French / Mathematics

Why study French/ Mathematics at Aberystwyth University?

• Uncover a discipline that combines the identification and analysis of shapes and patterns with the ability to confidently analyse data
• We offer our students 4 hours of language work per week (most universities offer 2-3 hours)
• You will be taught by native speakers and experts in the languages of the department
• Mathematics has been taught in Aberystwyth since 1872, so that the department builds on over 140 of teaching excellence
• Our students have a vast range of choices for their year abroad, where students can choose from work placements to study placements
• We are an exceptionally friendly department, and our students benefit from the close contact with teaching staff
• Students can benefit from our interactive learning facilities which include the Language Resource Centre

Our Staff

All lecturers in the Department of Mathematics are qualified to PhD level and are research active. The majority have a postgraduate teaching qualification and new staff are required to complete the PGCTHE. The department also employs a number of part time tutors, with extensive teaching experience, and some student demonstrators, who are selected from our undergraduate and postgraduate students.

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.

What can I do with a French and Mathematics degree?

Our graduates have found employment in the following sectors:

• Statistical consultancy
• Teaching
• Accountancy and banking
• Risk analysis, and actuarial work
• Financial management and investment analysis
• Information technology and data science
• Interpretation/ Translation
• Marketing and Communications

Transferable Skills

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

• 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
• Ability to work independently
• Time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines
• Self-motivation and self-reliance
• Team-work, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement
• Research skills

What will I learn?

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 the first year you will discover:

• Introduction to literary studies and civilisation
• European Film
• Algebra and calculus
• Geometry
• Differential probability and statistics.
• Politics and culture of language across Europe

In your second year you will explore:

• Possibility of independent research project
• Option of specialised languages modules (language of business etc.)
• Analysis and partial differential equations
• Abstract and linear algebra
• Statistical modelling
• Hydrodynamics.
• A vast choice of content modules on literature, film and art
• Current issues in French and francophone society
• Teaching English to speakers of other languages

In your third year, you will take part in your Year Abroad where you will study with our partner Universities under the Erasmus + Programme

In your final year, you will study:

• Semantics and Lexicography
• French linguistics
• Cultural and Artistic Movements
• French Literature of 18^th and 19^th Century
• Current issues in a French speaking country
• A compulsory independent research project

How will I be taught?

Our students are taught through the medium of lectures, seminars and language workshops

We assess our students in variety of ways depending on the modules. In our language classes you will be assessed through continuous assessments and an exam at the end of Year 1 and Year 4. Our elective and compulsory modules are assessed through coursework in the format of a presentation and/ or essay and an examination.

Your progress will be regularly monitored through tutorial consultations and with the Personal Development Portfolio (PDP). In your last year, in order to prepare you for life after university, the PDP is replaced by writing a CV and cover letter in French.