BA

French / English Literature

BA French / English Literature Code QR31 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

QR31

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 112

  • Course duration

    4 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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If you want to study a course that explores the widest possible range of literary texts and cultures  from the early medieval period to the present day with the combination of developing your linguistic capabilities in French, then this course at Aberystwyth University is for you. We enable our students to develop their powers of expression, critical thinking, and establish specialist knowledge and research skills in both subject areas. Students on this culturally enriching course will develop a detailed and broad understanding of literary history and applied knowledge of literary theory in combination with regular language classes in French. 

Course Overview

Why study French and English Literature at Aberystwyth?

  • Be part of  a University that endeavors to provide a student experience that is memorable and cherished. Aberystwyth University values its students and it is for this ethos that in the latest National Student Survey, the Department of English and Creative Writing is ranked 3rd in the UK for Learning Community within the subject area of Imaginative Writing (NSS 2018). The Department of Modern Languages is ranked 8th in the UK for Learning and Teaching in the 2019 Guardian League Table.
  • Students wishing to study French can commence this course at beginners or advanced level. 
  • You will be taught and mentored by staff who are world leaders in their fields of expertise.
  • We offer you opportunities to engage with a wide variety of approaches to literature and cultural history, combining critical thinking with scholarship.
  • You will have the opportunity to explore literary theory - philosophical and conceptual ideas that inform, challenge and problematise the ways we read.
  • In your final year you will have the option to take part in a writing retreat at a country house in mid Wales - an amazing opportunity to spend time with fellow students and staff, developing your final year projects and dissertations, in a splendid rural setting.
  • Both departments pride themselves for their exceptionally friendly atmosphere where contact with staff is regular. 
  • We have one of the biggest libraries in the world, the National Library of Wales, on our doorstep. This copyright institution receives a copy of every book published in the UK.
  • The department is home to New Welsh Review, Wales’ foremost literary magazine - this could be an exciting opportunity for you to get involved.
  • You will be immersed in a supportive and vibrant community of creative and critical thinkers, literary experts, and published scholars from every field.
Our Staff

All academic staff in the Department of English and Creative Writing are active scholars and experts in their fields. They are either qualified to PhD level or have commensurate experience. Our Lecturers either hold or are working towards a Higher Education teaching qualification and the majority of academic staff also hold the status of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

All of the lecturers in the Department of Modern Languages are qualified to PhD level and are research active specialists in their chosen field. We also employ highly qualified and experienced language tutors, and native-speakers, who will ensure that your learning is of the highest possible quality and who will provide you with constant support through your years of study.

Modules September start - 2025

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.

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

Career Prospects

A degree in English Literature and French is the “gold standard” for any employment setting where communication is valued. All of our modules deliver key skills that enable you to build a comprehensive C.V. that evidences your diverse range of competencies.

Our graduates have been successful across the widest possible range of career destinations:

  • Broadcasting;
  • Journalism;
  • Advertising;
  • Publishing;
  •  Education;
  • Civil Service;
  • Business;
  • Finance;
  • New Media.

Transferable Skills

Studying for a degree in English Literature will equip you with a range of transferable skills which are highly valued by employers. These include:

  • The ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form;
  • Effective problem-solving and creative-thinking skills;
  • The ability to work independently;
  • Time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines;
  • The ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form;
  • Self-motivation and self-reliance;
  • Team-work, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement;
  • Research skills.

What work experience opportunities exist whilst studying? 

Click here to find out about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers team offer.

Enhance your employability prospects with GO Wales and YES (Year in Employment Scheme) managed by our Careers department. 

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

This degree will allow you to explore literature of all genres and from all periods within the context of the broadest possible interpretation of literature in English. You will become skilled in the interpretation and analysis of literary texts and you will engage with current critical debates.

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the four year degree scheme.

During your four years, you will have four weekly hours of language work, which includes:

Oral;

Written;

Aural;

Translation.

In your first year you may discover:

  • New techniques for analysing literary texts;
  • A selection of key figures from literary history (from Shakespeare to the Brontës);
  • The founding moments of French culture;
  • French language through film, culture and identity;
  • Lesser known texts, and writers who are new-to-you;
  • A variety of “ways of reading” and some theoretical approaches to textual analysis;
  • Poetry, prose, drama, American Literature, adaptations, Classical literature, contemporary writing, medieval texts and much more.

In your second year you may explore:

  • The theoretical approaches to, and the practice of, literary criticism;
  • French literature;
  • History of French art;
  • A range of selected core texts from the medieval period through to the twenty-first century;
  • The cultures of contemporary France;
  • A number of specialist topics chosen by you (these might focus on a specific genre (such as crime fiction), historical period (such as the Victorian era),  or theme (such as “place”).

In your third year you will: 

  • Embark on your Year Abroad of studying or work placements through the Erasmus + Programme.

In the final year you may master:

  • Literary theory and the application of theoretical perspectives to literary analysis;
  • Extended writing and independent research in your final year dissertation project (on a topic chosen and defined by you);
  • Areas of the French language which include: Literature, Business, Film;
  • Your own specialisms drawn from a diverse range of option modules taught by researchers in those fields. Our option modules include topics such as Elizabethan drama, the ghost story, the early English novel, queer fiction, children’s literature, Romanticism, and much more. 
  • In your final year you will have the opportunity to take part in a writing retreat at a country house in mid Wales - an amazing opportunity to spend time with fellow students and staff, developing your final year projects and dissertations, in a splendid rural setting.

How will I be taught?

Our degree is taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and one-to-one tutorials. We also encourage self-directed learning designed to stimulate your academic interest in English Literature and nurture your personal and intellectual development.

You will be assessed through essays, exams and oral presentation. You will also be required to complete additional, non-assessed, assignments and to work with others on particular tasks.

Further information

As you study, you will develop a range of skills which will benefit you in further study or any graduate workplace. You will learn to: employ multiple critical techniques when approaching texts; develop a reflective practice in reading and writing; articulate a detailed critical analysis of your subject; and respond to any task with creativity, flair and style.

You will be assigned a personal tutor who will help you with any problems or queries, whether these are academic-related or pastoral issues. Your personal tutor will also be responsible for delivering tutorials that will help you in the development of key skills. You will also have the opportunity to complete a Personal Development Plan (PDP) at Aberystwyth. This is a structured process of self-appraisal, reflection, and planning, which will enable you to chart your personal, academic and professional development throughout your time at university. By recording your academic performance, and highlighting the skills you already have and those you will need for future employability, the PDP portfolio will equip you with the necessary tools to plan effectively, develop successful approaches to study, and consider your future career options and aspirations.

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 112

A Levels BBB-BBC to include B in French (unless to be studied as a beginner)

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

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-DMM to include B in A level French (unless to be studied as a beginner)

International Baccalaureate:
30-28 with 5 points in French at Higher Level

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65% overall with 7 in French

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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