Cambridge’s joint degree in History and Modern Languages will give students taking the course the opportunity to develop their knowledge of a foreign language and of the past together. An abundant range of papers can be taken across both subjects, and students will be encouraged to put their language skills to use in their studying of history. Those taking the course will also spend their third year studying or working abroad, further immersing themselves in the language, culture, history and politics of a country in which they are interested.

For entry in 2025, languages options are German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish from scratch or post-A Level/post-IB Higher Level; and French post-A Level/post-IB Higher Level.

Trinity is very well-placed to offer teaching in History and Modern Languages. Among its Fellows are experts in all of the languages available in the joint degree, and also historians working in many different fields, from the early middle ages to the late twentieth-century.

In Modern Languages, French is taught by Dr Jean Khalfa, who has particular interests in writing in French from North Africa and the Caribbean. German is taught by Professor Mark Chinca, who works on medieval and early modern literature. Russian is taught by Professor Emma Widdis, who studies Soviet-era cinema.  Spanish is taught by Dr Carlos Fonseca, who lectures in Latin America Literature and Culture.

Among the historians teaching at Trinity are Professor Joya Chatterji, a specialist in modern world history, including India; Profesor Boyd Hilton, who teaches eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British history; Professor Sachiko Kusukawa, who teaches early modern Europe; Dr Daniel Larsen, who works on international and intelligence history; Professor Peter Sarris, a historian of late Antiquity with particular interests in Byzantium; Dr Richard Serjeantson, who teaches the history of political thought; Professor Samita Sen, an expert in global economic history and modern South Asia; Dr Damian Valdez, who is an historian of Germany; and Professor Tessa Webber, who teaches Anglo-Saxon history.

With so much expertise students can be confident that their interests will be fully fostered and catered for.