A year's study at a continental university is a compulsory part of the programme. Two languages are studied equally in each of the Freshman years. One is chosen by the beginning of Hilary term of the Senior Freshman year as the major language for the third year, spent abroad, and for moderatorship. The second language is studied as a minor language for moderatorship. In moderatorship, students are examined in productive and receptive skills in the major language, and only in receptive skills in the minor language.
Language teaching is related to the needs and subject matter of the programme as a whole.
In addition to language work, the Junior Freshman year consists of foundation courses in social sciences and in the history of ideas, and of a course in the history of Europe, 1500-1700. Students will take a second course, dealing with recent or contemporary Europe, chosen from either history or social sciences. The Sophister years allow students to specialise by taking courses from any, or all, of the component disciplines of the programme. In the Junior Sophister year abroad, students choose from a prescribed range of options at their exchange university. The Senior Sophister year, in addition to language work, comprises a compulsory course in European social thought since 1850 and specialised study in options in all three disciplines.