Hispanic Studies and Politics

Overview

Studying modern languages is about more than vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation: you will also immerse yourself in culture, spend time working or studying abroad and learn to understand the subtleties of communication.

The study of a language with politics offers the exciting prospect of a four-year degree programme that combines two contrasting, but often complementary, areas of interest. You will follow the core modules in Hispanic Studies designed to help you develop your skills in writing and speaking that language as well as core modules in politics. In addition, you will normally spend a year abroad in a country where the language is spoken.

Why study Hispanic Studies and Politics at Queen Mary?

Hispanic Studies is taught in one of the leading language departments in the UK and aim for excellence in both teaching and research. Queen Mary was ranked in the top ten in the UK for Russian and Iberian Languages in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008). This means that you will learn from people who are at the forefront of their field.

In the last National Student Survey (NSS 2011), 86 per cent of our students were satisfied with the quality of the course overall.

You will spend a year abroad in the third year of your degree. This gives you an exceptional opportunity to develop your language skills among native speakers. If you are studying two languages you can divide your time between two countries, or spend a full nine months in one country, and three months over the summer vacation in the other. You have three main options for how to spend the year abroad: teaching English as a foreign language assistant; attending university abroad on an Erasmus exchange; or in the professional world, either on a work placement, with the School’s support, or independently, with the School’s approval.

We pride ourselves on the facilities we offer. Our computing services make us one of the best equipped languages departments in the UK. Advisers are on hand to help you take advantage of multilingual word-processing and to point you towards websites useful for language study. Our custom designed Language Centre provides state-of-the-art language teaching and learning facilities. We also subscribe to many foreign newspapers and journals.

The College Library has extensive audio-visual facilities, a large collection of videos and DVDs and is equipped for viewing satellite TV. Students also enjoy lively language clubs and societies which organise film showings, outings, drama productions and regular social meetings which give you the chance to practise your language as well as have fun.

In the National Student Survey 2011, 88 per cent of students at the School of Politics were satisfied overall with the quality of their experience and 90 per cent were employed or doing further study six months after graduation. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008), the School of Politics and International Relations was rated very highly for the quality of our research. Our staff have diverse research interests, and this is reflected in the choice of modules available to students.

There are huge benefits to studying politics in London, with national political institutions, party headquarters, high-profile international organisations and think-tanks all based here. At Queen Mary, we exploit our location to the full, inviting a range of high-profile and inspiring speakers to the campus. In the first six months of 2011 alone, David Willetts MP, Baroness Hayman, and Lords Healey, Mandelson and Hurd all came to speak to our Mile End Group, a forum for the exchange of ideas on government. There’s also a student-run politics society who organise debates and events of their own.

Structure

The following is modelled on the French and Politics BA but holds for all joint degrees in a language and politics.

Year 1

Core modules:

• Introduction to Politics
• French I
• French Foundations
  
  Plus either
• Comparative Government and Politics, or
• Introduction to International Relations

Years 2 and 4

Politics options include:

• British Politics
• Global Governance
• International Politics of the Developing World
• International Relations: Theories and Concepts
• Modern Political Thought
• Theories of the State, Economy and Society
• War and Security in World Politics
• Case Studies in Ethnic Conflict: Ireland and Northern Ireland
• Electoral Behaviour
• Theories of the Self
• European Integration and the European Union as a Political System
• Select Topics in British Government 1
• Select Topics in British Government 2
• The Politics of Economic Ideas
• French Politics
• Theory and Practice in Environmental Politics
• The Politics of the Post-Colonial Middle East
• European Politics: National Identity and Ethnicity
• Analysing Public Policy
• European Politics: National Identity and Ethnicity
• Liberalism, Past and Present

Core language modules:

• French II
• French III

French options include:

• Memories of WWII in Literature, Film and Arts
• Twentieth-Century French Thought: Values and Violence
• French Phonetics and Phonology
• The Edutainers: Francophone Children’s Literature
• Theatre and Conflict: Early Modern French Drama
• Proust
• Imagining Modernity: Creative Writing
• Lovers and Libertines: Eighteenth Century French Fiction
• Language and Identity in Québec

Year 3

• Year abroad: Written Assignment

Entry requirements

General information
You may study a language without having studied it before (except for French) provided that you have a proven ability in a foreign language. You may only study one language from scratch. Applicants whose first language is not English must obtain a grade B in GCSE English language or equivalent, or will be required to have IELTS 7 (with grade 7 in writing.

As/A-level:
Typical tariff or grades required: 320 UCAS tariff points from 3 A-levels with a minimum B in a language.

Excluded subjects: General Studies and Critical Thinking.

International Baccalaureate:
Subjects and grades: Overall 34 points with 5,5,5 in HL subjects that include a language.

Vocational and other qualifications:
The College accepts a wide range of qualifications such as; Access and Foundation programmes, vocational awards, Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Highers and other Baccalaureates. Please visit our further information page below.

Further information on our entry requirements.

Admission is based on academic merit and on the proven ability of the applicant to achieve success on their chosen programme of study. Every application to Queen Mary is considered on its individual merits with personal statement and reference taken into consideration. 

Information for applicants from outside the United Kingdom, including English language qualifications

Learning and teaching

Learning and Teaching:
Teaching typically involves a lecture per week for each module, followed up by a smaller seminar group session where you will have the opportunity to actively contribute. In addition to this, you will spend up to five hours per week in language classes – you will be taught in small groups of no more than 20 for classroom or language lab teaching, and fewer than 10 for oral and aural work.

Independent Study:
For every hour spent in classes you will be expected to complete a further 2 - 3 hours of independent study.  Your individual study time could be spent preparing for, or following up on formal study sessions; reading; producing written work; completing projects; and revising for examinations. 

The direction of your individual study will be guided by the formal study sessions you attend, along with your reading lists and assignments.  However, we expect you to demonstrate an active role in your own learning by reading widely and expanding your own knowledge, understanding and critical ability. 

Independent study will foster in you the ability to identify your own learning needs and determine which areas you need to focus on to become proficient in your subject area.  This is an important transferable skill and will help to prepare you for the transition to working life.

Assessment:
Assessment methods vary from module to module, and include a mixture of exams and coursework, coursework only, oral exams (including the production of a short radio programme), final-year dissertations and a range of more innovative methods, such as independent projects and creative journals.

Fees and finance

TUITION FEES

Tuition Fees for Home and EU Students

2012 Entry
Full time     £9,000

2013 Entry
Full time     £9,000

Tuition Fees for International Students

2012 Entry
Full time     £12,250

2013 Entry
Full time     £TBC

You can either take out a Tuition Fee Loan (see Funding section below) to pay your fees or, if you are paying them yourself, you can pay in instalments.

Tuition fees for a year abroad or placement year on a full time undergraduate course will be 15% of the full fee for the year in which you commence your study or placement abroad.

Visit the main QM site for more general information about fees.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 7676 or email us at fees@qmul.ac.uk

FUNDING

Queen Mary has a substantial package of scholarships and bursaries which will benefit around 50 per cent of our undergraduate student body.

Scholarships and Bursaries available at Queen Mary for Home Students

There are a number of scholarships and bursaries available each year for home students including:

• Bursaries of up to £3000 in year 1, for students from low income households who have the best grades: National Scholarship Programme
• Bursaries of up to £1500 each year for students from low to middle income households: Queen Mary Bursaries
• Scholarships of up to £3,000 each year for students studying science, engineering or modern foreign languages: QM Excellence Scholarships
• A range of Scholarships and Bursaries of between £500 and £7000 a year for studying certain subjects, living in the local area or coming from low income households: Bursaries, Scholarships and Prizes

Visit our Advice and Counselling website for more information about financial support.

Scholarships available for International Students

Find out more about international scholarships.

Some International students may also be eligible for a fee reduction.

Visit the Academic Registry and Council Secretariat (ARCS) website for more information about bursaries.

Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 5079 or email us at bursaries@qmul.ac.uk

Loans and Grants available to help with tuition fees and living costs

Student Finance England administers all grant and loans for your studies if you normally live in England

If you live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland you have an equivalent Student Finance department for your region

Through Student Finance England, you can apply for:

• A Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9000 to pay all or part of your fees
• A Maintenance Loan of up to £7675 to help pay your living costs like rent, food and travel
• A Maintenance Grant of up to £3250 to help towards your living costs
• Extra grants if you have a disability or you have children or an adult dependant
• Extra amounts of loan or grant if you study for longer than the standard academic year or if you have travel costs because you are studying away from your main campus

Visit our Advice and Counselling Service's Student Finance Information to find out more about:

• How to apply for student finance
• What eligibility rules apply, including if you already have a degree or previous higher education study
• What the income thresholds are and how much you might personally get for each element of Student Finance
• What to do if you have problems getting your Student Finance

Other financial help on offer at Queen Mary

We offer one to one specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.

Our Advice and Counselling Service also has lots of Student Advice Guides on all aspects of finance including:

• Additional sources of funding
• Planning your budget and cutting costs
• Part time and vacation work
• Money for lone parents

For more information visit the Advice and Counselling service website, or call +44 (0)20 7882 8717.

Graduate Employment

Graduates from Queen Mary’s School of Languages, Linguistics and Film go on to work in a wide variety of careers.  Some apply their degree knowledge directly, entering careers such as interpreting and teaching, whilst others transfer skills gained during study into areas such as marketing, publishing and journalism.

The national 2011 destination survey confirmed that 86.7% of the School’s graduates were in employment and/or study six months after graduation with 73.1% already working/studying at graduate level. Queen Mary graduates have a strong earning power, as reported in the Sunday Times University Rankings.

The broad range of skills gained through our programmes, coupled with multiple opportunities for extra-curricular activities and work experience, has enabled students to move into careers such as:

Global Technical Support Representation	Bloomberg
Assistant Tour Manager	Sony
Trainee Manager	Majestic Wine
Training Centre Co-ordinator	ESI International
Fundraising Administrator	Mildmay International
International Product Analyst	Meta-Pack
Marketing Executive	Mano
Tutor	Freelance
Graduate Account Executive	Hall & Partners
Publishing Assistant	Medikidz
Journalist	Self Employed
Interpreter	Self Employed
English as a Foreign Language Teacher	British Council

Throughout their time at Queen Mary, students have access to a careers programme to prepare them for internships and graduate level work. This includes workshops on job hunting and job applications as well as employer events to facilitate networks and help students to explore their options.

Recent careers events include a workshop for returning 4th year students “What a Difference a Year Abroad Makes”, a speed meet event with alumni working in a variety of roles – “Make Languages Work for You” and a panel discussion on “Working in Government and Politics”. 

Opportunities for work experience are substantial given Queen Mary’s location between Canary Wharf, the City and the Olympic Village. Students are encouraged to build their work experience throughout their period of study, through, for example, our QM Projects work experience scheme, QM Temps job agency, Experience Works events and QMSU Provide volunteering services. Over 800 vacancies are available to browse on the QM JobOnline vacancy site.

Queen Mary’s extensive campus also provides over 1200 on-campus job and volunteer opportunities ranging from E-learning Assistant to Gym Instructor and from Society President to Student Mentor.

Read more about our careers programmes and range of work experience opportunities on the QM Careers pages.

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