
Dr Stuart Davis
College Officer, Fellow, Director of Studies
Girton has a strong history in Modern and Medieval Languages (MML), and has one of the larger cohorts of MML students in Cambridge, 7 or 8 in each year group. Despite the diverse range of languages studied, and the many options within those languages, there is a great sense of community amongst Girton’s linguists.
In the college there is expertise amongst the Fellows in a range of languages and different areas of study; we have longstanding links with supervisors in other Colleges to ensure strong support for those languages and areas not covered ourselves. As well as the usual classes, in Girton we offer a course in cultural theory, to help support your studies, as well as social events.
The College Library has up-to-date holdings of the key texts, and is one of the few in Cambridge to stock the recommended DVDs for film study.
Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge is regularly rated as the best in the country by University Guides – there is nowhere better to study French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish as main languages, and to try out Catalan, Dutch, Modern Greek, Polish, Portuguese or Ukrainian as options.
Not only that, but MML is one of the most varied courses on offer. Not only do you gain high level fluency in two languages, one of which can be studied from scratch, but you also study some of the world’s best writers, filmmakers, artists and philosophers, explore history and culture or try out the study of linguistics. While some papers give you in-depth knowledge of a particular period in a particular location, others allow you to study comparatively across three languages in one essay.
Masters courses that may be of interest to MML include the MPhil in European Literature and Culture and the MPhil in Screen Media and Cultures.
Research and postgraduate students are admitted to the University by the Board of Graduate Studies. You must therefore apply centrally and not to the College, however you must be admitted to a College to be able to study at the University. To ensure that this is Girton you need to indicate this on your application form.
MML graduates go into a wide range of careers following graduation. Many have gone into business posts abroad where their language skills have been a strong asset.
It has always been my dream to become an agent of change, hence why I decided to study International Development…Coming from one of the most underdeveloped regions in the world, in Venezuela, I have become invested in the idea of finding ways to tackle poverty and establish communities that thrive. The Maria Luisa de Sanchez and Irene Hallinan Graduate Research Scholarships, have enabled me to pursue my passion in ways I never thought imaginable. Thank you Girton for investing in me and helping me to recognise my own potential.