BA

Welsh / International Relations

BA Welsh / International Relations Code 5FQL Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

5FQL

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 104

  • Course duration

    3 years

Further details on entry requirements

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the BA Welsh / International Relations degree at Aberystwyth University will introduce you to modules that are attractive, interesting, and relevant to our way of seeing Wales and the world through Welsh, and to International Relations subjects that address some of the main challenges of the twenty first century. If you like to be challenged and want the opportunity to be able to work in a variety of professional fields in Wales and beyond Wales, the BA Welsh / International Relations degree will suit you well.

Course Overview

On this course you will divide your time between the Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies and the Department of International Politics - two departments with excellent reputations. Both departments were established over a century ago but have moved with the times to offer innovative courses that are relevant to the twenty first century.

You will study Welsh modules that come under the main themes of expertise of the staff who teach our Welsh degrees. These are creative writing, Welsh in the professional workplace, and translation studies. International Relations is a completely dynamic subject and the modules reflect the liveliness, energy and developments of a world that is rapidly changing. The combination of excellent teaching and exciting research in both departments creates a unique and exceptional experience within a friendly environment. You will also have plenty of opportunities to develop transferable skills that will improve your career prospects.

On the Welsh modules, you will deepen your understanding of the language, the wealth of its literature and its culture, with modules varying from the history of our literature to contemporary literature, and from the sociology of the Welsh language to creative writing and scripting. In addition to that, you will become part of the Welsh buzz in the Department. On the International Relations modules you will study themes such as power and justice, conflict and cooperation. You will study the human condition and the way in which human societies engage with each other, and deal with the full range of global changes from the perspective of the economy, culture and politics. International Relations is an exciting and interdisciplinary subject that includes Politics, History, Philosophy, Law, Geography and Sociology to seek to understand the world around us and the problems we face.


Our Staff

All academic staff in the Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies are research active scholars and experts in their chosen fields of study, including the study of languages and literatures as well as creative writing.

Lecturers in the Department of International Politics are all research active and qualified to PhD level, and most also have a PGCHE.

Modules September start - 2024

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Behind the Headlines * IP12620 20
Exploring the International 1: Central Concepts and Core Skills * IP12420 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Globalization and Global Development * IP12520 20
Politics in the 21st Century * IP12920 20
The Making of the Modern World: War Peace and Revolution since 1789 IP12820 20
War, Strategy and Intelligence IP10320 20

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
International Relations: Perspectives and Debates * IP20120 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Britain and Ireland in War and Peace since 1800 IP28820 20
Britain and World Politics from Global Empire to Brexit: The Diplomacy of Decline IQ22620 20
China From the Opium War to the Present IP29820 20
Climate Change and International Politics in the Anthropocene IP20720 20
Economic Diplomacy and Leadership IQ24320 20
European Security in 21st Century IP23620 20
Gender, Conflict and Security IP26720 20
Global Politics and the Refugee Regime IQ25520 20
International Politics and Global Development IP29220 20
International Politics and the Nuclear Age IP20420 20
Knowing about Violent Conflict in International Politics IQ24420 20
Middle Powers in the Global Political Economy IQ27120 20
Nationalism in Theory and Practice IP29920 20
People and Power: Understanding Comparative Politics Today * IQ23920 20
Race in Global Politics IQ20020 20
Refugee Simulation IQ25620 20
Russian Security in the 21st Century IP21820 20
Strategy, Intelligence and Security in International Politics IQ25120 20
The Arab-Israeli Wars IP21320 20
The British Army's Image in Battle, from the Crimean to the Present IQ20920 20
The Governance of Climate Change: Simulation Module IP22320 20
The Long Shadow of the Second World War IP22720 20
The Past and Present US Intelligence IP26020 20
The Politics and Paradoxes of International Organisations IQ26020 20
UK Politics Today: A Union Under Strain? IQ23820 20
Warfare after Waterloo: Military History 1815-1918 IP25320 20
Women and Global Development IP29620 20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

Graduates of this course go on to find fantastic jobs. Many go into education, to the foreign office, the ministry of defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the civil service, international institutions, and non-governmental bodies. Others go into political research in private companies as well as in Westminster, the Welsh Senedd and the European Parliament. Some are attracted into the Welsh media, to perform, administrate or produce. Some others go to work in areas such as social work and law or journalism, or to pursue a career in the armed forces.

During the course, you will develop a host of transferable skills - the skills that are highly valued by employers. Here are some examples: 

  • expressing ideas and communicating information clearly and coherently, orally and in writing 
  • thinking creatively and effective problem solving
  • examining and analysing data 
  • advanced mathematical and computing skills
  • a solid foundation in information technology
  • working independently
  • self-motivation and self-reliance
  • organising and managing time, including the ability to meet tight deadlines 
  • team work - the ability to discuss concepts in groups, discussing various ideas and reaching an agreement 
  • organising and managing time, including the ability to meet tight deadlines. 

The research and analysing skills that you develop during your degree course will also serve as a solid foundation for postgraduate study and for a career in academia.

What opportunities for work experience will be available while I study? 

Find out more about the different opportunities offered by the Aberystwyth University Careers Service. 

Improve your employment opportunities with GO Wales and the Year in Employment Scheme which are managed by the Careers Service. 

Teaching & Learning

What will you learn?

In your first year you will study several modules that include a review of some of the highlights of our literature from the sixth century up to the nineteenth century. By studying these modules, you will be introduced to recent prose and poetry which you will look at critically. There is a series of lectures on different aspects of the history of the language and Welsh dialects available to first language students while second language students will attend a series of language seminars. The module on cultural media is popular module. It traces the various media that were used to convey culture in Wales.

The purpose of the first year modules in the Department of International Politics is to provide you with wide-ranging knowledge while you prepare to study in more depth during your second and third years. These modules will introduce you to the key concepts and debates as well as the most important international politics topics and you will have the opportunity to critically reflect on the developments in international politics in real time.

In the second and third years, you will be able to choose from a wide range of modules. By this point, first language and second language students will choose from the same module list. Those modules include subjects as diverse as creative writing, the language of learning and of society, Welsh in the Workplace, and the history and essentials of literary criticism. You will have the opportunity to choose modules that are of particular interest to you, or choose modules that are more vocational in nature. Examples of module themes in the Department of International Relations include the politics of climate change, global justice, UK politics today, and learning about politics and the process of decision making and negotiation in the global refugee system. These modules reflect the latest research in these areas, which means that Aberystwyth students get to hear the latest ideas even before they are published and sold in the book shops!

How will you be taught?

The teaching is presented via a combination of traditional lectures, seminars and other innovative teaching methods. The seminars have a more informal atmosphere, so that open discussion can be nurtured. Some of the modules in the second and third years use seminars only, which is a taste of studying a Master degree, while others use simulations, role play, and the latest e-learning techniques.

How will you be assessed?

The majority of your work will be assessed by means of exams, continuous assessment, and through setting and marking essays and exercises, but projects, presentations and book reviews are also used to assess students occasionally.

Personal Tutor

A personal tutor will be assigned to you for the entire duration of your degree course, and the tutor will be able to help you with any problems or queries, whether academic or personal. You are welcome to contact your personal tutor at any time if you need assistance.

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 104

A Levels BBB-BCC to include B in Welsh 1st or 2nd Language

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English or Welsh

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-DMM, plus B in A level Welsh 1st or 2nd Language

International Baccalaureate:
30-28, plus B in A level Welsh 1st or 2nd Language

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65% overall, plus B in A level Welsh 1st or 2nd Language

English Language Requirements:
See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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