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Explore connections and interactions between cultural traditions with our BA in French and Comparative Literature.
Studying French at Queen Mary means appreciating the diversity of the French-speaking world. You’ll learn not only about metropolitan France, but also about French as a global language, France’s role on the world stage, and the culture and thought of groups who have historically been silenced or excluded, such as women, the working class and ethnic minorities.
As a result, besides high-level linguistic and analytical skills, you’ll gain an understanding of cross-cultural issues that will equip you to deal with today’s increasingly globalised world.
At the same time, you’ll gain a solid grounding in the discipline of literary studies, choosing from a range of topics from modern fairy tales to First World War literature, and a host of themes from madness to migration.
You’ll spend your third year abroad, an exceptional opportunity to develop your language skills through immersion and boost your intercultural competence.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
You have three options for how to spend your year abroad:
Our French-speaking partner institutions are:
You’ll receive approximately 12 hours of weekly contact time, in the form of lectures, seminars and language classes.
You will spend up to five hours per week in language classes – in small groups of no more than 20 for classroom or language lab teaching, and no more than 10 for oral and aural work.
For every hour spent in class, you’ll complete a further two to three hours of independent study.
Assessment typically includes a combination of coursework and exams, or coursework only. You’ll also be assessed through oral exams for language modules (including producing a short radio programme), final-year dissertations, independent projects and creative journals.
The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:
If you're interested in learning another language alongside French, you can sign up for a course at Queen Mary’s Language Centre, where you can choose from Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), German, Japanese or Spanish.
UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.
Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.
Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.
Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.
We offer 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.
Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:
French and Comparative Literature graduates have a broad range of skills that can take them through to successful careers, such as analytical and critical thinking and communication.
Some apply their degree knowledge directly, entering careers such as translating, editing and teaching, while others transfer skills gained during study into areas such as the media, publishing and marketing.
Recent graduates have been hired by:
The School of Languages Linguistics and Film offers a range of career support, including for students interested in working during their year abroad. Final year students can attend two bespoke events: 'What a difference the year abroad makes', which highlights how the year abroad helps you stand out in the graduate job market, and 'Career avenues for literature students', which explains the wide range of career options and how studying comparative literature prepares students for them. Alumni share their own experience at both events.
Our careers team can also offer:
The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats)
The School of Languages, Linguistics and Film explores global culture and communication through a vibrant interdisciplinary environment with five distinct but interconnected areas of academic excellence. Our multilingual community brings together brilliant minds from across the world to share a wealth of expertise – from practical film-making and contemporary literature to experimental neurolinguistics and 11 different modern languages – so that students can become truly global citizens.
Our School’s five Departments are united by the common threads of communication and culture, opening the doors to new worlds of opportunity. Both a single and richly varied entity, our School’s work enables creative thinking that goes beyond national, linguistic and cultural boundaries. We combine research excellence with an unrivalled commitment to social justice and social mobility, true to the Queen Mary spirit, achieving the previously unthinkable through our School’s unique mix of bright minds.
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