BA

French / International Relations

BA French / International Relations Code 1FRL Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

1FRL

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 104

  • Course duration

    4 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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International Relations today is about understanding and tackling global challenges. As a student on the French / International Politics degree course at Aberystwyth University, you will be perfectly placed to gain a deeper understanding of what those challenges are and how opportunities and obstacles shape how we manage them. The French component of this course will enable you to discover language, culture, literature and art whilst at the same time developing your linguistic competencies in the French language. This course provides an ideal combination of intensive language training and exploring the big questions and concepts of our time, such as power, conflict, security democracy, inequality, ethics, rights, justice, gender, development and political participation.

Course Overview

Why study International Relations and French at Aberystwyth University?

  • There is a wide range of expertise available within the Department of Modern Languages and this is reflected in the module choices we offer. Students could choose modules on linguistics (both modern and historical); dialectical (the study of different forms of French, past and present); literature; the history of ideas and artistic movements; literary representations of Paris, travel literature and current affairs.
  • All students on this course will spend their third year living independently in a French-speaking country. You could choose to study at University, work as a language assistant or other forms of work placements.
  • The Department of International Politics offers you the opportunity to explore modules which include Global challenges, Politics in the 21st Century, War, Strategy and Intelligence, Capitalism, Intelligence and International Security to name a few.
  • As a student in the Department of International Politics, you will study in the world's first department of international politics - founded after the First World War to help the world understand the world.
  • During the first year, you will receive a comprehensive introduction to French studies and related research skills.
  • The Department of International Politics provides many opportunities to take part in extra curricular activities during the course. A highlight of the course for many students is the renowned Crisis Games which is a three-day role playing exercise in political, economic and diplomatic manoeuvre, developing negotiation and communication, critical thinking team work and problem solving skills.
  • This degree is available to beginners and advanced students. Beginners will follow an intensive course in the first year.
Our Staff

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

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.

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
International Relations: Perspectives and Debates IP20120 20
French Language FR20130 30

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
A War on the Mind: Propaganda and Secret Intelligence from the Great War to the 21st Century IP28320 20
Capitalism and International Politics IQ22820 20
Climate Change Politics IP21420 20
Climate Change and International Politics in the Anthropocene IP20720 20
Contemporary Latin America IP28720 20
Devolution and Wales IP25020 20
International Politics and Global Development IP29220 20
Intervention and Humanitarianism IQ20220 20
Militaries and Crisis: Where Strategy Meets Society IP20820 20
People and Power: Understanding Comparative Politics Today IQ23920 20
Political Theory IP22220 20
Politics in Diverse Societies IQ23720 20
Questions of International Politics IP26820 20
Russian intelligence from Lenin to Putin IQ24920 20
Science, Technology, and International Relations IP23020 20
Strategy, Intelligence and Security in International Politics IQ25120 20
Terrorism & Counter Terrorism in the Modern World: Policing, Intelligence & War IP24520 20
The BRICS in World Politics IQ20320 20
The European Union: Politics, Policies, Problems IP23820 20
The Governance of Climate Change: Simulation Module IP22320 20
The Second World War in Europe IP26420 20
Total War, Total Peace IQ23420 20
Trade Wars and the Liberal Order IQ21620 20
War Crimes IQ25720 20
Warfare after Waterloo: Military History 1815-1918 IP25320 20
"...ISMES" Cultural and Artistic Movements in 20th c. France FR29110 10
Brazilian / Portuguese Language II EL20720 20
Extended Essay Module EL20510 10
Gender in Modern and Contemporary French Culture FR21020 20
History, Film and Memory: Representing World Wars in French cinema FR27820 20
Humour and Literature FR26120 20
Language of Business 1 FR20310 10
Self-Writing, 18th-21st Centuries FR27020 20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

Our degrees provide a solid foundation for a vast array of careers across a range of sectors. In a rapidly shifting global economy, our graduates are adaptable and able to draw on a range of transferable skills, ensuring that they are always in demand.

Transferable Skills

Studying for a degree in French / International Politics 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
  • self-motivation and self-reliance
  • team-working, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement
  • research skills.

Employability is embedded across our teaching. We teach our students to aim for the career they want, not the job that they can get.

  • The Department of International Politics operates a prestigious Parliamentary Placement scheme, enabling you to gain valuable experience working alongside an MP (House of Commons, Westminster) or an AM (Welsh Assembly, Cardiff) for a period of 4-6 weeks during the summer. During this time, you will write reports and speeches, undertake research projects, and respond to constituency issues. There may be further opportunities for you to get involved in elections and various international issues.
  • It is also home to Interstate, the oldest student-run international politics journal in the United Kingdom, providing a unique opportunity for you to publish your work (particularly advantageous if you wish to progress to postgraduate study) or gain valuable experience working as part of the editorial team. Stimulating student societies foster a strong sense of community within the department, offering a programme of political debates, visiting speakers, conferences and workshops, alongside numerous social activities such as an annual ball.

What work experience opportunities will be available to me while I study?

Find out about the various opportunities that our Careers Service offers.

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

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

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

In your first year you will have the opportunity to explore:

  • a range of perspectives and approaches to the study of international politics
  • the development and progress of international relations during the twentieth century
  • the different methodologies to analyse topical issues in international and domestic politics
  • political theory and key political issues
  • a range of skills required for French studies, and present a first piece of independent research
  • the founding moments of French culture
  • the French language through film, language and identity
  • contemporary political problems and how they are portrayed
  • key issues in the fields of War, Strategy and Intelligence.

In your second and fourth years you will have the opportunity to:

  • study theories, approaches and perspectives in international relations
  • explore a range of challenges facing the international system, such as globalisation, international security, the environment, inequality, global health, conflict and post conflict environments
  • develop your language competencies further after your year spent in France
  • choose from a range of modules ranging from Literature to Film, Culture, and Business
  • create the crown jewel of your undergraduate years, your Dissertation, based on extensive original research, written in French
  • examine a variety of regional and national political systems, including in Latin America, Russia, Europe and the EU, the BRICS, the Middle East, the UK
  • study international twentieth century history and the Cold War.

French - During your four years, you will have four weekly hours of language work, which includes speaking, listening, writing and translation. In your third year you will embark on your Year Abroad of studying or work placements. This experience of living abroad is highly valued by employers.

How will I be taught?

We deliver this degree through the medium of lectures and seminars.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed through essays, reports, examinations, book reviews, learning logs and presentations.

You will be encouraged to take part in the Department of International Politics Crisis Games, which is a yearly residential event away from Aberystwyth. Crisis games themes have recently included humanitarian crises, the Northern Ireland peace process, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the US presidential election, and environmental disaster in the Arctic. The Crisis Games will allow you to learn about aspects of international politics which cannot be taught in lectures and seminars, especially the constraints which political leaders face in responding to various crises. This is without doubt the highlight of the year.

Personal Tutor

We will assign you a personal tutor who will be with you throughout your degree. This person will help you with any problems, whether academic or personal issues.

Student Testimonials

I love the International Relations course, because it's a subject that attracts a wide range of people from around the UK and internationally, meaning you encounter a wide range of people and opinions. The seminars allow for great discussion and learning, and the lectures themselves are interesting with just as interesting lecturers!

Roxy Taylor

The Department of International Politics has provided me with a new-found understanding of the world through modules on issues surrounding concepts of globalisation and the lives of women in the Third World. With experts in so many fields it is great having such an approachable set of tutors. My three years here at Aberystwyth have been educational as well as enjoyable and I would recommend studying here to anyone.

Hannah Mitchell

Great lecturers, great building, great people on the course!

Matthew David Bold

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 104

A Levels BBB-BCC 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:
30-26 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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