Expand+How and when to Apply
How to Apply
Application for admission to full-time undergraduate and sandwich courses at the University should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained...

Hide-How and when to Apply
How to Apply
Application for admission to full-time undergraduate and sandwich courses at the University should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/students.

When to Apply
UCAS will start processing applications for entry in Autumn 2020 from 1 September 2019.

Advisory closing date: 15 January 2020 (18:00).

Late applications are, in practice, accepted by UCAS throughout the remainder of the application cycle, but you should understand that they are considered by institutions at their discretion, and there can be no guarantee that they will be given the same full level of consideration as applications received by the advisory closing date.

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as is consistent with having made a careful and considered choice of institutions and courses.

The Institution code name for Queen's is QBELF and the institution code is Q75.

Expand+Entrance requirements
A level requirements
Post A-level French
ABB including A-level French.

Note: for applicants who have not studied A-level French then AS-level French grade B would be acceptable in lieu of A-level French.

Beginners Leve...

Hide-Entrance requirements
A level requirements
Post A-level French
ABB including A-level French.

Note: for applicants who have not studied A-level French then AS-level French grade B would be acceptable in lieu of A-level French.

Beginners Level French
ABB + GCSE French grade B or evidence of linguistic ability in another language.

Note: the Beginners' option is not available to those who have studied A-level or AS-level French.

Post A-level Spanish
ABB including A-level Spanish.

Note: for applicants who have not studied A-level Spanish then AS-level Spanish grade B would be acceptable in lieu of A-level Spanish.

Beginners Level Spanish
ABB + GCSE Spanish grade B or evidence of linguistic ability in another language.

Note: the Beginners' option is not available to those who have studied A-level or AS-level Spanish.

Irish leaving certificate requirements
H3H3H3H3H3H3/H2H3H3H3H3 including Higher Level grade H3 in French and Higher Level grade H3 in Spanish

International Baccalaureate Diploma
33 points overall, including 6(French),6(Spanish),5 at Higher Level

Graduate
A minimum of a 2:2 Honours Degree, provided any subject requirements are also met

Selection Criteria
In addition, to the entrance requirements above, it is essential that you read our guidance below on 'How we choose our students' prior to submitting your UCAS application.
Applications are dealt with centrally by the Admissions and Access Service rather than by individual University Schools. Once your on-line form has been processed by UCAS and forwarded to Queen's, an acknowledgement is normally sent within two weeks of its receipt at the University.

Selection is on the basis of the information provided on your UCAS form. Decisions are made on an ongoing basis and will be notified to you via UCAS.

For last year's entry, applicants for this BA programme offering A-level/BTEC Level 3 qualifications must have had, or been able to achieve, a minimum of five GCSE passes at grade C/4 or better (to include English Language). Performance in any AS or A-level examinations already completed would also have been taken into account and the Selector checks that any specific entry requirements in terms of GCSE and/or A-level subjects can be fulfilled.

Offers are normally be made on the basis of three A-levels. Two subjects at A-level plus two at AS would also be considered. The offer for repeat candidates is set in terms of three A-levels and may be one grade higher than that asked from first time applicants. Grades may be held from the previous year.

Applicants offering two A-levels and one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent qualification) will also be considered. Offers will be made in terms of performance in individual BTEC units rather than the overall BTEC grade(s) awarded. Please note that a maximum of one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent) will be counted as part of an applicant’s portfolio of qualifications. The normal GCSE profile will be expected.

Access courses, BTEC Extended Diplomas, Higher National Certificates, and Higher National Diplomas can be considered, provided the subject requirements for entry to French and Spanish are also fulfilled.

The information provided in the personal statement section and the academic reference together with predicted grades are noted but, in the case of BA degrees, these are not the final deciding factors in whether or not a conditional offer can be made. However, they may be reconsidered in a tie break situation in August.

A-level General Studies and A-level Critical Thinking would not normally be considered as part of a three A-level offer and, although they may be excluded where an applicant is taking four A-level subjects, the grade achieved could be taken into account if necessary in August/September.

Candidates are not normally asked to attend for interview.

If you are made an offer then you may be invited to a Faculty/School Visit Day, which is usually held in the second semester. This will allow you the opportunity to visit the University and to find out more about the degree programme of your choice and the facilities on offer. It also gives you a flavour of the academic and social life at Queen's.

If you cannot find the information you need here, please contact the University Admissions Service (admissions@qub.ac.uk), giving full details of your qualifications and educational background.

International Students
For information on international qualification equivalents, please check the specific information for your country.

English Language Requirements
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: http://go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
• Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
• Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.

Expand+Overview
The emphasis in the BA in French and Spanish is on linguistic proficiency and inter-cultural awareness; language and identity are central to the programme. You will be critically reflecting on a variety of contemporary issues, historical pe...

Hide-Overview
The emphasis in the BA in French and Spanish is on linguistic proficiency and inter-cultural awareness; language and identity are central to the programme. You will be critically reflecting on a variety of contemporary issues, historical periods and geographical areas (France and Spain, but also for example Latin America and the Francophone Caribbean), explored through a range of media including art, cinema, linguistics and literature. The degree includes residency (average 8 months) in a Francophone or a Spanish-speaking country.

French and Spanish Degree highlights
French is ranked 2nd, and Iberian Languages 5th, in the UK in the Sunday Times Good University Guide 2016. In the most recent Research Assessment (REF 2014), Languages at Queen’s were ranked third in the UK.

Global Opportunities
• After stage 2, you will spend a period of residence (normally 8 months or more) in a French- or Spanish-speaking country. Students will have the possibility of acquiring professional experience by teaching in a school, undertaking a work placement, or doing voluntary work. They may also elect to study at a French or Spanish university.
• Students taking a BA in French and Spanish have a very genuine opportunity to acquire professional experience in a global context.
They undertake an extended period of residence abroad in a French- or Spanish speaking country (typically 8 months), normally working as an English language assistant in a school, or undertaking a paid work placement (destinations include
France and Spain, but also for example Mexico, Canada and Martinique). Students can also elect to study at a French-or
Spanish-speaking university. In addition to the benefits for oral competence, the residence provides a unique opportunity for immersion in one of the cultures of the languages studied. Moreover, the Year Abroad is a significant learning and
employability enhancement opportunity. This feature of our degree
programme gives students the opportunity for personal development, and further develops communication and language skills and intercultural awareness. The challenges of living abroad come to be a unique (and unforgettable) stage in their own personal development.

Industry Links
• Graduates of French and Spanish have risen to the top in a number of fields, including media, print journalism, translating, marketing, local government, fast-stream Civil Service, and a very wide range of local, national and international companies.

World Class Facilities
• Queen’s has an excellent library with an outstanding range of resources in French and Spanish cultures. The Language Centre has state-of-the-art facilities for language learning, and the IT provision more generally is excellent.

Internationally Renowned Experts
• French and Spanish at Queen’s are taught by world-leading experts, with particular expertise in medical humanities, postcolonial writing, Latin American culture, Linguistics, Visual Culture, and Golden-Age and eighteenth-century Spanish culture. Research in Languages at Queen’s was ranked 3rd in the UK in the most recent Research Assessment (REF 2014).
• Professor Janice Carruthers is an internationally renowned expert on linguistics. She is currently the Leadership Fellow in Modern Languages with the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Student Experience
• Students run lively French and Spanish Societies, and staff offer support through a personal tutoring system, skills development programme and a structured framework for feedback.

Expand+Level 1
In French, students must take TWO modules at Level 1 – students must take the core and one optional which can be taken either semester. In Spanish, students must also take TWO modules at Level 1 – students must take the core and one opti...

Hide-Level 1
In French, students must take TWO modules at Level 1 – students must take the core and one optional which can be taken either semester. In Spanish, students must also take TWO modules at Level 1 – students must take the core and one optional which can be taken either semester.

Core modules
• French 1 or Intermediate French or French for Beginners
• Spanish 1 OR Intermediate Spanish OR Spanish for Beginners

Optional modules
• Introduction to French Studies 1
• Introduction to French Studies 2
• Introduction to Iberian Studies
• Introduction to Latin American Studies

Level 2
In French, students must take TWO modules at Level 2 – students must take the core and one optional which can be taken either semester. In Spanish, students must also take TWO modules at level 2 – students must take the core and one optional which can be taken either semester.

Core modules
• French 2
• Spanish 2

Optional modules
• Myth and Biography in Recent French Fiction
• French Noir
• Linguistic Variation in French
• Modern Autobiography
• Issues and Cultures of the US-Mexico borderlands
• Afterlives: Rogues and Mystics of the Spanish Golden Age
• Depictions of Death in Modern Mexican Culture
• The Fantastic in Latin America Year Abroad Modules
Either
• Working and Studying Abroad (French)
• International Placement: Languages Year Abroad (French)

Or
• Working and Studying Abroad (Spanish)
• International Placement: Languages Year Abroad (Spanish)

Level 3
In French, students must take TWO modules at level 3 – students must take the core and one optional which can be taken either semester. In Spanish, students must also take TWO modules at level 3 – students must take the core and one optional which can be taken either semester.

Core modules
• French 3
• Spanish 3

Optional modules
• Modernism(s)
• Ambition & Desire: The Nineteenth Century French Novel
• Romance and Realism in Media Cultures
• Contemporary Francophone Chinese Fiction
• Caribbean Cultures
• The Structure of Modern French
• Rewriting Love in the Renaissance
• Identity, Sex and Sexuality in Post-Revolutionary Cuba
• Failed Romances of Latin American Literature
• Imperfect Heroines: Spanish fiction in the 19th and 20th centuries
• Gender & Society in Contemporary Mexican Cinema
• The Spanish Enlightenment

Expand+Details of assessments associated with this course are outlined below:
• The way in which you will be assessed will vary according to the learning objectives of each module. Language modules are assessed through a variety of written tasks, class t...

Hide-Details of assessments associated with this course are outlined below:
• The way in which you will be assessed will vary according to the learning objectives of each module. Language modules are assessed through a variety of written tasks, class tests, a formal written examination and an oral exam at the end of the year. All other modules are assessed through a variety of forms of coursework which may include book reviews, projects, creative writing, presentations, essays and language tasks. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students at the beginning of their first year. All assessment, apart from oral exams, is marked and returned anonymously.

Feedback
As students progress through the course they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module convenors, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work.

Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:
• Formal written comments and marks relating to work that students, as individuals or as part of a group, have submitted.
• General comments or question and answer opportunities during or at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Immediate, on-the-spot feedback from your teacher during language and oral classes.
• Individual consultations addressing specific queries with lecturers during designated consultation hours.
• Online or emailed comment to specific queries.
• Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which students can review in their own time.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.
• Once students have reviewed their feedback, they are encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of their work.

Expand+Career Prospects
Introduction
Studying for a French and Spanish degree at Queen’s will assist students in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institut...

Hide-Career Prospects
Introduction
Studying for a French and Spanish degree at Queen’s will assist students in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates from this degree at Queen’s are well regarded by employers (local, national and international) for their communication and critical thinking skills, and over half of all graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline.

Typical careers pursued by our graduates include business, media, marketing, translation, publishing, education/teaching, translation/interpreting, PR, journalism, fast stream Civil Service, and banking.

88% of our graduates are in employment or further study within 6 months of graduation. Starting salaries are in the region of £21,800. They are employed in a range of organisations, from the BBC and UTV to the Civil Service, from the Irish News to the European Parliament, and including a very wide range of local, national and international companies.
http://www.prospects.ac.uk

Employment after the Course
Graduates in French and Spanish go on to work in a very wide range of sectors, including media and communications, advertising, journalism, tourism, civil service, teaching and translation. They are particularly in demand in careers requiring a high level of communication and presentation skills, as well as strong critical and analytical thinking.

Employment Links
We regularly consult and develop links with a large number of employers including, for example, Santander and the British Council.

Placement Employers:
Our past students have also gained work placements with organisations such as the British Council Assistantships Program and with Citibank.

Alumni Success
"The communication skills I learnt during my degree have been extremely valuable in my current position, from being able to give client presentations with confidence to editing, writing and proofreading advertisements across different media channels. The skills I developed from completing my year abroad, submitting translations and résumés, as well as presenting in three different languages throughout my degree, trained me to work effectively within the Communications industry and made me stand out as a candidate during the interview process."
Susannah who graduated in 2014 with a joint honours degree in French and Spanish, is now an Account Executive at ASG & Partners, a Communications and Advertising agency based in Belfast.

Prizes and Awards
In French, the AN Troughton Award and The Samuel and Sarah Ferguson Travel Prize recognise academic achievement at Levels One and Two.

In Spanish, the O’Rawe prize is awarded for excellence at Level Two.

Students in both languages who achieve a first class mark in their final year oral examination are awarded a certificate of distinction.

The Chris Shorley Prize rewards the best performances in the Language exam in Level Three.

The Richard Bales Prize is awarded to the student with the highest mark in an optional module in Level Three

The Xavier Giralt prize is awarded to a Level Three student whose performance has been deemed exceptional.

There are a number of undergraduate prizes available to top-performing students on this pathway. In addition to Foundation Scholarships recognizing outstanding achievement in Level One, we have a range of endowed prizes.

Degree plus award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.