Business Studies and Spanish

The programme offers an exciting way of learning about business concepts, theories and models, in a variety of subject areas, as well as getting to grips in an in-depth and comprehensive manner with another country’s language, its society, culture and business environment. Over its four years, the third of which is spent studying and working abroad, the course simultaneously broadens and deepens your academic command of business theories and practices and develops your linguistic competence.

Students on all five strands of this programme must have well-balanced interests in learning about business and in developing a high level of proficiency in a language. From start to finish, whether as beginners (on the ab initio Russian and Polish* streams) or as more advanced learners (in French, German or Spanish), you will be required to demonstrate a high level of motivation and commitment to mastering core business modules and to all aspects of language learning. Educational experts emphasise the special challenges associated with the study of two disparate disciplines, employing different teaching approaches and requiring different learning styles on the part of the student, but they also stress that mastery of these challenges builds skills that are particularly sought after by employers.

* Special provisions can be made for students with prior knowledge of Russian or Polish (heritage speakers, near-native speakers or those who have an entrance qualification in Russian or Polish).

The distinctiveness of Trinity’s B.B.S. (Lang.) degrees centres on the following: (a) the business and language dimensions are integrated across all years of the programme, especially during the year abroad and in the final year; (b) language instruction is provided by specially-trained ‘language for business and economics’ lecturers, most of whom are native speakers; (c) lectures on the economy, business environment, society and culture of the relevant country are provided by experts who are continuously conducting research in their specialist field of study; and (d) in some cases students complete a work placement in the target culture in order to apply and develop their business and language skills in a professional setting.

Graduate skills and career opportunities

On graduation you will have a strong academic knowledge of international business and management, together with a high-level of competence in the language you have studied. Recent graduates are employed in Ireland and abroad by leading international companies such as Google, Whirlpool, KPMG, AIB Capital Markets and Goldman Sachs, as well as by consultancy organisations, embassies and public sector bodies. Many are working in marketing or international management roles while others occupy more specialist positions (e.g. as analysts or researchers). Several proceed to undertake further study and research in international business at postgraduate level.

This programme aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to communicate internationally and to understand the social, political and cultural contexts of markets, organisations and management across countries. In addition to studying modules in business, economic and social studies, you will study the society, institutions, culture and civilisation associated with your chosen language.

Teaching is specifically geared to the everyday needs, both formal and informal, of business managers. Accordingly, the language components of the programme will have a contemporary socio-economic and business orientation, as distinct from a historical or literature-based perspective. Much of the teaching is provided through the target language, simultaneously building language skills and knowledge relevant to managing across cultures.