.)
Class assessment methods include business reports, case studies, essays, presentations and learning journals.
Students normally have one opportunity to be re-assessed for a failed class.
Careers
Modern language graduates are in high demand across a range of areas. Some language graduates become teachers or translators, while others work in multilingual or international environments. Many of our students now work in journalism and broadcasting.
Recent marketing graduates have been recruited into the drinks, finance and service sectors with job titles such as brand manager, marketing assistant, marketing and sales trainee and media executive. Other roles include business analyst, retail manager, sales manager and retail buyer.