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BA FRENCH AND HISTORY

  • UCAS code
    RV11
  • Typical offer
    BBB
  • Year of entry
    2021
  • Course duration
     4 years
  • Year of entry
    2021
  • Course duration
     4 years
View all

COVID-19 update


Find out about how we'll be delivering our courses in 2020.

With our BA French and History programme you can combine the study of French culture and language with a broad exploration of history.

Join our friendly and dynamic Department of Languages and Cultures, which offers the opportunity to study in a lively, multilingual community with staff and students from all over the world. We offer a flexible and supportive approach to learning that allows you to tailor your degree to your interests, including the opportunity to learn other languages.

Through this course you will become confident and highly skilled in written and spoken French. You will master the fundamental elements of the language, to the point where you will graduate with a near-native command of it. We’re proud of our small language classes, led by native speakers. Direct access to expert staff for help and feedback ensures you develop your language skills to the best of your ability.

This course enables you to pursue your own interests through a wide range of optional modules in French and francophone culture, history, literature, politics and film. You will have the opportunity to study with staff who are internationally recognised experts in French-speaking books, history and culture including: the literature of the French Caribbean; French children’s literature and publishing; twentieth century French history; Medieval literature, history and art, as well as translation and adaptation studies.

Discover a thousand years of history whilst experiencing all the specialist areas offered by the Department of History, including Britain, Europe, Africa, America, the Middle East and South Asia. Your first year acts as an introduction and helps you identify your particular areas of interest. You will explore people, politics and revolution and we will teach you the skills you need to study and research history. Certain modules focus on French history, allowing you to explore the reigns of monarchs in Capetian France or the political leaders and groups during the French Revolution – a great way to complement your study of the language.

An integral part of the course is the opportunity for you to spend up to a year in a French-speaking country, studying at a university, working on a placement, or as a British Council language assistant in a school. This enables you to immerse yourself in the culture and develop your language to a high level. The core language module in the second year will prepare you for your time abroad, equipping you with the skills and knowledge required to work and live in a different culture. There is also the option to study for a degree in modern languages, inclusive of a year abroad, while at the same time training to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), a qualification that will enable you to teach in secondary schools in England and Wales after your degree.

Overview

Join our friendly and dynamic Department of Languages and Cultures, which offers the opportunity to study in a lively, multilingual community with staff and students from all over the world. We offer a flexible and supportive approach to learning that allows you to tailor your degree to your interests, including the opportunity to learn other languages.

Through this course you will become confident and highly skilled in written and spoken French. You will master the fundamental elements of the language, to the point where you will graduate with a near-native command of it. We’re proud of our small language classes, led by native speakers. Direct access to expert staff for help and feedback ensures you develop your language skills to the best of your ability.

This course enables you to pursue your own interests through a wide range of optional modules in French and francophone culture, history, literature, politics and film. You will have the opportunity to study with staff who are internationally recognised experts in French-speaking books, history and culture including: the literature of the French Caribbean; French children’s literature and publishing; twentieth century French history; Medieval literature, history and art, as well as translation and adaptation studies.

Discover a thousand years of history whilst experiencing all the specialist areas offered by the Department of History, including Britain, Europe, Africa, America, the Middle East and South Asia. Your first year acts as an introduction and helps you identify your particular areas of interest. You will explore people, politics and revolution and we will teach you the skills you need to study and research history. Certain modules focus on French history, allowing you to explore the reigns of monarchs in Capetian France or the political leaders and groups during the French Revolution – a great way to complement your study of the language.

An integral part of the course is the opportunity for you to spend up to a year in a French-speaking country, studying at a university, working on a placement, or as a British Council language assistant in a school. This enables you to immerse yourself in the culture and develop your language to a high level. The core language module in the second year will prepare you for your time abroad, equipping you with the skills and knowledge required to work and live in a different culture. There is also the option to study for a degree in modern languages, inclusive of a year abroad, while at the same time training to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), a qualification that will enable you to teach in secondary schools in England and Wales after your degree.

Entry requirements A Level BBB | IB 30 points overall

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS, and we will guarantee you a place if you achieve one grade lower than the published offer.

Typical offer

BBB, including grade B in A level History, Medieval History, Ancient History, or Classical Civilisation.

Beginner's French: No previous language qualifications are required.

Intermediate French: GCSE French at grade A (7) or AS level French at grade B.

Advanced French: A level French at grade B.

International Baccalaureate

30 points overall, including 5 in History at higher level

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDM (Modules taken must be comparable to subject specific requirement)

English language requirements

IELTS 7.0, with no component below 6.0

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

International Foundation Programme

If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.

  • Learn more about our International Foundation programme

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

  • Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Structure

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3
  • Year 4

Core modules include:

  • French language (at beginner's, intermediate or advanced level)
  • Directed study in history
  • Journeys through history 1: people, power and revolution
  • Journeys through history 2: culture, art and ideas

Optional modules include:

  • The making of modern France
  • Introduction to French culture
  • Approaches to history

Comparative modules include:

In addition to these French modules, students may choose to take a module from our list of comparative modules. Comparative modules do not focus on one specific country or culture, but rather they contrast and compare different literary, cinematic or historical traditions.

  • The making of modern Europe: 1789 to the present
  • What is comparative literature?
  • Greats of European cinema
  • Introduction to linguistics
Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Core modules include:

  • Advanced French translation and language skills

Optional modules include:

  • Introduction to the French novel
  • Introduction à la littérature de jeunesse
  • French literature on-screen
  • How to think in French
  • France in the Great War
  • Cradle to coffin: living and dying in early modern England, c.1580-1720
  • Religion, culture and belief: Europe, 1450-1600
  • Crusading in the high middle ages, 1095-1291
  • Kingship and crisis in England, c.1154-1330
  • Under the red flag: Labour and British politics, 1880-1939
  • Warrior nation: Prussia and Germany, 1740-1945
  • Power, poverty and protest: the social history of rural England, 1800-2000
  • The colonial experience: Africa, 1879-1980
  • Introduction to enlightenment
  • Political culture in seventeenth-century England
  • Women of the Medieval world
  • American history: from colonial times to the late twentieth century
  • Europe in the twentieth century
  • Rebel girls: the influence of radical women 1795-1919
  • ‘The greatest of terrestrial kingdoms’: France at the crossroads of the world in the high middle ages

Comparative modules include:

In addition to these French modules, students may choose to take a module from our list of comparative modules. Comparative modules do not focus on one specific country or culture, but rather they contrast and compare different literary, cinematic or historical traditions.

  • Society, thought and art in modern Europe
  • Unity, nationalism and regionalism in Europe
  • Science, perversion, and dream in global fantastic literature
  • Love in Medieval Renaissance
Please note that all modules are subject to change.

You can choose from three options for your third year: studying at a partner institution through the Erasmus+ programme, undertaking a work placement or working as a British Council language teaching assistant.

Our French partner institutions include universities in Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Rennes, Poitiers and Grenoble, as well as prestigious business schools such as Paris-Dauphine and Montpellier. The Department of Modern Languages and European Studies has a study abroad officer who can help you prepare for study at one of these universities.

You can also talk to the Department's specialist year abroad team, who can provide you with support in securing and preparing for a placement. Past students have carried out roles with companies such as Knight Frank, Hewlett Packard, PSA Peugeot and PwC.

The History Department ensures placement modules are incorporated into your core learning with the opportunity to study "Going public" in your second year, as well as optional modules "Discovering archives" and "History education". "Discovering archives" allows you to experience 10 days in an archive such as the Berkshire Record Office or the University's Special Collections. The "History education" module offers training and two weeks’ classroom experience in local schools to students who are considering teaching as a career.

Core modules include:

  • Advanced French translation and language skills

Optional modules include:

  • French language for management and business
  • Saints and monsters
  • French chanson
  • The French Caribbean: language, literature and identity
  • Dissertation
  • Axis at war: life and death in fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, 1936-45
  • From Darwin to death camps? Evolution and eugenics in European society, 1859-1945
  • Gothic: architecture, money and cultural identity
  • Industrialisation and its discontents: city, country and utopia in England, 1800-2000
  • Race, ethnicity and citizenship in America
  • The struggle for a new civilisation, 1931-1941
  • Witches, heretics and social outcasts: Europe and its outsiders c.1250-1550
  • 'Battleaxes and benchwarmers’: early female MPs 1919-1931
  • Discovering archives and collections
  • History education
  • Ireland and the English in the middle ages
  • La Belle Epoque: France 1880-1914
  • Medieval magic and the origins of the witch-craze
  • Political extremism in Britain between the Wars
  • Popes and emperors: contests for power in the central middle ages
  • Revolution in Britain and Ireland: 1603-1649
  • The sixties: politics and culture in a divided world
  • The United States and the Cold War

Comparative modules include:

In addition to these French modules, students may choose to take a module from our list of comparative modules. Comparative modules do not focus on one specific country or culture, but rather they contrast and compare different literary, cinematic or historical traditions.

  • EU case studies
  • Cinemas of the world
  • 19th century European novel
  • Language and power
Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250* per year

New international students: £17,320 per year

*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Careers

By the time you graduate, you will be able to write and speak fluently in French – a big advantage given the current shortage of well-qualified linguists in the UK. The experience of studying or working abroad also distinguishes you from non-language graduates, providing evidence of self-reliance, adaptability and enterprise. The course also provides you with numerous transferable skills in research, clear and critical thinking, presenting and group working, which will prove useful in a wide range of careers.

Our graduates have an excellent record of gaining employment or progressing to further study. Recent graduates have gone on to careers ranging from translating, teaching and research (doctorates at Oxford and Queen Mary, University of London) to financial services (HSBC, Zurich Insurance), telecommunications (Vodafone), marketing, the fashion industry (Chanel), the international art business (Christie’s), and regional development (the Design Wales Project).

Contextual offers


We make contextual offers for all our courses.

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Related Courses


  • BA Modern Languages (4 years) R900
    Full Time: 4 Years
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2020
2021
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Subjects A-B

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management, Accounting and Finance

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Science
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Medieval History
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teaching
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

Subjects A-B

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management, Accounting and Finance

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Science
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Medieval History
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teaching
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

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