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Programme code | 1MODL001U |
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Programme type | Joint Honours (UG) |
Programme director(s) |
Debbie Pinfold (German)
Marianne Ailes (French) |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
School/department | School of Modern Languages |
Second School/department | Department of French |
Third School/department | Department of German |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups | Languages, Cultures and Societies (2023) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 4 years (full time) |
The joint programmes across seven major languages offered by the five departments within the School of Modern Languages enable students to develop a high degree of fluency and accuracy in a combination of two modern languages of international importance. Further options are available in Catalan, Czech and Slovak. While the Single Honours degrees available in French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian, Russian and Spanish allow students to acquire a more detailed specialist knowledge of the cultures associated with a particular language, the joint programmes allow students to acquire comparable levels of fluency in two languages (from the same or from separate language families) combined with a wide coverage of related literary, cultural, historical, societal and linguistic interests. The University recognises that it is the inter-relationship between the mastery of foreign languages and the development of a broad and deep appreciation of these languages' cultural, historical and societal contexts which underpins the value of degrees in Modern Languages. The diversity of provision within these degrees beyond the concentration on language acquisition itself allows for interdisciplinary interests to be developed, particularly when the cultures and histories of more than one language-speaking community are considered, as in these degree programmes. Students can expect to acquire a high level of intercultural awareness through exposure to one or more cultures in each of the modern foreign languages they study, as well as on the basis of their personal backgrounds.Joint degrees can be an excellent preparation for those students who intend to pursue careers for which linguistic skills are central (translation, interpreting, teaching, Foreign Office, etc.), and for whom a broader choice of languages is a distinct advantage. The joint programmes have in common with the Single Honours programmes offered by the departments of the School of Modern Languages the development of the key intellectual, cognitive, practical and personal skills offered by an Arts degree. These joint programmes have in common a third year spent abroad, divided equally between two countries to develop linguistic fluency and cultural awareness in both languages. Students normally divide their time equally between the two languages and associated cultural units in their first year, but in the second and final years may, if they choose, weight their studies (within a given framework) towards the cultural units offered in one or other of the two languages. A small number of generic cultural or linguistic units may also be offered across all combinations. The core language units in both major languages remain mandatory throughout the degree programme. Students may enter the University to study both languages from A-level standard (or equivalent) onwards or, with the exception of French, they may choose to study one of the two major languages at ab initio level or from GCSE standard (or equivalent). As subsidiary subjects, students of Spanish and Portuguese may also study Catalan; students of Russian may also study Czech; and students of Russian and Czech may also study Slovak.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Knowledge and understanding are acquired through: lectures, seminars, tutorials, intensive language classes, directed reading, regular written coursework and practical language work (supported by the facilities of the Multimedia Centre), and a compulsory period of residence in the country to countries where the language is spoken. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Essay writing, formal presentations and examinations test the students' ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments. Problem solving is assessed on the basis of the ability shown in addressing and responding to direct questions. Research skills are assessed through coursework and dissertations. Language development skills are tested through formative and summative modes of assessment (translations, language essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension exercises). |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Intellectual skills are developed through group work in seminars, tutorials, oral presentations, essay writing and practical language work. Units are structured in such a way that the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of data are developed. Specific units focus on other intellectual skills: problem solving and research techniques. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Essay writing, formal presentations and examinations test the students' ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments. Problem solving is assessed on the basis of the ability shown in addressing and responding to direct questions. Research skills are assessed through coursework and dissertations. Language development skills are tested through formative and summative modes of assessment (translations, language essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension exercises). |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Seminars and tutorials are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to engage in class discussions and to give short presentations to initiate discussion, including defending their interpretations in debate with other students and staff. (1, 4, 5, 6) Oral skills are further developed in the language classes. (8, 11) Research and written communication skills are developed through the writing of essays and tutors' feedback on these. (3, 7, 9, 13) Independent learning is required in all language and non-language units. (1, 13, 14) IT skills are developed when researching and producing course work. (5, 12, 15) Students are given guidance on how to manage their time and work independently. (1, 17) Students are given guidance on the use of electronic resources, and are informed of opportunities for C&IT training. (15) |
Methods of Assessment | |
Non-language units are assessed through, written examination, written coursework and oral presentations requiring detailed and informed handling of the primary literature and extensive background reading in support of the argumentation advanced. In language, oral presentations are assessed according to criteria testing the effectiveness and accuracy of delivery and the command of information. Some units require oral class presentations of a satisfactory standard in order to gain CPs. The knowledge base is also tested through traditional unseen written examinations and through dissertations. Research and IT skills are assessed through coursework and dissertations |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
Year 1 of the course has been expressly designed to lay the foundations, both in terms of subject-specific knowledge and skills and in terms of more general skills and abilities, which will allow students to fulfil the programme's aims and objectives. Core units in language are geared to help students progress in the consolidation and development of their A-level (or equivalent) language skills. Mandatory non-language units cover some of the main themes and concepts of French culture, familiarising students with the literature and political/social backcloth of France and thereby introducing them to the key areas of study offered in the programme. This will enable students to make informed choices between the optional units available in future years and provide a sound basis for study in Level I. The expectation is that their work will require considerable direction from members of staff at this stage. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
In Year 2, students are expected to be able to demonstrate that, in both mandatory and optional units, they have expanded the range and depth of their knowledge and also their capacity to evaluate their work. The topics explored and source materials consulted will be of greater depth and substance. Students will develop their analytical skills, their ability to structure their work and to expound it effectively with the increased requirement for seminar presentation. Language work will be of a higher level of complexity and students will develop their capacity to work accurately and creatively with French. They will be encouraged in group-work skills through active participation in seminars. They will be acquiring a heightened capacity for self-directed learning (for example, through the researching and writing of coursework assignments). |
Level H/6 - Honours |
In Year 4, students are expected to expand the breadth of their knowledge through the study of optional units that allow them to pursue more closely their particular areas of interest. These units are more directly linked to staff research specialisms. Students are thereby able to benefit from a wide range of expertise at the cutting-edge of research that not only enhances their intellectual development but also serves actively to foster in them a research culture. Students will be expected to develop their ability to gather and assimilate information, synthesise it in an appropriately informed way, and engage in sophisticated evaluation of primary texts. These skills will have been enhanced through the heightened command of the French language acquired during the mandatory period of residence in a French-speaking country. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Knowledge and understanding are acquired through: lectures, seminars, tutorials, intensive language classes, directed reading, regular written coursework and practical language work (supported by the facilities of the Multimedia Centre), and a compulsory period of residence in the country or countries where the language is spoken. |
Methods of Assessment | |
A range of essay writing skills (short and extended essays), providing summative and formative assessment. Project work. Special subjects to allow students to address areas in-depth and the option of a dissertation. Examinations and coursework assessment in all three years spent in Bristol. Language is formally assessed through coursework, translations, essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Intellectual skills are developed through seminars, tutorials, oral presentations and essay writing. Units are structured in such a way that the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of literature are developed. History and linguistics units develop similar skills in that specific field. Language, problem solving and research are honed in the year abroad assignment. The option of Independent Study is also available in the final year. |
Methods of Assessment | |
A variety of assessment methods are used as per individual unit aims and objectives. Essay writing and examinations test the students' ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments. Research skills are assessed by means of extended written coursework and dissertation. Language is formally assessed by translations, essays of various types, oral presentations and aural comprehension, including interpreting. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Seminars and tutorials are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to engage in class discussions and to give short introductory talks/presentations to initiate discussion. These oral skill are further developed in the language classes. The ability to think and work independently is stimulated by dissertation, essay and project tasks. |
Methods of Assessment | |
All units are assessed through written coursework and extended essays. These require a detailed and expansive handling of literature and extensive reading in support of their conclusions. The knowledge base is also tested through traditional unseen written examinations, through project work and Dissertation. |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
Year 1 of the programme has been expressly designed to lay the foundations which will allow students to fulfil the programme aims and objectives. A core unit in language is geared to lead the student in the development of their language skills. The year introduces and includes preliminary work on some of the main themes and key concepts of German literature, history and linguistics to provide a familiarity with these disciplines. It enables students to understand the cultural heritage, historical development and modern contours of the German-speaking world. The expectation is that their work may require considerable direction from members of staff at this stage, and the Year 1 units are designed with this in mind. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
In Year 2 students are expected to be able to demonstrate that they have expanded the range and depth of their knowledge in various areas of the discipline and their capacity to evaluate their work through the wide range of options available beyond the core language unit. The themes and language readings will be of greater depth and substance. Students will develop their analytical skills, their ability to structure their work and present it fluently. They will be encouraged in group work skills through active participation in seminars. They will be developing a capacity for self-directed learning (for example, through the researching and writing of essays and projects). Spoken and written language skills will be reinforced and enhanced. In Year 3, students will develop their command of spoken and written German during the mandatory period of residence abroad when they either follow a formal programme on instruction at and academic institution in a German-speaking country. Their linguistic critical, research and presentational skills will also be enhanced through the writing of dissertations in German during the year. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
Students are expected to have expanded the breadth of their knowledge through the study of optional units; the units are more closely linked to staff research interests developing the conceptual and methodological approaches used with more depth and complexity. Students will be expected to develop further their ability to gather and assimilate information, to synthesise these in an appropriate way, to engage in sophisticated evaluation of language texts. These skills will be perfected in the writing of longer and more demanding essays, already introduced during their study abroad. There will be an emphasis on independent learning, self-directed study and research skills. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
Workload Statement
In common with the rest of the University, units in the Faculty of Arts
adhere to the credit framework which sets out that 20 credits normally
equates to some 200 hours of student input. Some of this time will be spent
in class, with the remainder divided between preparation for classes and
preparation for, and completion of, the assessment tasks. Some of this
activity may occur within the University’s online learning environment,
Blackboard, which you may use to prepare wikis, to interact with other
students, to download tutorials or to receive feedback.
Assessment Statement
Please select the following link for a statement about assessment. This is University of Bristol access only.
https://www.bris.ac.uk/arts/current/under/assessment.html
German:
The School of Modern Languages also offers a single honours German degree and joint programmes in Drama and German; History of Art and German; Music and German; Philosophy and German; Politics and German; Law and German and History with Study in German.The Department has special links under the SOCRATES scheme with the Universities of Hannover, Heidelberg, Mainz, Marburg, Germersheim, Leipzig and Graz.
French:
Honours Degree programmes involving French and another subject require mandatorily that one year Students can opt to take an assistantship in a French school under a scheme organised by the French government if they are spending the entire academic session in France. The French Department also has Erasmus exchanges with universities in Aix-en Provence, Paris, Bordeaux, La Réunion, and Poitiers among others. Students can also take up work placements; some placements are recurrently available to Bristol students while others are arranged anew each year. The French Department offers a rich array of internal pathways for students to follow. All the pathways place an emphasis on the development of language skills and the enhancement of the students' knowledge and expertise in a variety of aspects of culture (including film, literature and visual cultures), history, and politics. Students may also opt to take a School of Modern Languages unit; these are usually interdisciplinary or allow students to take an additional language (for example, Czech or Catalan). Students of French are therefore integrated into the broader community of the School of Modern Languages while retaining a distinct departmental identity. The Departments teaching is informed by its dynamic research agenda, resulting in the creation and development of a vibrant learning environment for students within the Department and the School, as staff continuously upgrade existing teaching materials. The School offers a wide variety of joint programmes involving the study of any two of the following languages: Czech, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. There are also joint programmes combining French with Theatre, Film, History of Art, Music, Philosophy, Politics, and Law. Such students serve to enrich the intellectual environment within which teaching and learning take place within the French Department.
The following units are must pass: French Language 1 (FREN10029) and German Language 1 (Post A-level)(GERM10009) or German Language 1 (ab-initio , 40 credits) (GERM19003). For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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List A - In addition to the mandatory 20cp unit FREN10029, you should choose the appropriate level German unit of 20cp or 40cp | |||||
German Language 1 (Post A-level) | GERM10009 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
German Language 1 (ab initio) | GERM19003 | 40 | Optional | TB-4 | |
French Language | FREN10029 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
List B - In addition to the mandatory unit FREN10008 below, students who take GERM10009 in list A must also take GERM10035: | |||||
German Literature and Film: Genres, Texts, Contexts | GERM10035 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Shaping France | FREN10008 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
List E - both units are mandatory | |||||
Language and Power: Introductions to German History | GERM10039 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
Representations of Francophone Cultures | FREN10013 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
The following units are must pass: FREN20001 ( and GERM20001 (Post A-level) or GERM20032 (ab-initio , 40 credits. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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Students may take up to two MODL-coded units from the lists below, and must take at least 40 CP in each language studied within the degree programme | |||||
List A - Take 40 CP including the mandatory unit | |||||
German Language 2 (Post A-Level) | GERM20001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
German Language post ab initio | GERM20032 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
French Language 2 | FREN20001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
List B - Choose 20 CP from this list or List D | |||||
The French Language: Structures and Varieties | FREN20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
France 1940-44: Occupation and Resistance | FREN20037 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Effi Briest and her Afterlives | GERM20048 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Inventing Austria | GERM20051 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
General Linguistics | MODL20016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List C - You must choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
French Drama | FREN20026 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
French Thought | FREN20068 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Introduction to French Cinema | FREN20056 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Catalan Language (Elementary) | MODL23014 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Czech Language (Elementary) | MODL23015 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Introduction to teaching Modern Languages as Foreign Languages | MODL20021 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Beginners Portuguese | MODL20022 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Transnational Nation: Germany 1840 - 1990 | GERM20047 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Effi Briest and her Afterlives | GERM20048 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Inventing Austria | GERM20051 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List D - Choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
French Fiction: from Realism to the 21st Century | FREN20048 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Francophone African Literature | FREN20069 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Cultural and Creative Industries in Germany, Austria and Switzerland | GERM20052 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Transforming the Tragic Hero(ine): 1770-1840 | GERM20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Historical Linguistics | MODL20017 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List E - You must choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
French Fiction: from Realism to the 21st Century | FREN20048 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
France and Europe | FREN23013 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Paris 1857-1897 | FREN20041 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Transforming the Tragic Hero(ine): 1770-1840 | GERM20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Transnational Nation: Germany 1840 - 1990 | GERM20047 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Cultural and Creative Industries in Germany, Austria and Switzerland | GERM20052 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List F | |||||
Take 20 CP From Bristol Futures, UWLP or Faculty Wide Units – OR choose an additional 20 CP from lists B-E above, if you have selected a language unit (Catalan MODL23014, Czech MODL23015 or Portuguese MODL20022) in list C you are not permitted to select a further language unit from this list. | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Diploma of Higher Education | 120 |
Year Abroad units MODL20014 and MODL20015 are must pass. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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Year Abroad TB-1 | MODL20014 | 60 | Mandatory | AYEAR | |
Year Abroad TB-2 | MODL20015 | 60 | Mandatory | AYEAR | |
120 |
Mandatory Unit FREN30001 and GERM30001 are must pass. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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You may take up to two MODL-coded units from lists B-E, including MODL30005. You must take at least 40 CP in each language studied within the degree programme. | |||||
List A | |||||
French Language 3 | FREN30001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
German Language 3 | GERM30001 | 20 | Mandatory | A | TB-4 |
List B - Take 20 CP from this list | |||||
Les Miserables: Readings and Receptions | FREN30030 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Political Cultures of Early Twentieth-Century France | FREN30044 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Francophone Identities in the Visual Arts | FREN30099 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Culture, soft power and diplomatie d'influence: Exporting French culture from the 1870s to the present | FREN30133 | 20 | Optional | B | TB-1 |
Exiles and Migrants in German Literature | GERM30058 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Language Variation and Change in German | GERM30074 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Performing Germany: National Identity in Changing Times | GERM30075 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Communism in Europe | MODL30001 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List C - Take 20 CP from this list | |||||
French for Business and Enterprise | FREN30047 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Me, Myself, and I: The Essais of Michel de Montaigne | FREN30114 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Propaganda, Politics, and the Islamic Other: Literary Responses to the Crusades | FREN30117 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Transnational Encounters in the Francophone World | FREN30134 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Language Variation and Change in German | GERM30074 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Performing Germany: National Identity in Changing Times | GERM30075 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Die Mitte: Centrist German Politics and its Language | GERM30079 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Translating in a Professional Context | MODL30010 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Catalan Language (follow-on) | MODL30011 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Czech Language (follow-on) | MODL30012 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Follow-on Portuguese | MODL30037 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Liaison Interpreting | MODL30006 | 20 | Optional | TB-1,TB-2 | |
List D - Take 20 CP from this list | |||||
Revolutions in Fiction: Romanticism and Realism under the July Monarchy | FREN30118 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Visibility Matters: Identity, Diversity, and Power in the Cultural Marketplace | GERM30081 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Studying and Making Early Printed Books | MODL30040 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Transnational Narrative in pre-modern cultures | MODL30041 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List E - Take 20 CP from this list | |||||
MODL30005 is mandatory for Single Honours Students | |||||
Independent Study 1 | MODL30005 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Sociolinguistic Anthropology: Language, Culture, and Society | MODL30016 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Theoretical Approaches to Language Teaching | MODL30036 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List F - Take 20 CP from this list | |||||
Take 20 CP From UWLP or Faculty Wide Units – OR choose an additional 20 CP from lists B to E above. | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
French and German (BA) | 120 |
Unit Pass Mark for Undergraduate Programmes:
For details on the weightings for classifying undergraduate degrees, please see the Agreed Weightings, by Faculty, to be applied for the Purposes of Calculating the Final Programme Mark and Degree Classification in Undergraduate Programmes.
For detailed rules on progression please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.
Please refer to the specific progression/award requirements for programmes with a preliminary year of study, the Gateway programmes and International Foundation programmes.
All undergraduate degree programmes allow the opportunity for a student to exit from a programme with a Diploma or Certificate of Higher Education.
Integrated Master's degrees may also allow the opportunity for a student to exit from the programme with an equivalent Bachelor's degree where a student has achieved 360 credit points, of which 90 must be at level 6, and has successfully met any additional criteria as described in the programme specification.
The opportunities for a student to exit from one of the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry with an Award is outlined in the relevant Programme Regulations (which are available as an annex in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes).
An Ordinary degree can be awarded if a student has successfully completed at least 300 credits with a minimum of 60 credits at Level 6.
The pass mark for the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine and Dentistry is 50 out of 100. The classification of a degree in the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry is provided in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
An oral distinction may be awarded.
The alternative classified honours degree of Arts (Modern Language Studies) may be awarded on this programme. For further details please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
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Tel: +44 (0)117 928 9000