French & History with a year abroad

A four- year French and History degree programme in the heart of London. Enhance your historical learning and critical thinking and focus on advanced study of French language and culture. History modules cover topics from European medieval history to Modern British politics.
Watch the video here, or access the 'interactive' tab to view at a larger size and see any alternative films playOverviewVideo('/prospectus/images/home.jpg','http://podcast.ulcc.ac.uk/accounts/kings/KCL_Marketing/MODERN_LANGUAGES.flv','true','details_111'); KEY BENEFITSFrench:

• Recognised as one of the leading French departments in the UK, distinguished for its world-leading and internationally excellent research.
• Teaching features innovative approaches to French language, literature, cultural, political and historical studies.
• The year abroad offers students the unique opportunity for immersion in French culture. We have exchanges with a number of partner universities in France and French speaking countries including Sorbonne Paris IV, Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, The University of Provence, The University of Montpellier III, Université de Montréal, The University of Cergy-Pontoise, University of Poitiers, University of Lyon, Institut d'études politiques (IEP) and the University of Geneva. The year abroad also offers students the opportunity to work as an English Language Assistant on a programme run by the British Council.
• Opportunity to study abroad offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in French culture and society and achieve language fluency.
• Combination of language skills, cultural literacy and critical thinking means graduates from King's are highly employable.
• All students follow core modules in French language to a high level of proficiency in written and spoken French.

History:

• One of the best history departments in the world, ranked 2nd in the UK by The Sunday Times newspaper (2011).
• Excellent graduate prospects, amongst the top five in the country (Times Good University Guide, 2010).
• Graduates get top jobs in a wide range of sectors, including law, business, government, heritage, finance and teaching.
• A wider range of periods and places than most history degrees, from medieval Europe to modern India.
• Students are taught in a friendly and supportive environment by expert historians.
• The central London location offers students easy access to world-class museums, collections and libraries.

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PROGRAMME DESCRIPTIONThis four year programme is designed to develop critical thinking and independence of thought about the past as well as focusing on advanced study of French language and culture. King's has a world-class reputation for the study of History, and students chose from an unrivalled range of options, from medieval Europe to modern India. The Department of French offers options across the whole range of French and Francophone language and literature from the middle ages to the present, as well as modules in French history, film, politics and philosophy.

Click here to read about the Department of French
ABOUT THE Department of French
CAREERS Many students remain to pursue graduate degrees whilst others go on to take further training in law, finance or the media. A wealth of opportunities are open to French graduates and King’s has an excellent record for employment after graduation. The highly desirable combination of language skills, cultural literacy and critical thinking means that French graduates from King’s are in strong demand in today’s job market. Recent graduates have found employment as…. • Lecturer, Goldsmiths College • Medical Recruitment Administrator, London Deanery • Research Fellow, University of Oxford • International Data Clerk, ES-Three • Recruitment Consultant, Chapman Black • Tenant Manager, Regents Group
TEACHING STYLE Most teaching takes place in small-group classes and seminars supported by lectures. Modules in the French language are focused on high level skills in written and oral French and involve intensive contact with native speakers of French. We offer specialised modules in translation, while training all students to write and speak French at a high level of sophistication. Modules in French literature, culture, history and politics are taught by lecturers internationally recognised for their expertise in these fields, and aim to develop a broad and deep knowledge of French culture, as well as an advanced capacity for critical thinking and analysis.
STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMMES & ASSESSMENT All students of French follow a core language module each year and choose optional modules in the French language, French literature, thought, film, history and politics. Students on all French programmes take a balance of language and content modules. Modules are assessed either by coursework, desk examination, or a combination of both. The final classification you obtain for your degree is based on the modules you take in each of the three or four years of your degree.
LOCATION Located in the heart of London, the department is close to unparalleled resources for students of French, specialist libraries, the Institut Français, unrivalled galleries, theatres and cinemas. All teaching takes place at the Strand Campus.
SPECIAL NOTES The single honours four-year French degree, like all other joint and major/minor honours programmes, includes a third year spent studying abroad. If you take joint honours in French and another language your year abroad will usually be split between a French-speaking country and a country speaking your other language. If you combine French with a subject that is not another language your whole year abroad will be spent in a French-speaking country. We have exchanges with many different universities in places as diverse as Paris, Montpellier, Montreal, Geneva and Martinique among others. King’s is also one of the few French departments in the country to offer a three-year French degree including six months spent at the University of London Institute in Paris.
Click here to read about the Department of History
ABOUT THE Department of History
CAREERS

The career prospects for King's history graduates are excellent, and our location in the heart of London provides outstanding access to leading employers in many fields. Students develop skills which give them a critical edge in the job market, in particular the ability to process information quickly, think independently and present their ideas in pressure situations. Former King's history students work for national newspapers, in top law firms, in the civil service, in state and private schools, in heritage, banking and business sectors and in many different universities across the globe. Noted King's history graduates include Ronan Bennett (novelist and screenwriter), Janice Hadlow (Controller of BBC Two) and Georgina Henry (Executive comment editor of the Guardian newspaper).

Recent graduates have found employment as…

• Academic Historian
• Dealers’ Assistant, Bonhams
• Research Analyst, Ministry of Defence
• Junior Accounts Executive, Chelgate
• Project Assistant, Heron Evidence Development
• Trusts & Statutory Fundraiser, Crisis UK
• Support Worker, Sense
• Departmental Runner, BBC

TEACHING STYLE You will have regular and varied contact with staff and other students in lectures, seminars and supervisions. Most teaching takes place in seminars, which usually have between 10 and 20 participants and are a forum for discussion in which students have the opportunity to hone their discussion and presentation skills. Our first-year introductory module is taught in small supervision groups of 5 or 6 students, allowing for close discussion of historical texts and sources, and detailed feedback on your written work. If you choose to write a independent piece of historical research in your final year, which can be on any topic, this will also be taught on a one-to-one basis with a tutor. From the beginning of the degree, you will analyse primary sources as well as the writings of historians. We ensure undergraduate students are exposed to many different approaches to history, and encourage you to adopt a comparative approach, looking at the connections and contrasts between different periods and places throughout the degree. The discipline of research and writing is essential to the development of the skills of the historian. At King's, therefore, we require an extensive amount of written work and independent study.
STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMMES & ASSESSMENT The King’s History degree lasts three years and is assessed through a combination of essays, examinations, presentations and dissertations. Students choose from a wide range of modules, which cover historical topics from Medieval times (c400AD onwards) through to the present day. Optional modules in Ancient History are also available through the Department of Classics. In the first year, students choose modules that span Medieval, Early Modern and Modern History as well as taking ‘Historical Skills, Sources & Approaches’, which is taught in small groups.

In the second and third years, students select more focused options, choosing from around 30 topics, which have recently included:

• Alexander the Great
• British Imperial Policy & Decolonisation, 1938-1964
• Caribbean Intellectual History, c1800 to the present
• The French Civil War, 1934-1970
• The History of Australia since 1788
• History of Political Ideas
• The Norman Conquest
• The Northern Ireland Troubles
• The Origins of Reformation in England
• Political Bonds in Late Medieval and Renaissance Italy
• The Soviet Union and Russia, 1945-2000
• Women and Gender in Early Modern England
• Romans & Barbarians: The Transformation of the Roman West
• Themes in the study of Contemporary Africa.

All our modules are designed by the lecturers in the department and reflect their own scholarly research specialisms.

In the final year, students have the opportunity to undertake a research dissertation on a topic of their choice, working under the one-to-one supervision of a member of staff who is a specialist in the field. As King’s is part of the University of London, second-and final-year students have the option of taking history courses at other institutions (such as UCL, and Royal Holloway), which means our students have an unrivalled choice of modules to choose from. The King’s History programme is unique in its pair of compulsory second-year ‘History and Memory’ modules, where students consider the role of history in the present day, from its social and public uses to the conflicts and controversies it can generate and do so by using London as a real, living source. Field trip teaching on these modules is delivered through downloadable podcasts. Examples of podcasts can be downloaded from our website http://www.kcl.ac.uk/history/podcasts

LOCATION The Department of History at King’s is centrally located on our Strand campus, and is within walking distance of the capital’s famous landmarks, such as the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, the River Thames and the South Bank. London offers unparalleled historical resources, including the British Museum, British Library, Imperial War Museum and National Gallery.
SPECIAL NOTES All students are offered the opportunity to study abroad as part of their History degree at King's and recent popular destinations include The University of North Carolina Chapel, The University of Auckland and The University of Hong Kong.

ABOUT THE Department of French
CAREERS Many students remain to pursue graduate degrees whilst others go on to take further training in law, finance or the media. A wealth of opportunities are open to French graduates and King’s has an excellent record for employment after graduation. The highly desirable combination of language skills, cultural literacy and critical thinking means that French graduates from King’s are in strong demand in today’s job market. Recent graduates have found employment as…. • Lecturer, Goldsmiths College • Medical Recruitment Administrator, London Deanery • Research Fellow, University of Oxford • International Data Clerk, ES-Three • Recruitment Consultant, Chapman Black • Tenant Manager, Regents Group
TEACHING STYLE Most teaching takes place in small-group classes and seminars supported by lectures. Modules in the French language are focused on high level skills in written and oral French and involve intensive contact with native speakers of French. We offer specialised modules in translation, while training all students to write and speak French at a high level of sophistication. Modules in French literature, culture, history and politics are taught by lecturers internationally recognised for their expertise in these fields, and aim to develop a broad and deep knowledge of French culture, as well as an advanced capacity for critical thinking and analysis.
STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMMES & ASSESSMENT All students of French follow a core language module each year and choose optional modules in the French language, French literature, thought, film, history and politics. Students on all French programmes take a balance of language and content modules. Modules are assessed either by coursework, desk examination, or a combination of both. The final classification you obtain for your degree is based on the modules you take in each of the three or four years of your degree.
LOCATION Located in the heart of London, the department is close to unparalleled resources for students of French, specialist libraries, the Institut Français, unrivalled galleries, theatres and cinemas. All teaching takes place at the Strand Campus.
SPECIAL NOTES The single honours four-year French degree, like all other joint and major/minor honours programmes, includes a third year spent studying abroad. If you take joint honours in French and another language your year abroad will usually be split between a French-speaking country and a country speaking your other language. If you combine French with a subject that is not another language your whole year abroad will be spent in a French-speaking country. We have exchanges with many different universities in places as diverse as Paris, Montpellier, Montreal, Geneva and Martinique among others. King’s is also one of the few French departments in the country to offer a three-year French degree including six months spent at the University of London Institute in Paris.