The Bachelor of Languages is a degree which prepares students for the challenges they will face in the increasingly multicultural and international workplaces of the 21st century. The degree combines a solid foundation in one or more languages with knowledge about linguistics (the science of language), and the culture and cultural practices associated with the chosen language(s). The degree draws upon the complementary strengths of the language programs in the College of Asia and the Pacific and the College of Arts & Social Sciences at the ANU.

Students select one the seven streams in the degree, which allow students to major in one of eighteen different languages: Classics (Ancient Greek or Latin); China/Korea (Korean or Chinese); Japanese (Japanese Language or Japanese Linguistics); Modern European (French, German, Italian or Spanish); Middle Eastern and Central Asia (Arabic, Persian or Turkish); Southeast/ South Asia (Indonesian, Hindi, Sanskrit, Thai, Urdu/Persian or Vietnamese).

An exchange semester or year in a country in which the language of the language major is the language of instruction is not compulsory, but is strongly recommended. This will usually take place in the fifth semester of study, depending upon the student's language proficiency, the degree coordinators recommendation and the College of Arts & Social Sciences Student Advisor's approval.