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Welsh and History (BA)

Welsh students

Why study this course

location

Study with passion

Explore interests with subjects ranging from slavery in America to Soviet and Japanese history.

structure

Capital connections

Ideally located with links to cultural, political, heritage and media organisations to help you get ahead.

people

A thriving community

Make connections through the Welsh Students' Union, Welsh-language halls and the new Welsh-language Academy.

briefcase

Welsh in practice

Build your confidence and practical skills using Welsh in a professional setting on placement.

book

Learn from experts

Benefit from the teaching and support  of research-active staff.

Your Welsh modules will enable you to develop key academic and professional skills. You will develop your interests in a range of topics such as literature through the ages; linguistics, language planning and language acquisition; heritage and tourism; and active writing. There is a strong interdisciplinary aspect to the provision: you can choose modules that consider the Welsh language, its literature and culture in a range of historical and contemporary contexts.  

The modules in History develop your knowledge and critical understanding of the political, social, economic, and cultural structures of past societies. Our expertise reaches an extraordinary breadth of societies, periods and places, spanning the British Isles, Europe (east and west), Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Our modules give you the opportunity to study both well-established areas, such as political, social, cultural and gender history, or explore areas that might be new to you, such as environmental history or digital history. Through these modules, you can cultivate intellectual skills such as the ability to assess evidence critically, to evaluate different interpretations of the evidence, to construct arguments based on evidence, and to express opinions cogently in speech and in writing.

We pride ourselves on nurturing a friendly, personalised and supportive environment, placing a strong emphasis on individual one-to-one meetings at key points throughout the degree. Bringing a wealth of expertise across different themes, periods and geographies, your lecturers will share latest thinking in the classroom, including their own cutting-edge research.

Subject area: History and ancient history

Subject area: Welsh

  • academic-schoolSchool of Welsh
  • icon-chatGet in touch
  • Telephone+44 (0)29 2087 5594
  • MarkerColum Drive, Cardiff, CF10 3EU

Entry requirements

We accept a combination of A-levels and other qualifications, as well as equivalent international qualifications subject to entry requirements. Typical offers are as follows:

A level

ABB-BBC. Must include grade B in Welsh First or Second Language.

Extended/International Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ/IPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.

Our grade range covers our standard offer and contextual offer. We carefully consider the circumstances in which you've been studying (your contextual data) upon application.

  • Eligible students will be given an offer at the lower end of the advertised grade range.
  • Where there is no grade range advertised and/or where there are selection processes in place (like an interview) you may receive additional points in the selection process or be guaranteed interview/consideration.

Learn about eligible courses and how contextual data is applied.

International Baccalaureate

32-30 overall or 665-655 in 3 HL subjects. You must also have a Welsh language qualification equivalent to grade B at A-level.

Baccalaureate Wales

From September 2023, there will be a new qualification called the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (level 3). This qualification will replace the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (Welsh Baccalaureate). The qualification will continue to be accepted in lieu of one A-Level (at the grades listed above), excluding any specified subjects.

You must have or be working towards:
- English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade C/4 or an equivalent (such as A-levels). If you require a Student visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements.

We do not accept Critical Thinking, General Studies, Citizenship Studies, or other similar equivalent subjects.
We will accept a combination of BTEC subjects, A-levels, and other qualifications, subject to the course specific grade and subject requirements.

GCSE

Grade C or grade 4 in GCSE English Language.

IELTS (academic)

At least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subskill.

TOEFL iBT

At least 90 overall with a minimum of 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading, and 20 for speaking.

PTE Academic

At least 69 overall with a minimum of 59 in all communicative skills.

Trinity ISE II/III

II: at least two Distinctions and two Merits.
III: at least a Pass in all components.

Other accepted qualifications

Please visit our English Language requirements page for more information on our other accepted language qualifications.

You are not required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check or provide a Certificate of Good Conduct to study this course.

If you are currently subject to any licence condition or monitoring restriction that could affect your ability to successfully complete your studies, you will be required to disclose your criminal record. Conditions include, but are not limited to:

  • access to computers or devices that can store images
  • use of internet and communication tools/devices
  • curfews
  • freedom of movement, including the ability to travel to outside of the UK or to undertake a placement/studies outside of Cardiff University
  • contact with people related to Cardiff University.

Other qualifications from inside the UK

BTEC

DD-DM in a BTEC Diploma in Humanities or Social Science subjects and grade B in A-level Welsh First or Second Language.
 

T level

Acceptance of T Levels for this programme will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Academic School. Consideration will be given to the T Level grade/subject and grades/subjects achieved at GCSE/Level 2.

Qualifications from outside the UK

See our qualification equivalences guide

Please see our admissions policies for more information about the application process.

Tuition fees for 2025 entry

Your tuition fees and how you pay them will depend on your fee status. Your fee status could be home, island or overseas.

Learn how we decide your fee status

Fees for home status

Year Tuition fee Deposit
Year one £9,250 None
Year two £9,250 None
Year three £9,250 None

The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in the second and subsequent years of a course as permitted by law or Welsh Government policy. Where applicable we will notify you of any change in tuition fee by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which the fee will increase.

Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland

If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national, your tuition fees for 2025/26 be in line with the overseas fees for international students, unless you qualify for home fee status. UKCISA have provided information about Brexit and tuition fees.

Fees for island status

Learn more about the undergraduate fees for students from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

Fees for overseas status

Year Tuition fee Deposit
Year one £23,700 None
Year two £23,700 None
Year three £23,700 None

Learn more about our tuition fees

Financial support

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.

Additional costs

You should be prepared to invest in some key texts and to cover the costs of basic printing and photocopying for you own use. You may also want to buy copies of other books, either because they are particularly important for your modules or because you find them particularly interesting.

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.

Living costs

We're based in one of the UK's most affordable cities. Find out more about living costs in Cardiff.

Course structure

The BA Welsh and History is structured in such a way that you will acquire over successive years high-level skills to become an independent and critical thinker, equipped for professional employment.

Through a blend of core and optional modules, you will study 60 credits of Welsh modules and 60 credits of History modules in each year.  

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2025/2026 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2025.

Year one

In Welsh, the emphasis in year 1 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 of Welsh will also provide additional opportunities for second language students to develop and practise their language skills. 

In history, our year 1 modules are designed to equip you with the skills for advanced study and introduce you to historical themes and areas of study that you may not have encountered at A-level. Two core modules introduce you to the different frameworks which underpin historical study and the different ways of writing history, while also allowing you to explore the big debates over how we understand ‘global’ connections and historical change to challenge how we think beyond set time periods and regional or national borders. Optional modules allow you to extend your historical knowledge and skills through a variety of periods and regions to lay the foundation for study in year 2 and the final year.

Module titleModule codeCredits
History in Practice Part 1: Questions, Frameworks and Audiences.HS111920 credits
Global HistoriesHS610120 credits
Module titleModule codeCredits
Sgiliau Astudio LlenyddiaethCY151320 credits
Sgiliau IaithCY151520 credits
Y Gymraeg HeddiwCY151620 credits
Iaith ac YstyrCY160020 credits
Awdur, Testun a DarllenyddCY160120 credits
Y Gymraeg yn y Gymru GyfoesCY160220 credits
The Making of The Modern World, 1750-1970HS110520 credits
Inventing a Nation: Politics, Culture and HeritageHS110920 credits
Medieval Worlds, AD 500 -1500HS111220 credits
Renaissance, Reformation and RevolutionHS111720 credits
History in Practice Part 2: Sources, Evidence and Argument.HS112020 credits

Year two

You will take 60 credits in Welsh and 60 credits in history.

In 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 includes a period of work experience in a workplace in which Welsh is used. Alongside these core elements, the Welsh course offers optional modules in Welsh language, literature and culture, including several with direct relevance to specific fields of employment, such as language planning, creative writing, literary and cultural theory, heritage and tourism.

In history, you take a core module which introduces you to the key theoretical approaches and methods that have influenced historical writing. Our optional modules allow you to explore themes across a narrower time range while encouraging a more comparative approach to history. In your second year, the emphasis shifts towards different approaches to history and different ways of using evidence. You also have the option to take modules which give you a deeper understanding of the kinds of evidence historians use, the ways of using that evidence, and the historian’s role in sharing research beyond the boundaries of academia and the voices they privilege or silence.

Module titleModule codeCredits
Yr Iaith ar WaithCY220520 credits
Reading HistoryHS620120 credits
Module titleModule codeCredits
Dafydd ap Gwilym a'i GyfnodCY229020 credits
Llenyddiaeth PlantCY231020 credits
Theori a Beirniadaeth LenyddolCY233020 credits
Ysgrifennu CreadigolCY236020 credits
Bywydau LlênCY242520 credits
TafodieithegCY245020 credits
Enwau'r Cymry: Lleoedd, Pobl a PholisiCY246020 credits
SosioieithyddiaethCY253020 credits
Making History: Historians, Evidence, AudiencesHS620220 credits
Debating HistoryHS620320 credits
Everyday Life in Medieval Britain c1200–1600HS621020 credits
A History of the SupernaturalHS621120 credits
Accessible PastsHS621320 credits
The British Civil WarsHS621420 credits
European Enlightenment(s): The View from the MarginsHS621520 credits
America: From Revolution to ReconstructionHS621620 credits
Modern FranceHS621720 credits
Europe's Dark CenturyHS621820 credits
Stalinism: State, Society, and EnvironmentHS621920 credits
Close Neighbours, Dangerous Foes: China, Japan and Modern East AsiaHS622020 credits
Politics and the People in Modern Britain: Protest, citizenship and the stateHS622120 credits
Environmental HistoriesHS622220 credits
Anti-Colonial ResistanceHS622320 credits
Chwyldro, Diwylliant a Radicaliaeth, 1789–1914HS622520 credits

Year three

You will take 60 credits in Welsh and 60 credits in history. 

In Welsh, 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, including several with direct relevance to specific fields of employment, such as language planning, scriptwriting, translation and education.

In history you are challenged to think more deeply about the nature of historical developments. You develop your skills at analysing sources and writing history through studying a range of specialist modules on offer. You also have the opportunity to undertake independent research, enabling you to focus on a particular area or period, through a dissertation if you wish.

Module titleModule codeCredits
Dafydd ap Gwilym a'i GyfnodCY329020 credits
Llenyddiaeth PlantCY331020 credits
Theori a Beirniadaeth LenyddolCY333020 credits
Ysgrifennu CreadigolCY336020 credits
Bywydau LlênCY342520 credits
TafodieithegCY345020 credits
Enwau'r Cymry: Lleoedd, Pobl a PholisiCY346020 credits
SosioieithyddiaethCY353020 credits
Yr Ystafell DdosbarthCY366020 credits
Cyfieithu ProffesiynolCY370520 credits
Blas ar YmchwilCY390020 credits
Ymchwilio EstynedigCY390540 credits
Researching History: DissertationHS630040 credits
Age of Arthur: Myths, History and Identity in Medieval BritainHS630320 credits
Crusading WorldsHS630420 credits
Divided Memory in post-1945 GermanyHS630520 credits
East Asia in a Global Second World WarHS630620 credits
Digital Games and the Practice of HistoryHS631020 credits
Witchcraft and Witch-Hunting in Early Modern Europe, 1400-1750HS631420 credits
An Information Revolution: Politics and Communication in Early Modern BritainHS631520 credits
An Information Revolution: Politics and Communication in Early Modern BritainHS631520 credits
Health and Illness in Early Modern BritainHS631620 credits
Mobile Lives: Travel, Exile, and Migration in the Early Modern WorldHS631720 credits
Slavery and Enslaved Life in the United States, 1775-1865HS631820 credits
Native American HistoryHS631920 credits
Utopias of Extremism: Revolutions in Comparative ContextHS632020 credits
Czechoslovakia: The Twentieth Century in MiniatureHS632120 credits
Inside the Third ReichHS632320 credits
Violence and Ideology in the Inter-War Soviet UnionHS632420 credits
Gender and Imperialism, India c.1800- c.1900HS632720 credits
Change, Conflict, and Mass Mobilisation in Republican China, 1911-1945HS632820 credits
Peripheral Reverberations of the French RevolutionHS633020 credits
Mayhem and murder: Investigating the Victorian UnderworldHS633120 credits
The Making of British SocialismHS633220 credits
Britain at War: Culture and Politics on the Home Front, 1939-1945HS633320 credits
Public and Private: Gender, Identities and Power in Twentieth Century BritainHS633420 credits

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.

Learning and assessment

Research is central to the student experience at Cardiff and all our teaching is informed by the latest findings.

We offer a supportive learning environment, where you are enabled to acquire a range of skills and a wealth of specialist knowledge. You will learn through a wide range of teaching methods from interactive lectures, lively discussion-based seminars, and workshops to group work and tutorials. These on-campus activities will be blended with a range of online environments that will enhance your learning experience and enable you to extend your studies beyond the classroom. Seminars and workshops offer a rewarding experience to engage critically with the key ideas and reading on a topic. They provide a valuable opportunity to explore ideas and work closely with your lecturers and to learn from other students. In your second and third year, you have the opportunity to undertake a range of independent projects with the support of an expert in the field and one-to-one tuition.

Our teaching methods 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 in a supportive environment.

How will I be supported?

You will be supported by a number of different staff, some focusing on academic performance in a particular area and some looking at learning and progress more holistically.

You will be allocated personal tutors in both Welsh and History, who will guide you for the duration of your studies. You will meet with your personal tutors regularly in groups and individually to reflect on your progress and development across your studies. Your personal tutors can also guide you towards appropriate support if you experience difficulties or require specific information about your time at Cardiff University.

Additional module-specific support is provided by seminar tutors, lecturers and/or module convenors; support for independent research projects is provided by an academic advisor who will meet with you regularly.

You will have access through the University virtual learning environment to relevant multimedia material, presentations, lecture handouts, bibliographies, further links, electronic exercises and discussion boards.

Our undergraduate Education Support Teams provides academic and student support, and are there to provide information and guidance in response to any queries you may have.

The University offers a range of services including Student Futures to help you with your career planning, support services and events to help you manage your emotional, mental and physical health, support with financial issues and support for students with disabilities.

How will I be assessed?

Assessments include source criticisms, research projects, reviews, presentations, creative-critical portfolios and blog posts, alongside more traditional forms of assessment such as essays and tests/exams. Some of our assessments allow you to work collaboratively on a project, while others include writing and creating for different audiences; for example, you might be asked to design a museum exhibition or create a guide for using sources; and you may have the opportunity to create podcasts and digital texts for social media. Long essays in History allow you to address fundamental historical questions or explore an historical issue or debate in more depth.

In all cases, our assessments are designed to support you in developing your ideas, skills and competencies. They help equip you with skills to link your knowledge to local, national and global issues, and encourage you to be innovative and creative; to find new ways to address problems or ask questions; to collaborate in solving problems and presenting findings; and to present evidence-based arguments. The skills developed and assessed throughout the programme prepare you for entry into a range of graduate careers. Individual and group feedback on assessments and other learning provides you with the opportunity to reflect on your current or recent level of attainment.

What skills will I practise and develop?

The Learning Outcomes for this Programme describe what you will be able to do as a result of your study at Cardiff University. They will help you to understand what is expected of you. 

The Learning Outcomes for this Programme can be found below:

Knowledge & Understanding:   

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to:

KU1: Understand key concepts and theoretical approaches that have been developed and are developing within History and Welsh;

KU2: Demonstrate a critical understanding of the development of the Welsh language from a linguistic, literary, social and professional context as well as an understanding of the attempts to restore and promote the language;

KU3: Critically analyse Welsh-language literary texts produced in a variety of genres and in different historical periods;

KU4: Engage critically and conceptually with the changing assumptions and methods that historians use to explain the past;

KU5: Demonstrate systematic knowledge and understanding of the complexity and diversity of the past in a single country or in relation to a particular theme.

Intellectual Skills:           

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to:

IS1: Critically analyse how meanings are created through language, and the affective power of language;

IS2: Critically appraise cultural theories and assess them in relation to evidence and common cultural assumptions;

IS3: Critically evaluate texts, concepts, and theories relevant to the context of the Welsh language and Welsh literature, using the appropriate vocabulary and terminology;

IS4: Utilise knowledge and appropriate skills and methods to identify and critically evaluate historical change;

IS5: Formulate and justify arguments about a range of historical issues, problems, and debates using historiographical ideas and methods;

IS6: Identify appropriate primary sources, reflect upon their nature, and analyse them critically to address questions and solve problems.

Professional Practical Skills:      

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to:

PS1: Produce written and spoken Welsh that is appropriate for the workplace and a wide variety of situations;

PS2: Demonstrate practical and professional skills in order to read, produce, and analyse written and oral texts of various kinds (which may include creative writing);

PS3: Apply information, understanding and skills in a professional context through work experience, reflecting and critically evaluating work experience opportunities, and producing a supervised extended essay or research project;

PS4: Ask cogent and focused questions and pursue answers to these questions through structured enquiry, selecting and interrogating an appropriate range of evidence.

Transferable/Key Skills:

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to:

TS1: Demonstrate critical thinking, reasoning, and the ability to assimilate and summarise complex information and ideas though the independent selection and critical analysis of an appropriate range of evidence;

TS2: Summarise and critically appraise the relative merits and demerits of alternative views and interpretations and evaluate their significance;

TS3: Present complex findings and arguments clearly, concisely, and persuasively in a variety of formats;

TS4: Show enterprise skills to solve problems and analyse diverse, partial or ambiguous evidence using critical thinking, initiative, and creativity;

TS5: Effectively communicate complex information and arguments to diverse audiences, either individually or collaboratively as part of a team.

Careers and placements

Career prospects

Given the Welsh Government’s target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050, there has never been a greater demand for graduates who have these attributes. Graduates in Welsh have a unique opportunity to follow an interesting and varied career through which they can have a real impact on Wales’ linguistic, cultural and economic future.

This degree cultivates key attributes in its graduates: firstly, intellectual curiosity; secondly, a thorough and critical understanding (academically and practically) of the Welsh language, its literature and culture; thirdly, first-rate linguistic skills, both written and oral; fourthly, a lively and critical understanding of the past and how it connects to the present and finally, creative, critical and employability skills that are of crucial importance in an increasingly competitive jobs market.

Our degree equips you with important skills which employers’ value from collaborative working and communicating with a wide range of audiences to critical thinking and finding new ways to address problems. Training and careers events are delivered in and out of the curriculum with a focus on developing skills while in university and articulating those skills successfully in future applications. We work closely with Student Futures who not only deliver training and workshops on our core modules, but also offer a wealth of opportunities. Beyond your formal studies we run programmes that provide you with opportunities to engage with local schools and communities or work with local heritage organizations to develop your own skills and profile whilst allowing you to make a difference.

Many of our graduates are now following careers in areas such as law, politics, media and the creative industries, marketing, PR and communication, administration, translation and education, or engaged in postgraduate study. Some students choose to continue with their studies and follow our postgraduate programmes.

Placements

We ensure that placements can be incorporated into your learning. In your second year, the core module in Welsh includes a period of work experience in a workplace in which Welsh is used on a daily basis. In your final year, we offer the opportunity to take a module through which you can develop your enterprise skills, and which equips you with the skills to communicate and collaborate with external organizations. Staff also have close links with a range of local heritage and other organizations, which offer placement opportunities both in and outside semesters.

Through our links with the Student Futures, you can source placements and on-campus internships from 35 hours part-time placements to fit in around your studies to paid summer placements. In addition, Go Wales provides additional support to help you gain work experience.

Studying in Welsh

Up to 83% of this course is available through the medium of Welsh. Please contact the Admissions tutor for more information.

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HESA Data: Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited 2021. The Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from its data. Data is from the latest Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20, published by HESA in June 2022.