French and Spanish
Entry requirements
A level
112 UCAS points from GCE A Levels
Access to HE Diploma, to include 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 must be at Merit or above
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
BTEC Extended Diploma/Diploma: merit/distinction profile
Scottish Higher
UCAS Tariff
Please note for the combined honours degree there are two entry pathways for each Lanuage - one for students with A Level in either French or Spanish and one for students with a modern foreign Language at GCSE Grade C/Grade 4 or above.
About this course
A Combined Honours degree at Chester gives you the opportunity to study two subjects. You will spend a fairly even amount of time studying each subject area, with possible opportunities to declare a major – minor towards the end of your studies.
**French**
Open up international pathways as you develop your understanding of the language and cultures of the French-speaking world.
During this course, you will have the opportunity to develop your language to a very high level through the study of the history, diversity and cultures of the francophone world. You will have the chance to work or study abroad and gain invaluable employment skills and knowledge of current affairs.
At Chester, you will have the chance to undertake a short placement at the end of Year 2 (Level 5) as well as the opportunity to spend an academic year in a French-speaking country. If this is an option for you, it allows you to split your experience of residence abroad, offering you the chance to spend time on different types of placement and, indeed, in different countries. Alternatively, you have the opportunity to stay in Chester and take a Cambridge CELTA qualifying module in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
In your first year you will have the opportunity to study a further language from scratch.
We have links all over the world, allowing our students to study in other countries. These placements provide invaluable experience of living and working or studying abroad.
**Spanish**
Increase your knowledge of one of the most widely spoken global languages, as you discover the language, culture, politics and society of contemporary Spain and Latin America.
During this course, you will have the opportunity to develop your language skills to a very high level, and study a range of cultural and historical contexts. You will also have the chance to undertake placements in Spain and/or Latin America, to gain invaluable employment skills and knowledge of current affairs.
At Chester, you will have an opportunity to undertake a five- to eight-week placement in Spain or Costa Rica at the end of Year 2 (Level 5). You will also have the opportunity to complete an academic year in Spain or Latin America. This allows you to split your experience abroad between two countries and to spend time in both Spain and another Spanish speaking country. Alternatively, you have the opportunity to stay in Chester and take a Cambridge CELTA qualifying module in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
In your first year you will have the opportunity to study a further language from scratch.
Our Languages For All programme allows you to also study one of eleven languages at a range of levels in addition to your degree. Fees are fully reimbursed on completion of the course.
You will be taught in a dynamic Department, located in purpose-built building that includes three digital language laboratories and a dedicated resources room. All modules are taught in workshop mode.
Languages and Area Studies courses at Chester received a 91.55 overall satisfaction rating in the 2022 National Student Survey, well above the national average for the subject.
Modules
For the latest example of curriculum availability on this degree programme please refer to the University of Chester's Website.
Assessment methods
In both languages, you will be assessed in all four language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as your ability to research and analyse. You will do this in a variety of formats: essays, role-plays, presentations, summaries, debates, portfolios, discussion papers, translations, projects, dissertation and exams.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
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.
French 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)
Iberian 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.
French 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
Iberian 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
It's often said there's a shortage of modern language graduates, and graduates from Spanish courses have a lot of options available to them when they complete their courses. In 2015, nearly 1300 UK graduates got degrees in Spanish and the subject is seeing its popularity increase. About one in five got jobs overseas — often as English teachers. If you want to put your degree to work in the UK, teacher training is a common option, and businesses see Spanish-speaking countries as important markets, leading to graduate opportunities in marketing, human resources, sales and project management. But remember — whilst employers say they rate 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.
French 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
£23k
£25k
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.
Iberian 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
£23k
£25k
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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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
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Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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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?
Have a question about this info? Learn more here