Politics, International Relations and Modern Languages (French)
Royal Holloway, University of London
UCAS Code: LR21 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Royal Holloway, University of London
UCAS Code: LR21 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Required subjects: At least one A-level in an essay based subject. At least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9 - 4 including English and Mathematics. Grade B at A level in the appropriate language for the advanced level language pathway. For the beginners language pathway there is no language requirement but only one language can be studied at beginners level.
Access to HE Diploma
Pass with at least 27 level 3 credits at Distinction and the remaining level 3 credits at Merit in a relevant subject area. Please note that the Access to Higher Education Diploma will only be acceptable if the applicant has had a considerable break from education.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H2, H2, H3, H3, H3 at Higher Level including H3 in an essay-based subject
Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)
in a relevant subject Plus grade B at A level in the appropriate language for the advanced level language pathway. For the beginners language pathway there is no language requirement but only one language can be studied at beginners level.
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
in a relevant subject and grade B at A level in the appropriate language for the advanced level language pathway. For the beginners language pathway there is no language requirement but only one language can be studied at beginners level.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
in a relevant subject plus an A-level grade B in an essay-based subject. If French is taken to A level grade B is required.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
in a relevant subject plus A levels grades BB with at least one essay-based subject. If French is taken to A level grade B is required.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
in a relevant subject and grade B at A level in the appropriate language for the advanced level language pathway. For the beginners language pathway there is no language requirement but only one language can be studied at beginners level.
Pearson BTEC Subsidiary Diploma (QCF)
in a relevant subject Plus A level grades BB and grade B at A level in the appropriate language for the advanced level language pathway. For the beginners language pathway there is no language requirement but only one language can be studied at beginners level.
Scottish Higher
Requirements are as for A-levels where one non-subject-specified A-level can be replaced by the same grade in the Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Politics, International Relations and Modern Languages explores the key areas of contemporary European politics and international relations, and combines these with the in-depth study of German language, society and culture. Taught in partnership between the Department of Politics and International Relations and the School of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, this course is informed by the outstanding research and international outlook of both departments.
The politics element of the course provides an introduction to the working of international relations and the growth of Europe as a political entity. This includes research into areas such as Brexit, the European Union’s Budget, the European Parliament, security, international diplomacy, and the use of military force, as well as European languages and cultures. Your second and final year courses in European politics and international relations will be taught by Giacomo Benedetto, who holds a Jean Monnet professorship in European integration awarded by the European Union.
As a modern linguist, you will not only learn to speak and write fluently, you will also develop excellent communication and research skills and combine language proficiency with cross-cultural perspectives.
As a part of Royal Holloway’s close-knit international community based in our beautiful historic campus, you will be within easy reach of London. You will also have the exciting opportunity to spend a year working, teaching or studying in a German-speaking country, when you will immerse yourself in the language and culture and truly broaden your horizons. Among the institutions we have exchange links with are two of Germany’s most respected universities for politics and international relations - the Ludwig-Maximilian’s University of Munich and the University of Konstanz.
In the event of a no-deal Brexit, we will commit to providing 2019 and 2020 entry students with a subsidy equivalent to current Erasmus+ funding (where this would have previously been funded by the Erasmus+ scheme). To find out more visit the Erasmus+ page.
- Study with leading experts on Brexit and EU Budgets.
- Taught in partnership with the School of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
- Spend a year of study and/or work in a French-speaking country.
- Gain written and verbal fluency in French.
- Other language options in German (R200), Italian (R300) and Spanish (R401).
Modules
Core Modules
Year 1
Introduction to International Relations
Introduction to Politics and Government
You will take one of the following modules in French depending on your language proficiency:
French Language: Culture and Translation
French Ab Initio Written I
French Ab Initio Oral I
French Advanced Oral I
French Advanced Written I Year 2
Understanding the European Union: Politics and Theory
You will take one of the following modules in French depending on your language proficiency:
Pratique du Français II
Intensive French for Beginners II
Advanced French Translation: Skills and Practice Year 3
Year Abroad Year 4
European Union Public Policy
You will take the following module in French:
Pratique du Français III
Optional Modules
There are a number of optional course modules available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course modules that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new modules may be offered or existing modules may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.
Year 1
Optional modules in French may include:
All modules are core
Year 2
International Relations Theory
Democracy in Britain
Contemporary Political Theory
International Political Economy
Political Behaviour
War and Security in World Politics
Modern Political Thought
International Organisations
The Politics of Human Rights
Introduction to Political Communication
Optional modules in German may include:
Death, Desire, Decline: Thomas Mann and Franz Kafka
Love and Marriage in Major Novels by Theodor Fontane
Representations of Childhood and Youth in Modern German Culture
Year 4
Power and Money in the European Union
Dissertation in Politics and/or IR
The British in India: a Social and Political History
Contemporary Middle East Politics
US Foreign Policy
Comparative Foreign Policy
Young People's Politics
Leadership, Power and the British Prime Minister
Visual Politics
Understanding China's Rise: Domestic Politics and Foreign Policy
Global Energy Policy
Refugees and Migration in World Politics
American Political Development
The Politics of Russia and Eastern Europe
The Politics of International Development
Issues in Democratic Theory
Political Theories of Freedom
Defence and Security Governance
Military Change in the 21st Century
Leaders and Political Communication
Global Healthy Policy
Political Protest
European Union Foreign Policy
Optional modules in German may include:
Doubles, Devils, and Deadly Spiders: 19th-Century German Gothic Literature
Narrative and Identity: The German Novel from the 18th to the 21st Century
Dream Factories: Recent German Film
Dark Tales: E.T.A. Hoffmann and German Romanticism
National Socialism and the Third Reich in German Film and Visual Culture from 1933 to the Present
Assessment methods
The course has a modular structure, whereby you will take 14 units at the rate of four per year in the first, second and fourth years, plus two in the third year, which is spent working or studying abroad. Most modules contain an element of assessed coursework, which contributes to the final mark awarded.
Your first year is formative, though your results will determine whether you can progress to the second year. Your second and fourth year results, alongside those of the third year spent abroad, will contribute to your final degree classifcation. Work completed in your fourth year will count for a larger proportion of the result.
You will be assigned a personal tutor who will provide you with support, guidance and advice throughout your studies.
You will also have access to the comprehensive e-learning facility Moodle, which features lecture handouts and other supporting materials, such as lecture slides, quizzes, video clips, and links to relevant academic journal articles.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Royal Holloway, University of London
Politics and International Relations
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Politics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Others in language and area studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Politics
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
The numbers of people taking politics degrees fell sharply last year and we'll keep an eye on this one - it can't really be because of graduates getting poor outcomes as politics grads do about as well as graduates on average. Most politics or international relations graduates don't actually go into politics - although many do, as activists, fundraisers and researchers. Jobs in local and central government are also important. Other popular jobs include marketing and PR, youth and community work, finance roles, HR and academic research (you usually need a postgraduate degree to get into research). Because so many graduates get jobs in the civil service, a lot of graduates find themselves in London after graduating. Politics is a very popular postgraduate subject, and so about one in five politics graduates go on to take another course - usually a one-year Masters - after they finish their degrees.
Others in language and area studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
This is a broad subject for a variety of European languages. No matter which you take, the general theme is that some graduates go to that country to work, often as English language teachers, some go into further study, often to train as teachers or translators, but most get jobs in the UK in education - most often as language tutors, unsurprisingly, or translators. Modern language grads can also be in demand in business roles where communication and language skills are particularly useful, such as marketing and PR, and in finance or law. But remember — whilst employers say they rate graduates who have graduates who have more than one language, you need to have them as part of a whole package of good skills.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Politics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£27k
£30k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Others in language and area studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£26k
£33k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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