Welsh and History (BA)
Within this degree scheme, students will have the opportunity to pair the popular and fascinating subject of History with the Welsh language, its literature and culture.
Course overview
By combining Welsh and History, you will gain a wealth of transferable skills and knowledge, opening the doors to a variety of career paths. The time spent on each subject is effectively halved, allowing you to study the Welsh language, its literature and culture, while exploring and understanding key moments in history.
The Welsh course is relevant to contemporary Wales and delivered by a school noted for its research quality and impact. The course aims to produce graduates with a thorough academic and practical understanding of the Welsh language, its literature and culture, a high level of skill in written and spoken Welsh and well-developed employability and creative skills relevant to modern Wales.
The History course covers the period from the fall of the Roman Empire to the present day. There is a balance between modules covering specific historical periods and thematic modules that examine broad social and cultural topics, such as warfare, gender, religion, art, medicine and science. You will learn to think independently, assess the strengths and weaknesses of a body of historical evidence for yourself, and present your findings clearly.
Distinctive features
The distinctive features of the course include:
- the opportunity to follow a degree course that develops skills relevant to both the academic world and the workplace
- a core module which focuses on employability skills and which offers a period of work experience
- a range of core and optional modules in Welsh language, literature and culture as well as the opportunity to specialise in areas of personal and career interest
- the emphasis on practical research skills, that will benefit you throughout your career
- the emphasis on independent learning in a supportive environment
- the involvement of research-active staff in teaching
- the experience of being taught by staff who will recognise you as an individual
- History provides significant opportunities for learning and teaching through the medium of Welsh
| UCAS code | QV51 |
|---|---|
| Next intake | September 2019 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Mode | Full time |
| Typical places available | The School of History, Archaeology and Religion typically has 320 places available. The School of Welsh typically has 30 places available. |
| Typical applications received | The School of History, Archaeology and Religion typically receives 1800 applications. The School of Welsh typically receives 100 applications. |
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School of History, Archaeology and Religion
John Percival Building
Colum Drive
Cardiff
CF10 3EU
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John Percival Building
Colum Drive
Cardiff
CF10 3EU
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Bute Building
King Edward VII Avenue
Cardiff
CF10 3NB
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Arts and Social Studies Library
Arts and Social Studies Library
Colum Drive
Cathays
Cardiff
CF10 3EU
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Library Wing
Aberdare Hall
Corbett Road
Cardiff
CF10 3UP
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Bute Building
King Edward VII Avenue
Cardiff
CF10 3NB
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Bute Building
King Edward VII Avenue
Cardiff
CF10 3NB
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Videoconference suite, Ty Dewi Sant
Ty Dewi Sant
University Hospital of Wales
Heath Park
Cardiff
CF14 4XN
Contact
Entry requirements
ABB-BBB including a B in Welsh and a B in History. Please note, General Studies will not be accepted.
Extended Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard A level offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.
The Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in lieu of one A-Level (at the grades listed above), excluding any specified subjects.
Please contact the University.
Achieve IB Diploma with 665-655 in 3 HL subjects including History plus a Welsh Language qualification
Alternative qualifications may be accepted. For further information on entry requirements, see the School of History, Archaeology & Religion and School of Welsh admissions criteria pages.
If you are an overseas applicant and your first language is not English, please visit our English Language requirements page for more information on our accepted qualifications.
You will require GCSE English or Welsh Language at grade C or grade 4. Alternatively, IGCSE English First Language or English Second Language will be considered at grade C.
Tuition fees
UK and EU students (2019/20)
| Tuition fee | Deposit |
|---|---|
| £9,000 | None |
Visit our tuition fee pages for the latest information.
Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.
Students from outside the EU (2019/20)
| Tuition fee | Deposit |
|---|---|
| £16,650 | None |
Tuition fees for international students are fixed for the majority of three year undergraduate courses. This means the price you pay in year one will be the same in years two and three. Some courses are exempt, including four and five year programmes and Medical and Dental courses. Visit our tuition fee pages for the latest information.
Additional costs
Course specific equipment
You will not need any specific equipment.
Accommodation
We have a range of residences to suit your needs and budget. Find out more on our accommodation pages.
Course structure
This is a three-year full-time degree, consisting of 120 credits a year. You’ll study six 20-credit modules a year, split equally between Welsh and History.
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2019/20 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2019.
Year one
You will take 120 credits in all. There are two routes in the first year, one for students who have studied Welsh as a first language and the other for students who have studied Welsh as a second language. First-language Welsh students will take 60 credits in Welsh and 60 in History, while second-language students will take 80 credits in Welsh and 40 in History.
The emphasis in year one Welsh is on developing key skills (linguistic, analytical, creative and employability) in the fields of language and literature, and all students follow a set number of modules with an appropriate number of contact hours. The School will also provide additional arrangements for second language students to develop and practise their language skills.
For the first-language route the core modules are:
- Iaith ac Ystyr [Language and Meaning]
- Awdur, Testun a Darllenydd [Author, Text and Reader]
- Y Gymraeg yn y Gymru Gyfoes [The Welsh Language in Contemporary Wales]
As a first year History student you will take modules that introduce you to the different frameworks that underpin historical research and the many different ways of writing history, while providing training in the skills necessary to practice history at undergraduate level.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| History in Practice Part 1: Questions, Frameworks and Audiences. | HS1119 | 20 credits |
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Sgiliau llafar | CY1500 | 20 credits |
| Defnyddio'r Gymraeg | CY1501 | 20 credits |
| Y Gymraeg Heddiw | CY1508 | 20 credits |
| Astudio Testunau Llenyddol | CY1512 | 20 credits |
| Iaith ac Ystyr | CY1600 | 20 credits |
| Awdur, Testun a Darllenydd | CY1601 | 20 credits |
| Y Gymraeg yn y Gymru Gyfoes | CY1602 | 20 credits |
| The Making of The Modern World, 1750-1970 | HS1105 | 20 credits |
| Making Global Histories: Asia and the West | HS1108 | 20 credits |
| Inventing a Nation: Politics, Culture and Heritage | HS1109 | 20 credits |
| Medieval Worlds, AD 500 -1500 | HS1112 | 20 credits |
Year two
You will take 60 credits in Welsh and 60 credits in History.
In year two Welsh, you will build on the skills and knowledge acquired in year one. The core linguistic elements of the course focus on language skills within both an academic and a vocational context, and include a period of work experience in a workplace in which Welsh is used on a daily basis.
Alongside these core elements, the Welsh course offers optional modules in years two and three in Welsh language, literature and culture, including several with direct relevance to specific fields of employment, such as language planning, scriptwriting and translation.
In History, while you will have completed smaller guided tasks in year one, you will now also write longer essays to help you learn, but which do not always contribute to your final marks. The emphasis shifts further towards seminar work, with individual supervision for extended essays and dissertations.
The core course comprises weekly lectures supplemented by fortnightly seminars in small groups. The Independent Study module has no lectures or seminars but is taught through individual supervisions with academic staff.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Yr Iaith ar Waith | CY2205 | 20 credits |
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Sgiliau Academaidd Uwch | CY2210 | 20 credits |
| Llenyddiaeth Plant | CY2310 | 20 credits |
| Theori a Beirniadaeth Lenyddol | CY2330 | 20 credits |
| Ysgrifennu Creadigol | CY2360 | 20 credits |
| Bywydau Llên | CY2425 | 20 credits |
| Tafodieitheg | CY2450 | 20 credits |
| Sosioieithyddiaeth | CY2530 | 20 credits |
| Treftadaeth a Thwristiaeth | CY2665 | 20 credits |
| Now and Next: From Academia to Employment (30 Credits) | HS0003 | 30 credits |
| Approaches to History | HS1701 | 30 credits |
| Exploring Historical Debate | HS1702 | 30 credits |
| Entangled Histories: Wales and the wider World, 1714–1858 | HS1703 | 30 credits |
| War, Peace and Diplomacy, c.900-c.1250 | HS1707 | 30 credits |
| Heresy and Dissent, 1000-1450 | HS1710 | 30 credits |
| Poverty and Relief in Medieval Europe | HS1714 | 30 credits |
| The British Civil Wars and Revolution, c.1638-1649 | HS1742 | 30 credits |
| Nations, Empire and Borderlands from 1789-present | HS1749 | 30 credits |
| A Great Leap Forward China Transformed, 1840-present | HS1752 | 30 credits |
| The American Revolution | HS1754 | 30 credits |
| From King Coal to Cool Cymru: Society and Culture in Wales, 1939-2000 | HS1756 | 30 credits |
| Radicalism and the Common People, 1789-1880 | HS1758 | 30 credits |
| Spain and the Conquest of the Americas, 1450-1650 | HS1759 | 30 credits |
| "An Empire for Liberty": Race, Space and Power in the United States, 1775-1898 | HS1760 | 30 credits |
| Urban Visions, Rural Dreams: City and Country in Britain and the United States, 1850-2000 | HS1764 | 30 credits |
| India and The Raj, 1857-1947 | HS1765 | 30 credits |
| Martyrs and Collaborators: Catholicism behind the Iron Curtain | HS1772 | 30 credits |
| Europe, East and West, 1945-1995 | HS1775 | 30 credits |
| Into the Vortex: Britain and the First World War | HS1787 | 30 credits |
| Making Empires: Britain and the World, 1541-1714 | HS1793 | 30 credits |
Year three
You will take 60 credits in Welsh and 60 credits in History.
In Welsh it is compulsory to choose one of the following modules:
- Blas ar Ymchwil [Research Taster]
- Ymchwilio Estynedig [Extended Research]
You have a choice of an essay or project of 5,000 words (20 credits) or 9,000 words (40 credits), to be completed under the direction of a member of staff who is an expert in the relevant field. This may lead to further research or provide an effective showcase for potential employers. You will also choose more optional modules.
In History, progression is evident in the growing emphasis on lengthier, independent work. You will study the compulsory dissertation module, taught through individual supervisions with an academic adviser, as well as three optional modules.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Llenyddiaeth Plant | CY3310 | 20 credits |
| Theori a Beirniadaeth Lenyddol | CY3330 | 20 credits |
| Ysgrifennu Creadigol | CY3360 | 20 credits |
| Bywydau Llên | CY3425 | 20 credits |
| Tafodieitheg | CY3450 | 20 credits |
| Sosioieithyddiaeth | CY3530 | 20 credits |
| Yr Ystafell Ddosbarth | CY3660 | 20 credits |
| Treftadaeth a Thwristiaeth | CY3665 | 20 credits |
| Cyfieithu Proffesiynol | CY3705 | 20 credits |
| Blas ar Ymchwil | CY3900 | 20 credits |
| Ymchwilio Estynedig | CY3905 | 40 credits |
| Dissertation | HS1801 | 30 credits |
| The World of the Anglo-Saxons, c.500-c.1087 | HS1803 | 30 credits |
| Sexuality and the Social Order in Medieval Europe | HS1804 | 30 credits |
| The Military Orders, 1100-1320 | HS1805 | 30 credits |
| The Thatcher Age: Cultural and Social Revolution in Britain, 1975-1997 | HS1814 | 30 credits |
| Slavery and Sin | HS1818 | 30 credits |
| Witchcraft and Witch-Hunting in Early Modern Europe, 1400-1750 | HS1824 | 30 credits |
| Deviants, Rebels and Witches in Early Modern Britain and Ireland | HS1828 | 30 credits |
| From Bismarck to Goebbels: Biography and Modern German History, 1870-1945 | HS1829 | 30 credits |
| Germany's New Order in Europe, 1933-1945 | HS1832 | 30 credits |
| Conflict, Coercion and Mass Mobilisation in Republican China 1911-1945 | HS1838 | 30 credits |
| Race, Sex and Empire: Britain and India, 1765-1929 | HS1855 | 30 credits |
| Wales, the English reform movement and the French Revolution of 1789 | HS1856 | 30 credits |
| Socialism, Society and Politics in Britain, 1880-1918 | HS1860 | 30 credits |
| Llafur, Sosialaeth a Chymru, 1880-1979 | HS1862 | 30 credits |
| Toleration and Persecution in Early Modern Europe | HS1866 | 30 credits |
| Class, Protest and Politics: South Wales, 1918-39 | HS1868 | 30 credits |
| Latin America: Conquest, Turmoil and Reconstruction, 1492-2000 | HS1869 | 30 credits |
| Slavery in the United States: National Experiences, Global Origins | HS1877 | 30 credits |
| Czechoslovakia: The View from Central Europe | HS1884 | 30 credits |
| Europe and the Revolutionary Tradition in the Long Nineteenth Century | HS1887 | 30 credits |
| From Hernando de Soto to the Seven Years' War: Accommodation, Violence and Networks in Native American History | HS1889 | 30 credits |
| The Dangerous City? Urban Society and Culture, 1800-1914 | HS1896 | 30 credits |
| The Arts in War and Peace: Culture and Politics in Britain, c.1930-1960 | HS1897 | 30 credits |
Learning and assessment
How will I be taught?
We offer a supportive learning environment, where you are enabled to acquire a range of skills and a wealth of specialist knowledge. Our courses foster intellectual skills, such as critical thinking, close analysis, evaluating evidence, constructing arguments, using theory and the effective deployment of language in writing and in debate. We also help you gain experience in team working, independent research and time management.
You will be taught both by lecture and seminar. Lectures provide an overview of the key concepts and frameworks for a topic, equipping you to carry out independent research for the seminars and to develop your own ideas. Seminars provide an opportunity for you to explore the ideas outlined in the lectures.
Seminars usually consist of about 15 students and the seminar leader (a member of the teaching team). Seminars may take various formats, including plenary group discussion, small-group work and student-led presentations. For Welsh, there is also an important role to be played by tutorials, workshops and language classes (especially for students following the second language route).
Year 1
Scheduled learning and teaching activities
27%
Guided independent study
73%
Placements
0%
Year 2
Scheduled learning and teaching activities
17%
Guided independent study
81%
Placements
2%
Year 3
Scheduled learning and teaching activities
13%
Guided independent study
87%
Placements
0%
How will I be supported?
As well as having regular feedback from your personal tutor in each course, you will have a reading week each semester for guided study and a chance to catch up on assessed work, reading and revision. These weeks are also used by staff to visit students on their year abroad.
You will have access through the Learning Central website to relevant multimedia material, presentations, lecture handouts, bibliographies, further links, electronic exercises and discussion circles.
The University offers a range of services including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service, and excellent libraries and resource centres.
Feedback
We’ll provide you with frequent feedback on your work. This comes in a variety of formats including oral feedback during tutorials, personalised feedback on written work, feedback in lectures and seminars, generic written feedback and feedback on tutorial performance.
Coursework will be marked by your module tutor and your tutor will give you written feedback on your work. You will also have a feedback class after each assessment. Students will be given general feedback in relation to examinations following the May/June examination period and you will be able to discuss your overall performance with your personal tutor as part of the monitored student self-assessment scheme.
How will I be assessed?
A range of assessment methods are used, including essays, examinations, presentations, portfolios and creative assignments.
Essays and examinations are used not only for assessment purposes but also as a means of developing your capacities to gather, organise, evaluate and deploy relevant information and ideas from a variety of sources in reasoned arguments. Dedicated essay workshops and individual advice enable you to produce your best work, and written feedback on essays feeds forward into future work, enabling you to develop your strengths and address any weaker areas.
The optional final-year dissertation provides you with the opportunity to investigate a specific topic of interest to you in depth and to acquire detailed knowledge about a particular field of study, to use your initiative in the collection and presentation of material and present a clear, cogent argument and draw appropriate conclusions.
Assessment methods (2017/18 data)
Year 1
Written exams
27%
Practical exams
8%
Coursework
65%
Year 2
Written exams
33%
Practical exams
10%
Coursework
58%
Year 3
Written exams
33%
Practical exams
7%
Coursework
60%
What skills will I practise and develop?
As a result of engaging fully with this course, you will acquire and develop a range of valuable skills, both those which are discipline specific and more generic ‘employability skills’. These will allow you to:
- grasp complex issues with confidence
- ask the right questions of complex texts
- have an imaginative appreciation of different views and options and analyse these critically
- identify and apply relevant data
- develop practical research skills
- propose imaginative solutions of your own that are rooted in evidence
- communicate clearly, concisely and persuasively in writing and speech
- work to deadlines and priorities, managing a range of tasks at the same time
- learn from constructive criticism and incorporate its insights
- work as part of a team, developing a collaborative approach to problem-solving
- use IT programmes and digital media, where appropriate
- take responsibility for your own learning programme and professional development
Careers and placements
Career prospects
The demand for Welsh speakers means that a degree in Welsh can be highly valuable for jobs and roles that require bilingual speakers. Many of our graduates are now following careers in areas such as law, politics, media, performing arts, administration and education, or engaged in postgraduate study.
We organise interactive workshops with the Careers Service to help students identify their skills and attributes. History graduates find work in a wide range of related and non-related professional employment. Some choose to undertake postgraduate study at Cardiff or elsewhere, and some have become internationally reputed historians.
In 2016/17, 91% of the School of Welsh’s graduates who were available for work reported they were in employment and/or further study within six months of graduating, while 94% of graduates from the School of History, Archaeology and Religion who were available for work reported they were in employment and/or further study within six months of graduation.
Placements
Year two includes a period of work experience in a workplace in which Welsh is used on a daily basis. This period of work experience is part of a programme of events designed to focus on developing employability and career skills.
The School of History, Archaeology and Religion also has a dedicated Work Placements Officer who supports students with work experience opportunities both in and out of term time.
Studying in Welsh
Up to 56% of this course is available through the medium of Welsh. Please contact the Admissions tutor for more information.
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