Entry requirements
A level
Including English (Language, Literature or combined) and French. Applicants who choose Beginner’s Level French, an A-Level in a foreign language is required.
Access to HE Diploma
Pass Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3. To include 12 credits at Distinction in English Level 3 Modules. Plus A-Level (or equivalent) in French. Applicants who choose Beginner’s Level French, an A-Level (or equivalent) in a foreign language is required. Please contact the Admissions Team for further information and eligibility: [email protected]
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Including English and French.
This qualification is only acceptable when combined with other qualifications
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Including 6 in Higher Level English and French. Applicants who choose Beginner’s Level French, a Higher Level in a foreign language is required.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Including English and French.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Plus A-Level (or equivalent) in English and French. Applicants who choose Beginner’s Level French, an A-Level (or equivalent) in a foreign language is required.
Scottish Advanced Higher
Including English and French. Applicants who choose Beginner’s Level French, an Advanced Higher in a foreign language is required.
Scottish Higher
Including English and French. Please contact the Admissions Team for further information and eligibility: [email protected]
This qualification is only acceptable when combined with other qualifications
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Gain in-depth knowledge of the French language and Francophone cultures throughout the world, at the same time as you continue to develop your knowledge of English literature and language studies.
Our French and English BA is a joint honours degree designed for students who wish to explore both French and English, with the course divided equally between both subjects. You will study English literature, language and critical theory while discovering and developing understanding of the social, political and cultural forces that have shaped contemporary France and the Francophone world.
Leicester is one of the top ten places in the UK to study Modern Languages (The Guardian University Guide 2020) and we rank high for student satisfaction in the annual National Student Survey.
You can study French at either Beginner- or Advanced-level. If you have already taken an A-level in French you would start at Advanced level. If you have an A-level in another foreign language then you can begin studying French at Beginner level.
Throughout the course you will develop your writing skills in French through the production of short pieces of creative writing and other activities such as online language learning and the use of materials taken from French television and radio, with oral teaching conducted in small groups, mostly by native speakers.
Developing your foreign language skills gives you a powerful advantage in business and opens up a wide and exciting range of careers. You will be able to immerse yourself in a rich culture of learning-led experience in a supportive and tailored learning environment, and you will be supported by our team of personal tutors to help you make the best of your time here.
As part of the degree you will study abroad for a year, where you can live as a student or work as a teaching assistant, with tutors on hand to help throughout the year. We have links with several universities in Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Canada. Alternatively, you can take up an approved work placement in a French-speaking country.
In addition, at the end of your first year, you will be able to spend three weeks in one of our fully-funded summer schools so that you can immerse yourself in the language and culture that you are studying.
Here at the University of Leicester we offer a rich and diverse learning experience, with great facilities, knowledgeable staff who are experts in their fields, and a unique chance to study abroad and build your international communication skills. Developing your foreign language skills opens up a wide and exciting range of careers and gives you a powerful advantage in business.
Modules
In first year, you will divide your time equally between French and English throughout your degree. You can study French at either Advanced or Beginner Level. You will also be able to choose from a range of option modules which explore different aspects of French politics, culture and literature. In English you will study the development of a major genre (the novel), explore the history of the English Language, and hone your close-reading skills in poetry and prose. An additional feature of the degree is the Summer School during the summer vacation at the end of the first year, consisting of a three-week course in the country of your chosen language. The Summer School is fully funded by the University. In second year, you continue to build your English and French skills and further your knowledge in a wide variety of cultural, linguistic and literary topics. In year three, you will have the chance to spend a year abroad. It will give you the chance to study or work in one or two countries related to your course. Alternatively, you can apply to spend a year working as a British Council language-teaching assistant or on some other work placement of your choice, subject to approval. It is even possible to split the year between study abroad and work placement, giving you the best of both worlds. However, it is possible, in exceptional cases, to complete this degree in three years, without a year abroad. Please note that a year spent abroad still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester; please see our website for further details. In final year, you will continue to build on your French written and spoken skills, with advanced language tuition and a choice of options in French and Francophone Studies. These may include courses in film, popular culture, contemporary literature, historical and social issues, or specialist aspects of language, helping you to hone your studies on one area that most interests you. For further details, please see the course page on the University website.
Assessment methods
You will be assessed throughout each year by a combination of continuous assessment, seminar presentations, essays, and formal exams at the end of each semester. While final year work is most heavily weighted in determining the degree class, your achievements during your second year and your year abroad are also taken into account.
The Uni
University of Leicester
School of Modern Languages
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)
English studies (non-specific)
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.
Languages 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
English 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
English is one of the most popular degree subjects and in 2015, more than 11,000 students graduated with English degrees - although this does represent a fall from recent years. As good communication is so important to modern business, you can find English graduates in all parts of the economy, although obviously, you can't expect to get a job in science or engineering (computing is a different matter - it's not common but good language skills can be useful in the computing industry). There's little difference in outcomes between English language and English literature degrees, so don't worry and choose the one that suits you best. More English grads took another postgraduate course when they finished their degree than grads from any other subject - this is an important option. Teacher training was a common choice of second degree, as was further study of English, and journalism courses. But many English graduates changed course and trained in law, marketing or other languages -or even subjects further afield such as computing, psychology and even nursing. This is a very flexible degree which gives you a lot of options
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Languages 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.
£22k
£25k
£28k
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.
English 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
£28k
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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