Overview
Study contemporary issues in international relations and policy and hone your skills in French with the BSc International Relations and French degree course at Aston University to get a real head start in your career.
Course outline and modules
What you’ll learn
Whether you have A-Level French or are just a beginner, you can study International Relations and French at Aston. Aston's language degrees offer an up-to-date approach to becoming a highly competent French speaker and a cultural expert in contemporary French-speaking countries.
Crucially, Aston languages degrees aim to prepare you for working life in the 21st century at a time when the world of employment is being revolutionized by artificial intelligence and automation. In this context, they focus closely on helping you develop excellent intercultural understanding, the power of persuasion, empathy, and skills for deep-listening, problem-solving and cross-systems thinking. They also offer a series of modules focused on routes into employment, not only in the language industries but right across professional life.
In the final stage of our language degrees, it is possible for students to take a series of modules that lead to an additional ‘Translation Studies’ exit award. By acquiring intercultural communication competencies, technological skills, and negotiation skills in multicultural contexts, our graduates become equipped for successful careers in the growing international language industries.
The value of a language degree is all the greater when combined with a discipline like international relations. Aston’s International Relations and French degree course offer something quite different. The course takes an applied approach to the teaching of international relations and French through the integrated placement year and professionally relevant modules, focusing on topics of contemporary social and political interest.
You’ll gain a sound knowledge of domestic and international politics and an understanding of the nature of global, European, and domestic political institutions, which, when combined with the year abroad component of this degree program, will set you on a strong career path.
Our languages courses have a practical focus, with an emphasis on language as a means of communication and mutual understanding. At Aston, you will acquire near-native linguistic skills and the deep understanding of social, cultural, and political realities that marks Aston’s students out.
You will spend a year abroad on a professional or study placement and return equipped with the experience, resilience, and emotional intelligence to succeed in the world of work.
International students
Aston University is a diverse, close community and welcomes international students. Students from over 120 different countries choose to study with us every year. Based in the centre of Birmingham, Aston is not only a great place to study, it’s also a great place to live.
Aston’s professional work placements can improve your chance of securing a graduate job. Placements give you experience, confidence and opportunities and as an Aston student, you’ll be better prepared for your future career. One of the great things about Aston is our focus on employability and our close links with businesses, industries and professions make this possible.
Choosing to start your Aston journey with our foundation programme in social science will help you develop specialist knowledge to ensure that you are fully prepared to study your chosen undergraduate course. During your foundation year, you’ll have excellent support from academics and group projects will give you the chance to meet new people, make new friends and build a network of peers who will share your university journey. We also have a Learning Development Centre that can provide additional support and offer pre-sessional English language programmes.
International students
Aston University is a diverse, close community and welcomes international students. Students from over 120 different countries choose to study with us every year. Based in the centre of Birmingham, Aston is not only a great place to study, but it’s also a great place to live.
Aston’s professional work placements can improve your chance of securing a graduate job. Placements give you experience, confidence and opportunities and as an Aston student, you’ll be better prepared for your future career. One of the great things about Aston is our focus on employability and our close links with businesses, industries and professions make this possible.
Choosing to start your Aston journey with our foundation programme in social science will help you develop specialist knowledge to ensure that you are fully prepared to study your chosen undergraduate course. During your foundation year, you’ll have excellent support from academics and group projects will give you the chance to meet new people, make new friends and build a network of peers who will share your university journey. We also have a Learning Development Centre that can provide additional support and offer pre-sessional English language programmes.
Modules
BSc International Relations and French (Beginner/Ab Initio)Year 1
Core modules:
- Introduction to the Concepts and Methods of International Relations
- Introduction to the European Union
- French Language Skills I
- Introduction to Language and Communication
Optional modules:
- The Making of the Modern World
- What's Trending (Current Affairs in Politics and International Relations)
Year 1
Core modules:
- Introduction to the Concepts and Methods of International Relations
- Introduction to the European Union
- French Language Skills I
- Introduction to the French-Speaking Countries
- Language and Society in the French-Speaking World
Optional modules:
- The Making of the Modern World
- What's Trending (Current Affairs in Politics and International Relations)
- Business Context in France
- Introduction to Language and Communication
Learning, teaching and assessment
Learning and teaching
As an international relations and modern languages student at Aston, you’ll be taught by research experts with international reputations in their fields, all in a lively, friendly, experienced and enthusiastic department. You’ll experience our innovative approach to teaching, which combines a range of teaching methods including interactive seminars, presentations and group work as well as attending lectures and tutorials. Language teaching is almost exclusively in your chosen language to work quickly towards the kind of fluency and adaptability that employers value. There are also opportunities for individual research and guided study.
Study skills
The scheduled contact hours are only part of your learning and development journey. There is a much stronger emphasis on reading and on your own private, independent study than at the pre-degree level. The University offers training courses in study skills, and the Library’s Learning Development Centre provides one-to-one instruction, workshops and study guides for academic research and writing. You will be allocated an academic supervisor to help you with your final year dissertation and a personal tutor who can provide you with help and advice throughout your studies. To help you manage your learning, we set out your work for the year in online student guides and module handouts, which include full details of all modules including week-by-week lecture breakdowns, reading lists and all coursework assignments for the year.
Assessment
Assessment is through a combination of written and oral exams, coursework, essays, translation tasks, individual and group projects, presentations and an extended dissertation during your final year. Exams take place in January and May/June. The year abroad is an integral and assessed part of language studies at Aston, fully supported by us, and of direct relevance to your degree.
Placement year
The integrated placement year gives you the genuine, practical work experience that is invaluable in developing an appreciation of issues such as office politics, which cannot be replicated in the lecture room.
We have a dedicated Employer Team within our Careers and Placements department who have links with local, national and international organisations and advertise vacancies to students through an online platform exclusively for Aston students and graduates.
Placement year
The integrated placement year gives you the genuine, practical work experience that is invaluable in developing an appreciation of issues such as office politics, which cannot be replicated in the lecture room.
We have a dedicated Employer Team within our Careers and Placements department who have links with local, national and international organisations and advertise vacancies to students through an online platform exclusively for Aston students and graduates.
Career prospects
Our international relations and modern languages graduates are in demand from a wide range of employers, with former Aston students now working at companies such as Bloomberg LP, Deutsche Bank and Apple, as well as for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and in schools, colleges and universities across the UK and overseas.
My name is Kavisha Prince Anthony, and I always had a dream of studying abroad. Thankfully, that dream came to life since I applied to the Study Advisor. I was able to receive my visa within four days. I also had some visa refusals in the past; I had about six UK visa refusals in the past, but thankfully, it was not an issue since the Study Advisor was able to make things work this time. I highly recommend Study Advisor for your dreams of going abroad, whether it be the UK or any other European country there is.