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Combining French with Religious Studies offers you the opportunity to achieve a near-native level in French and study all aspects of religion and belief during your degree. Being able to speak a foreign language, combined with the discipline of a traditional humanities degree lays the perfect foundation for an international career.
Overview
French is one of the most beautiful romance languages. Outside of France it is spoken as far afield as Canada, the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mali. It is one of the offical languages of the United Nations and an important language in the EU. Studying at our Canterbury campus gives you a good opportunity to immerse yourself in the language. There are many French-speaking students on campus, and our proximity to airports, the Channel ports and the Eurostar terminals at Ashford and Ebbsfleet make it quick and easy to get to Paris, Brussels and Lille.
You also have the great opportunity to spend a year in a French speaking country and really get to know its culture and history in an in-depth manner. All of our Joint Honours programmes are incredibly flexible, allowing you to tailor your degree around your specific interests and goals.
Religious Studies is a vibrant department that offers a range of modules, from biblical to Asian traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. You study religion and modern culture in dynamic and original ways. It also offers a range of cutting-edge methodology courses taught by scholars at the top of their field, including psychological, sociological, anthropological and philosophical methods.
The two subjects in combination give you a solid foundation in understanding other cultures, languages and beliefs, enabling you to understand the complexities of the world today.
Independent rankings
In the National Student Survey 2016, 90% of French students at Kent were satisfied with the quality of their course. French at Kent was ranked 1st for research quality in The Complete University Guide 2017.
French at Kent was ranked 14th for graduate prospects in The Times Good University Guide 2017. French students who graduated from Kent in 2015 were the most successful in the UK at finding work or further study opportunities (DLHE).
Religious Studies and Theology at Kent was ranked 14th in The Guardian University Guide 2017 and 6th for research quality in The Times Good University Guide 2017. In the National Student Survey 2016, 89% of our students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
Religious Studies students who graduated from Kent in 2015 were the most successful in the UK in finding work or further study opportunities (DLHE).
Course structure
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.
Year abroad
Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally. You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability.
All European language students (French, German, Hispanic Studies and Italian) are required to spend a year abroad between Stages 2 and 3 in a country where the European language is spoken. You are expected to adhere to any academic progression requirements in Stage 2 to proceed to the year abroad. If the requirement is not met, you may have to postpone your year abroad.
The year abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will not count towards your final degree classification. You spend the year working as an English language assistant or in approved employment, or studying at one of our partner universities. For a full list of our partner universities, please visit Go Abroad.
Teaching and assessment
French
You take compulsory language modules, including small group work with a native speaker. We also make extensive use of computer-assisted language learning packages and audio and video materials. Culture and literature modules typically involve a weekly two-hour seminar plus essay supervision. We employ six French language lectors to help students improve their fluency.
At all stages, assessment is based 100% on coursework (essays, oral presentations) in the first half of the year, and a combination of coursework and examination in the second half of the year. Credits from your year abroad count towards your final degree.
Religious Studies
You are usually taught in small groups, with most modules involving either two or three hours per week in class, plus individual consultations with teachers, as well as sessions on computing and library skills.
Stage 1 modules are normally assessed by 100% coursework. At Stages 2 and 3, some modules are assessed by 100% coursework (such as essays), others by a combination of formal examination and coursework.
Programme aims
For programme aims and learning outcomes please see the programmes specification for each subject below. Please note that outcomes will depend on your specific module selection:
- French (joint honours)
- Religious Studies (joint honours)
Careers
French
The ability to speak a European language other than English is a key asset in the global employment market, and many employers view a graduate with overseas experience as more employable. Through your studies, you also acquire many of the transferable skills considered essential by graduate employers. These include the ability to work independently and as part of a team, the confidence to offer creative solutions when faced with challenges and the ability to express your ideas with clarity and passion.
Our French department also has a close relationship with Avignon, Rheims and Paris III Universities and often sends new graduates to teach English there, which is a great way to enhance any job application, especially if you are considering working in France or teaching in any country.
Recent graduates have gone into teaching, translating and interpreting, marketing, journalism, publishing, and other areas. Many language graduates begin their career abroad.
Religious Studies
Like all good humanities degrees, Religious Studies provides you with the opportunity to develop key skills that employers are looking for. These include the ability to manage your time effectively and work to clear deadlines, to communicate clearly in writing and orally (including experience of doing public presentations), and to absorb ideas from a wide range of different sources, organise these into some meaningful pattern, and develop your own critical discussion of them.
Recent graduates have gone into areas such as teaching, publishing, travel, advertising, personnel, diplomacy, social work, journalism, media, marketing and the legal profession, or further academic or vocational qualifications.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice.
It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
New GCSE grades
If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | BBB with a grade B in French for the post-A level pathway |
| GCSE | Grade B in French (or grade 6) for post-GSCE pathway, or for the beginner's level, some aptitude for modern languages including a grade C (or grade 4) in a modern European language other than English |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 15 points at HL including 4 at HL or 5 at SL in a modern European language other than English |
International students
The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.
If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.
Meet our staff in your country
For more advise about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2017/18 tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
UK/EU fee paying students
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
In accordance with changes announced by the UK Government, we are increasing our 2017/18 regulated full-time tuition fees for new and returning UK/EU fee paying undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses will also rise from £4,500 to £4,625. This was subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. This fee will ensure the continued provision of high-quality education.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Fees for Year Abroad/Industry
As a guide only, UK/EU/International students on an approved year abroad for the full 2017/18 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Please note that for 2017/18 entrants the University will increase the standard year in industry fee for home/EU/international students to £1,350.
General additional costs
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Funding
University funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
Government funding
You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.
The Government has confirmed that EU students applying for university places in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will still have access to student funding support for the duration of their course.
Scholarships
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
The scholarship is also extended to those who achieve AAB at A level (or specified equivalents) where one of the subjects is either Mathematics or a Modern Foreign Language. Please review the eligibility criteria.