From the Revolution to the modern République, immerse yourself in the history, society and culture of France and the French-speaking world.
Year of entry: 2021/22
VR11
Y50
4 years full-time (plus optional placement year)
AAB (full entry requirements)
September 2021 (term dates)
Meet our undergraduate students and discover why the choice is York.
Discover YorkNational Student Survey 2020
QS World Rankings by subject 2020
History and French combines wide-ranging historical study with the exploration of French language and culture.
You'll develop your language skills, with a focus on becoming a high-level communicator. Your advanced skills in French will allow you new insights into the forces that have shaped modern societies and cultures as well as the issues and debates that prevail in France today. You'll choose from a wide and exciting range of option modules in History spanning both time and place.
You'll join two departments which are highly respected for their research, and you'll graduate with the ability to navigate international and multilingual environments with confidence and professionalism.
Spend your third year studying and/or working in a French-speaking country.You'll develop your language skills while gaining a different perspective on the history of France and the world.
Both departments are in the world top 100 (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020).
Your historical studies will begin by exploring different ways of studying the past, covering a wide range of historical periods and cultures. As you progress you'll focus on particular topics and issues, and develop specialist knowledge.
Your language and cultural studies are taught almost exclusively in French. You'll focus on developing effective communication skills through the in-depth study of issues that shape the French-speaking world. As you progress through the course, not only will you develop your conversational fluency, but also your ability to discuss complex ideas in formal French.
Spending your third year studying and/or working in France or a Francophone country gives you a chance to put your language skills into practice. You'll experience different ways of teaching and learning, and gain new perspectives on world history.
In the first year of your course, you will focus on improving your accuracy and communication expertise in French. In History you'll explore a range of approaches to studying the past, and take in a panoramic view spanning several centuries.
In addition to the core French modules, you'll either choose a linguistics module, or you can opt to study another language through our Languages For All programme.
If you are taking French ab initio, you will follow an intensive, fast-track programme with more French. You will not study any linguistics.
Ab Initio French Language Skills (20 credits)
Ab Initio French Language and Society (20 credits)
Ab Initio French Grammar (20 credits)
In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.
This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York.
This module will:
In your second year you'll begin to focus your historical studies, and develop some key skills ahead of your final-year special subject and optional dissertation. In French, you will further develop your critical analysis skills by examining sources and communicating your findings.
You'll study one core History module:
You'll choose one Histories and Contexts module. You'll typically be able to choose from around eight options:
Finally, you'll also choose one Explorations module. We usually offer a dozen or more options for you to choose from:
You'll choose two of the following modules:
Most linguistics modules require you to have taken certain modules in your first year.
You will have the choice of either spending a year studying at one of our partner universities for History/French, or spending a semester studying at a university and another semester on a work placement.
Our partner universities are Tours, Aix-en-Provence, Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne or Paris Sorbonne. You'll study a mixture of History and French modules. If you've chosen to do a History dissertation in your final year, you will devote a third of your time to this.
In your final year you will hone your fluency in French, with modules designed to consolidate your critical skills through in-depth research and analysis. In History, you'll take a special subject that places emphasis on working with primary sources.
You'll also choose between researching and writing a 10,000 word dissertation on a historical topic of your choice, or undertaking advanced studies of French language and linguistic theory.
You'll choose one Special Subject module, typically from around 16 options. These are an advanced, source-based course on specific historical topic, taught through seminars.
You may choose to complete the History dissertation:
If you choose to complete the History dissertation, you'll choose one from the following option modules. Otherwise, you'll choose three from the following option modules.
Please note, modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
The fees and funding figures below are for 2021/22 entry. If you take a year abroad or year in industry you'll pay a reduced rate of fees for that year
| UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|
| £9,250 | £18,350 |
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status
For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.
You will have to pay for the cost of printing some assignments for submission as assessed work in Years 2 and 3.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2021/22 throughout the year.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
The year abroad is something I would never have been brave enough to do if it wasn't an integral part of my degree... it's proving to be one of the most interesting experiences of my life.Lucy, BA History/French
“Students from all backgrounds achieve consistently outstanding outcomes”
The TEF Panel, Office for Students, June 2018
Our Gold Teaching Excellence Framework award demonstrates our commitment to the delivery of consistently outstanding teaching and learning for our students.
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Teaching in your History and French modules takes place in lectures, seminars and discussion groups. We emphasize small-group teaching – seminars in both French and History have typically between 12 and 17 students.
During your French modules you'll interact in the French language throughout. French modules use a variety of authentic material (magazines, films, speeches, graphic novels, literature, art etc) to explore and investigate French and francophone culture. In your first year we offer you extra study support in several ways. Our Peer Assisted Learning programme gives you the opportunity to work with other students. You can also add an optional contact hour with one of our staff each week and receive additional support with easing into university life.
In your first year, you can expect:
| Lectures | 5 hours per week |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 6-7 hours per week |
| Workshops | 7 hours |
These figures are based on an average student in an average week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practise completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during term time. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.
You will be based in both the Department of History and the Department of Language and Linguistic Science on Campus West.
Your contact hours will be mostly divided between the Spring Lane building and Vanbrugh College, with some teaching taking place in other locations on Campus West.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
Your first-year work doesn't contribute toward your final marks. We recognise that students are only beginning to develop over the course of their degree.
From Year 2 onward, formal assessments contribute toward your degree. Most History modules will let you write a practice essay before assessment.
You'll be assessed using a range of methods, including essays, research projects, written exams, group projects and presentations. In French you'll also take oral exams to test your understanding of the language and culture.
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exams | 56% | 62% | 0% | 34% |
| Coursework | 39% | 33% | 100% | 58% |
| Practical exams | 5% | 5% | 0% | 8% |
The figures above are based on data from 2016/17.
The French side of the course at York focuses on current, relevant issues which really make you think and engage with the language. The history side allows you to learn from experts in their fields from your first year here, and together with what you learn in French you get a really firm understanding of the world that we live in.Hugh, BA History/French
The History and French degree cultivates independence and discipline, and also develops your fluency with other cultures. The language and study abroad elements give you the ability to deploy these skills internationally.
Our alumni go on to succeed in a wide variety of industries, including marketing, media and finance, as well as government and non-profit organisations.
Our graduates have gone on to work in sectors such as:
You'll develop invaluable transferable skills such as:
I chose to study History and French because it kept my options open for any job opportunities. Having a language made me more employable, and History gave me a boost in international affairs. This was all very promising, considering I want to work in the humanitarian sector.Lauren, History/French
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| A levels | AAB including an A in either History or Classical Civilisation |
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | Obtain Access to HE Diploma with 36 credits at Distinction including at least 9 credits in History modules, and 9 credits at Merit or higher. |
| BTEC National Extended Diploma | DDD with an additional A Level or equivalent qualification in either History or Classical Civilisation at grade A |
| Cambridge Pre-U | D3, D3, M2 including D3 in History. |
| European Baccalaureate | 80% overall including 85% in History |
| International Baccalaureate | 35 points, including Grade 6 in History at Higher Level |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
You can take the language part of this programme ab initio (i.e., from scratch, or with a qualification at AS Level or below), or you can study on a route designed for those who have an A level in this language.
Our language programmes are designed to develop fluency. For this reason we do not normally offer places to native or near-native speakers who wish to study their own language.
Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.
| Criteria | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Widening participation | If you successfully complete one of the following programmes, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to three A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Next Step York, Realising Opportunities. More about widening participation. |
| Contextual offers | If you have experience of local authority care or live in an area with low progression to university, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer. More about contextual offers. |
| EPQ | If you achieve A or higher at EPQ, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. |
| MOOCs | If you successfully complete our online course Accents, attitudes and identity, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. More about MOOCs. |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, with a minimum of 55 in each component |
| GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language) | Grade C |
| C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency | 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87 overall, with a minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all components |
| Duolingo | 110 overall, with a minimum of 100 in each component |
For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
Get in touch if you have any questions
Department of History, Department of Language and Linguistic Science
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