French and Music (BA)

We are currently working with our students to update and improve the content of this course. The information shown below reflects the current curriculum and is likely to change. The review of the course is expected to be completed by August 2024 and this page will be updated by end of October 2024 to reflect the changes.

The BA French and Music is a four-year degree programme. It is structured in such a way that you will acquire high-level language and musical competencies, combined with the skills to become an independent and critical thinker, equipped for professional employment.

In each year of the programme you will study 120 credits, equally split between 60 credits in Music and 60 credits in French. Your third year will be spent studying or working abroad in France or another French-speaking country.

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2024/2025 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2024.

Year one

You will combine 60 credits of French with 60 credits of Music.

In year one we run two pathways for students; an advanced pathway for students with an A-level or equivalent competence in French and a beginner’s pathway for students with limited or no knowledge of French. The first year of this programme provides a thorough foundation in the grammar of the language for those students on the beginner’s pathway, and develops the linguistic skills for post A-level students on the advanced pathway.

You will also study a non-language module which introduces you to the development of France as a nation, exploring what it has symbolised for different groups at different moments in history. The module will enable you to develop a good understanding of intercultural awareness, and the highly-prized ability to mediate between cultures.

In Music, year one prepares you to take advantage of the creative and intellectual benefits of higher education. You will be offered instruction in analysis, harmony and counterpoint, history of music, composition and practical musicianship.

Some Music modules are 'prerequisites', providing essential preparation for more advanced modules if you wish to pursue them in later years.

To complement your academic study, you are actively encouraged to join the University Choir or Orchestra and other ensembles.

Year two

In year two you will again take 60 credits in Music and 60 credits in French.

The language elements build on the work undertaken in year one, and prepare you for your year abroad.

In addition to language, you will study 30 credits looking at France in a transnational context. This will introduce you to key approaches, methodologies and critical tools which you can apply to an in-depth study, looking at a range of topics such as culture, history and politics.

In Music, courses are more advanced and you will focus on more specialist topics, choosing from four groups: Composition and Electroacoustic Studies, Written and Practical Musicianship, Analytical and Critical Skills, and Historical Studies. Our year two modules on the Business of Music I/II are designed to help you better understand different branches of the music profession and give an opportunity for a short placement in an area related to music or the arts, either in one block or as a series of regular workplace visits.

Outside of your formal studies, you will have the opportunity to take part in our highly-praised Student Mentoring Scheme, supported by the Welsh Assembly Government. Pupils in selected secondary schools are mentored by our specially-trained undergraduate students who go into schools to mentor pupils in small groups of two or three over a period of five weeks.

You may also choose to take part in the Student Language Ambassador (SLA) scheme, acting as advocates for language learning. Following specific training, as an SLA you may get the opportunity to speak publicly at events, sharing your personal experience of language learning. You may take part in a range of activities, such as language taster sessions, presenting and promoting the year abroad, supporting School language days and events, or promoting modern languages at career fairs or open days.

Year three: Sandwich year

Your third year is spent in France or another French-speaking country. The year abroad will enable you to develop your language skills, deepen your understanding of French culture and develop your independence, resourcefulness and resilience.

Your options will include:

• studying at one of our partner universities;
• working as an English assistant in a school through the British Council Scheme, or
• working for a French organisation or company.

If you choose the study option, we have established exchange programmes which provide opportunities to study in institutions in cities that have included Paris, Toulouse, Chambéry, Grenoble, Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, Montpellier and Nantes. We also have academic links with Brussels and Geneva.

Placements for teaching assistants on a scheme run by the British Council can take you to either a major city or a small, rural town. This option provides first-hand teaching experience and allows you to earn a salary sufficient to live on, although you only work on a part-time basis. Prior to the start of your placement, the British Council provides a training weekend in the destination country. In addition, the school you have been assigned to should also guide you in your role as a teacher and help you to find a place to live.

The third option consists of a work placement with an organisation or company in the French-speaking world. The necessary arrangements can be made through personal contacts you may have or by approaching organisations directly. The School can also assist you in finding suitable work placements. In order to ensure that your work placement affords you plenty of opportunity to speak French and provides you with a beneficial experience, such arrangements will require prior approval by the School.

No matter what you choose, the year abroad is a great opportunity for you to improve your understanding of the language, immerse yourself in another culture, and gain international study or work experience. It is also excellent preparation for your final year and gives you a level of self-confidence and maturity that has proven popular with employers.

Any student who undertakes a study placement or a traineeship/work placement in Europe is currently eligible to apply for an Erasmus grant.

Year four

When we welcome you back to Cardiff in your final year, you will continue to develop your language skills, studying 30 credits of French language and a 30 credit French optional module, in addition to 60 credits from Music.

In Music, you choose again from the four subject groups, and can pursue one of the three major academic projects: Dissertation, Project in Ethnomusicology, or Project in Music Analysis. You may complete a short composition portfolio (Composition IV) and/or a ‘closed’ recital in front of examiners only (Practical Musicianship IV).

You will have the opportunity to build on the broad base of knowledge and skills you have developed to study an area of research expertise in the School, through taught modules and/or a dissertation. You will also have the opportunity to take part in our very popular teaching module, an accredited module where you will build on study and workshops at the University to undertake a teaching placement at one of our partner schools on the area.

The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.