A four- year French and History degree programme in the heart of London. Enhance your historical learning and critical thinking and focus on advanced study of French language and culture. History modules cover topics from European medieval history to Modern British politics.
KEY BENEFITS
French- Recognised as one of the leading French departments in the UK, distinguished for its world-leading and internationally excellent research.
- Teaching features innovative approaches to French language, literature, cultural, political and historical studies.
- The year abroad offers students the unique opportunity for immersion in French culture. We have exchanges with a number of partner universities in France and French speaking countries currently including Sorbonne Paris IV, Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, The University of Provence, The University of Montpellier III, Université de Montréal, The University of Cergy-Pontoise, University of Poitiers, University of Lyon, Institut d'études politiques (IEP) and the University of Geneva. The year abroad also offers students the opportunity to work as an English Language Assistant on a programme run by the British Council.
- Opportunity to study abroad offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in French culture and society and achieve language fluency.
- Combination of language skills, cultural literacy and critical thinking means graduates from King's are highly employable.
- All students follow core modules in French language to a high level of proficiency in written and spoken French.
History- One of the best history departments in the world, ranked 2nd in the UK by The Sunday Times newspaper (2011).
- Excellent graduate prospects, amongst the top five in the country (Times Good University Guide, 2010).
- Graduates get top jobs in a wide range of sectors, including law, business, government, heritage, finance and teaching.
- A wider range of periods and places than most history degrees, from medieval Europe to modern India.
- Students are taught in a friendly and supportive environment by expert historians.
- The central London location offers students easy access to world-class museums, collections and libraries.
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UCAS code
RV11
Programme type
Joint honours
Duration
Four years
Location
Strand Campus
Year of entry 2014
Offered by
School of Arts and Humanities
Department of French
Department of History
Closing date
Please refer to the
UCAS website for application deadline dates, or contact the relevant Admissions Office for further advice
Fees & funding
For information on fees and funding for undergraduate programmes at King's go to
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ug/funding/ CONTACTS
Address
Department of French
King's College London
Strand Campus
Strand
London WC2R 2LS
Email
Tel
020 7848 2350/2374
Fax
020 7848 7200
PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION
This four year programme is designed to develop critical thinking and independence of thought about the past as well as focusing on advanced study of French language and culture. King's has a world-class reputation for the study of History, and students choose from an unrivalled range of options, from medieval Europe to modern India. The Department of French offers options across the whole range of French and Francophone language and literature from the middle ages to the present, as well as modules in French history, film, politics and philosophy.
ABOUT THE Department of French
CAREERS
Many students remain to pursue graduate degrees whilst others go on to take further training in law, finance or the media. A wealth of opportunities are open to French graduates and King’s has an excellent record for employment after graduation. The highly desirable combination of language skills, cultural literacy and critical thinking means that French graduates from King’s are in strong demand in today’s job market. Recent graduates have found employment as…. • Lecturer, Goldsmiths College • Medical Recruitment Administrator, London Deanery • Research Fellow, University of Oxford • International Data Clerk, ES-Three • Recruitment Consultant, Chapman Black • Tenant Manager, Regents Group
TEACHING STYLE
Most teaching takes place in small-group classes and seminars supported by lectures. Modules in the French language are focused on high level skills in written and oral French and involve intensive contact with native speakers of French. We offer specialised modules in translation, while training all students to write and speak French at a high level of sophistication. Modules in French literature, culture, history and politics are taught by lecturers internationally recognised for their expertise in these fields, and aim to develop a broad and deep knowledge of French culture, as well as an advanced capacity for critical thinking and analysis.
STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMMES & ASSESSMENT
All students of French follow a core language module each year and choose optional modules in the French language, French literature, thought, film, history and politics. Students on all French programmes take a balance of language and content modules. Modules are assessed either by coursework, desk examination, or a combination of both. The final classification you obtain for your degree is based on the modules you take in each of the three or four years of your degree.
LOCATION
Located in the heart of London, the department is close to unparalleled resources for students of French, specialist libraries, the Institut Français, unrivalled galleries, theatres and cinemas. All teaching takes place at the Strand Campus.
SPECIAL NOTES
The single honours four-year French degree, like all other joint and major/minor honours programmes, includes a third year spent studying abroad. If you take joint honours in French and another language your year abroad will usually be split between a French-speaking country and a country speaking your other language. If you combine French with a subject that is not another language your whole year abroad will be spent in a French-speaking country.
We have exchanges with many different universities in places as diverse as Paris, Montpellier, Montreal, Geneva and Martinique among others. King’s is also one of the few French departments in the country to offer a three-year French degree including six months spent at the University of London Institute in Paris.
ABOUT THE Department of History
CAREERS
The career prospects for King's history graduates are excellent, and our location in the heart of London provides outstanding access to leading employers in many fields. Students develop skills which give them a critical edge in the job market, in particular the ability to process information quickly, think independently and present their ideas in pressure situations. Former King's history students work for national newspapers, in top law firms, in the civil service, in state and private schools, in heritage, banking and business sectors and in many different universities across the globe. Noted King's history graduates include Ronan Bennett (novelist and screenwriter), Janice Hadlow (Controller of BBC Two) and Georgina Henry (Executive comment editor of the Guardian newspaper).
Recent graduates have found employment as…
• Academic Historian
• Dealers’ Assistant, Bonhams
• Research Analyst, Ministry of Defence
• Junior Accounts Executive, Chelgate
• Project Assistant, Heron Evidence Development
• Trusts & Statutory Fundraiser, Crisis UK
• Support Worker, Sense
• Departmental Runner, BBC
TEACHING STYLE
You will have regular and varied contact with staff and other students in lectures, seminars and supervisions. Most teaching takes place in seminars, which usually have between 10 and 20 participants and are a forum for discussion in which students have the opportunity to hone their discussion and presentation skills. Our first-year introductory module is taught in small supervision groups of 5 or 6 students, allowing for close discussion of historical texts and sources, and detailed feedback on your written work. If you choose to write a independent piece of historical research in your final year, which can be on any topic, this will also be taught on a one-to-one basis with a tutor. From the beginning of the degree, you will analyse primary sources as well as the writings of historians. We ensure undergraduate students are exposed to many different approaches to history, and encourage you to adopt a comparative approach, looking at the connections and contrasts between different periods and places throughout the degree. The discipline of research and writing is essential to the development of the skills of the historian. At King's, therefore, we require an extensive amount of written work and independent study.
STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMMES & ASSESSMENT
The King’s History degree lasts three years and is assessed through a combination of essays, examinations, presentations and dissertations. Students choose from a wide range of modules, which cover historical topics from Medieval times (c400AD onwards) through to the present day. Optional modules in Ancient History are also available through the Department of Classics. In the first year, students choose modules that span Medieval, Early Modern and Modern History as well as taking ‘Historical Skills, Sources & Approaches’, which is taught in small groups.
In the second and third years, students select more focused options, choosing from around 30 topics, which have recently included:
• Alexander the Great
• British Imperial Policy & Decolonisation, 1938-1964
• Caribbean Intellectual History, c1800 to the present
• The French Civil War, 1934-1970
• The History of Australia since 1788
• History of Political Ideas
• The Norman Conquest
• The Northern Ireland Troubles
• The Origins of Reformation in England
• Political Bonds in Late Medieval and Renaissance Italy
• The Soviet Union and Russia, 1945-2000
• Women and Gender in Early Modern England
• Romans & Barbarians: The Transformation of the Roman West
• Themes in the study of Contemporary Africa.
All our modules are designed by the lecturers in the department and reflect their own scholarly research specialisms.
In the final year, students have the opportunity to undertake a research dissertation on a topic of their choice, working under the one-to-one supervision of a member of staff who is a specialist in the field. As King’s is part of the University of London, second-and final-year students have the option of taking history courses at other institutions (such as UCL, and Royal Holloway), which means our students have an unrivalled choice of modules to choose from. The King’s History programme is unique in its pair of compulsory second-year ‘History and Memory’ modules, where students consider the role of history in the present day, from its social and public uses to the conflicts and controversies it can generate and do so by using London as a real, living source. Field trip teaching on these modules is delivered through downloadable podcasts. Examples of podcasts can be downloaded from our website http://www.kcl.ac.uk/history/podcasts
LOCATION
The Department of History at King’s is centrally located on our Strand campus, and is within walking distance of the capital’s famous landmarks, such as the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, the River Thames and the South Bank. London offers unparalleled historical resources, including the British Museum, British Library, Imperial War Museum and National Gallery.
SPECIAL NOTES
All students are offered the opportunity to study abroad as part of their History degree at King's and recent popular destinations include The University of North Carolina Chapel, The University of Auckland and The University of Hong Kong.
Currently, students study the compulsory and core modules listed below. As well as this they can choose from a range of optional modules and dissertations in the French and History departments. Optional modules listed are currently available, but we review these on a regular basis, in order to offer innovative and exciting programmes, and this list is therefore subject to change. For further details please check the departmental websites. All History modules are taught within the History Department unless otherwise indicated, however, during the second and fourth year it is possible to take one History module at another college within the University of London. For a full list of modules available please see
www.history.ac.uk
YEAR 1
You take the core and compulsory modules outlined below plus one optional History module.
YEAR 1 CORE
FrenchCore French Language
Introduction to French Literature (compulsory)
HistoryHistorical Skills, Sources and Approaches
YEAR 1 OPTIONS
Students choose one History module from the following list:
- The Making of Britain 400-1400
- Medieval Europe 400-1500
- Early Modern Britain 1500-1750
- Power, Belief and Culture in Europe 1500-1800
- The Worlds of the British Empire, c1730-1960
- Europe from 1793 to 1991
- Politics and Society in Britain, 1780-1945
First year History module descriptions can be found on our website:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/history/modules/level4/index.aspx
YEAR 2
You take the core and compulsory modules outlined below plus two French optional modules and two History optional modules. During the second year it is possible to take one History option at another college within the University of London.
YEAR 2 CORE
FrenchCore French Language
The Practice of Translation (compulsory)
YEAR 2 OPTIONS
French
Death and Desire: Love in French Literature before 1700
Writing the Self since 1700 in French Literature
French poetry since 1800
Comedy in French Literature before 1700
The French Novel since 1700
The Idea of France
Modernity and the City
Modern French History
History
Typical second year optional modules:
- British Economic History from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century
- Church, State and Nation in Britain, 1750-1939
- Crime and the Law 1500-1750
- Europe in the Age of Revolution and Napoleon
- European Jewry & the Transition to Modernity, 1650 - 1850
- Faith, Nation and Empire in Modern East-Central Europe (1800-present)
- From Crowd to Court: Cultures of Politics in Later Hanoverian Britain
- The French Civil War, 1934-1970
- Friends. Political Bonds in Late Medieval and Renaissance Italy (1300-1550)
- Greek History down to 322BC
- History and Memory
- The History of Australia since 1788
- History of Political Ideas
- History of the Iberian World, 1492-1822
- History of the Roman Empire
- The Nobility & Gentry of Medieval England, 1150-1500
- The Northern Ireland Troubles
- Religion & Society in Southern Europe
- Roman History down to 31BC
- The Soviet Union and Russia, 1945-2000
- Themes in Early Modern Cultural History
- Theories of Modern History
Second year students can also choose to take a module at another College of the University of London. A full list of intercollegiate History modules can be found here:
http://www.history.ac.uk/syllabus/intercollegiate-coursesSecond year History module descriptions can be found on our website:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/history/modules/level5/index.aspx
YEAR 3
Normally spent abroad in a French-speaking country.
YEAR 4
You take the core module outlined below plus three French optional modules and two History optional modules.
YEAR 4 CORE
FrenchCore French Language
YEAR 4 OPTIONS
FrenchThe Stylistics of Translation
Medieval Occitan Literature
The Debate about Women in the Middle Ages
Sixteenth-century Encounters with the New World
Quebecois Fiction and Film Across the Canadian Bicultural Divide
French Literature under the Second Empire
Troubling Desires
Recent French Thought
Contemporary Women's Writing in French
Images of Algeria
Citizenship & Exclusion in Modern France
Contemporary French Film
Shadows of Enlightenment
Flaubert
French Feminist Writing
Old French Romance
HistoryStudents can choose to take a Group III module which involves studying primary source materials or a Thematic Special Subject, in which students think comparatively and theoretically about the different periods and places they have studied in their degree so far.
Typical Group III modules:
- Alexander the Great
- Augustus: Power and Propaganda
- Australia in the Second World War: Strategy, Politics and Diplomacy
- Britain's Thatcher
- British Imperial Policy and Decolonisation, 1938-1964
- Caribbean Intellectual History since 1800
- Carolingian Europe, c.750-900
- The Making of a Colonial Regime: Eastern India, 1780-1820
- The Norman Conquest of Britain
- The Origins of Reformation in England
- Reform & Rebellion in England, 1215-1267
- Romans & Barbarians: The Transformation of the Roman West 350-700
- Women & Gender in Early Modern England
- Any intercollegiate Group III (please see http://www.history.ac.uk/syllabus/intercollegiate-courses)
Typical Thematic Special Subject modules:
- Cosmopolitanism
- Crime and Punishment
- Economic Crises
- Intimacies
- Nations
- Ritual
Final year History module descriptions can be found on our website:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/history/modules/level6/index.aspx
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Australia
Tertiary Entrance Ranking
97+ ATAR, or 2 OP for Queensland with high marks in French and History
Austria
Reifezeugnis (Matura)
Reifezeugnis with 1 including 1 in French and History
Belgium
Certificat D
Certificat D’Enseignement Secondaire Superieur with 8 or 19 including 8 or 18 in French and History
Brazil
Brazil
High School Leaving Certificate (Certificado de Ensino Médio) with 8 OR B OR Muito Bom PLUS at least one year of Bacharel/Licenciado at a Brazilian University with a GPA of at least 8.0 OR the King’s College London International Foundation Programme OR 3 A-levels with grades of A*AA. Including French and History
Bulgaria
School Leaving Certificate
Diploma za Sredno Obrazovanie with the majority of subject marks of 5.8 including 5.5 in French and History
Canada
Secondary School Certificate/Diploma
High School Certificate/Diploma with 90% OR Ontario University Preparatory Course with 90% at five grade 12 4U subjects. The sixt subject may be at 4U or 4U/C level. OR the Quebec CEGEP Cote R with an overall R score of 35. Including high marks in French and History
Chile
Chile
Licencia de Educación Media with 6 PLUS at least one year of the Licenciatura at a Chilean university with a mark of 5 OR the Kings College London International Foundation Programme OR 3 A-levels with grades of A*AA. Including French and History
China
Gao Kao (University Entrance Examination)
University Entrance Examination plus at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Chinese university with at least 80%. Including high marks in French and History
Cyprus
Apolytirion
Apolytirion (School Leaving Certificate) with 19 plus at least an additional foundation/Access year. Including high marks in French and History
Czech Republic
Maturita
Maturita with 1 overall including 1 in French and History
Denmark
Studentereksamen or Hjere Forberedelseseksamen
Studentereksamen or Højere Forberedelseseksamen with 12 including 11 in French and History
Estonia
Gmnaasiumi lputunnistus (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus majority marks of 5, (including 5 in French and History) and an attestation of success in the state entry examinations (Riigieksamitunnistus)
Finland
Ylioppilastutkinto/Studentexamen (National Matriculation)
Ylioppilastutkinto with 7 including 7 in French and History
France
Baccalaureat (including the option internationale baccalaureat)
Baccalaureate with 15 overall and 14 in French and History
Germany
Abitur
Abitur with 1.2 overall including 1.3 in French and History
Ghana
School Leaving Certificate
the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC/WASSCE) PLUS 3 international Cambridge-board A levels at A*AA including French and History
Greece
Apolytirion
Apolyterion with 19 overall including 19 in French and History
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)
Three elective subjects (including History) with minimum Levels 5*,5, 5 plus Level 4 in each of the four core subjects. Applicants should demonstrate fluency in French.
Hungary
Erettsegi
Erettsegi with 5 including 5 in French and History
India
School Leaving Certificate
School Leaving Certificate with 85% overall OR School Leaving Certificate with 75% with at least a foundation/Access year or year of undergraduate study at an Indian univeristy (Both require high marks in French and History)
Iran
School Leaving Certificate
Pre-University Certificate (Peeshdaneshgahe) OR the National Entrance Exam (Kunkur) with 16 OR 3 Cambridge A levels at A*AA (All require high marks in French and History)
Ireland
Irish Leaving Certificate (Higher level unless otherwise stated)
A1 A1 A1 A2 A2 B1 with grade A in French and History
Italy
Esame di Stato
Esame di Stato with 95 with high marks in French and History
Japan
School Leaving Certificate
Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shomeisho) PLUS 3 Cambridge Board International A-levels at AAA OR an Associate degree or Diploma from a Junior College (Jun-Gakushi) with a GPA of 3.3 or B+ or 4 OR a foundation year. Including high marks in French and History
Latvia
Atestats par visparejo videjo izglitibu (Certificate of General Secondary Education)
Atestats par visparejo videjo izglitubi with 9.5 with at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Latvian university. Including high marks in French and History
Lithuania
Brandos Atestatas (Maturity Certificate)
Brandos Atestatas with 95 plus at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Lithuanian university. Including high marks in French and History
Luxembourg
Diplome de Fin D
Diplome de Fin D’Etudes Secondaires with Tres Bien and a mark of 55 or above including Tres Bien in French and History
Malta
Matriculation Certificate - Advanced level
Matriculation Certificate with A*AA including A grade French and History
Mexico
Mexico
The Bachillerato with a mark of 8 PLUS the King’s College London International Foundation Programme OR at least one year of the Licenciado study with an overall average mark of at least 8/10 OR A-levels with grades of A*AA. Including French and History
Moldova
School Leaving Certificate
Diploma de Bacalaureat with 9.5 including 9 in French and History
Netherlands
Diploma Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO)
VWO with 8 including 8 in French and History
New Zealand
National Certificate of Educational Achievement Level 3 (NCEA)
the NCEA level 3 with E in the majority of standards/modules in four subjects,including Excellent in French and History
Nigeria
School Leaving Certificate
The Senior School Certificate (SSC/SSCE) OR the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC/WASSCE) PLUS 3 Cambridge International A levels at A*AA. All require high marks in French and History
Norway
Vitnemal-videregaende opplaering (Upper Secondary Leaving Certificate)
Vitnemal-videregaende opplaering with grade 5.5 including 5 in French and History
Pakistan
High School Certificate (HSSC)
High School Certificate with A1 plus at least a foundation/Access year or a year of undergraduate study at a Pakistani university. Including high marks in French and History
Poland
Matura
Matura with 90% in one extended level subject plus 85% in all other extended level subjects with high marks in French and History
Portugal
Diploma de Ensino Secundário
Diploma de Ensino Secundário with 18 with high marks in French and History
Romania
School Leaving Certificate
Diploma de Bacalaureat with 9.5 including 9 in French and History
Russia
Attest o (Polnom) Srednem Obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Attest o (Polnom) Srednem Obshchem Obrazovanii with an average of 4.5 including 5 in French and History plus at least a foundation/Access year or one year of undergraduate study at a Russian university.
Saudi Arabia
School Leaving Certificate
College of Technology Diploma OR Higher Technical Institute Diploma OR Junior Health College Diploma OR Undergraduate Diploma with 85% OR 3 Cambridge International A levels at A*AA (All require high marks in French and History)
Singapore
Singapore A Level
AAA in three content-based H2 subjects (including Grade A in both French and History). Knowledge and Inquiry is not considered as part of the offer
Slovakia
Vysvedcenie Maturitnej Skuska/Maturita
Vysvedcenie Maturitnej Skuska/Maturita with 1 including 1 in French and History
Slovenia
Maturitetno Spricevalo (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Maturitetno Spricevalo with 5 including 5 in French and History
South Africa
South African Senior Certificate/National Senior Certificate with Matriculation endorsement
The National Senior Certificate with Matriculation endorsement with AAAAA including French and History
Spain
Titulo de Bachiller
Titulo de Bachiller with 9 overall including 9 in French and History
Sweden
Fullständigt Slutbetyg (School Leaving Certificate)
Fullstandigt Slutbetyg with MVG including MVG in French and History
Switzerland
Federal Maturity Certificate
Federal Maturity Certificate with an overal mark of 5 including 5 in French and History
Turkey
Lise Diplomasi (High School Diploma)
Lise Diplomasi with an overall mark of 4 plus at least a foundation/Access year or a year of undergraduate study at a Turkish university. Including high marks in French and History
United Kingdom
A levels
A*AA
Compulsory subjects
Grade A at A-Level French and History required
Access to HE Diploma
Access to Humanities (or similar) Diploma including study of French and History at Level 3 with 39 Level 3 credits from units awarded at Distinction, with the remaining credits at Merit. Supplementary information and achievement e.g marks for certain credits/subjects may be required depending on course content.
Cambridge Pre-U
3 Pre-U Principal Subjects with grades of D2 D3 D3 including French and History
BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma
Considered on an individual basis
Scottish Highers & Advanced Highers
AA at Advanced Highers and AAA in three further Highers including French and History
International Baccalaureate
35 points and HL 766 including 6 in French and History
European Baccalaureate
90% with 8.5 in French and History
USA
Advanced Placement Tests and/or SAT/ACT (SAT/ACT acceptable only where stipulated)
Three AP subjects with 555 including French and History. Or SAT with a total score of 1950 with at least 600 in each section or the ACT with a score of 29 plus 3 SAT-S with a score of 600 in each plus an AP in French and History with 5 or evidence of fluency
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Aptitude testing
No test required
If you are interested in coming to King’s, you should apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and apply online via the UCAS website (click on 'apply'). If you are applying through a school or college, you will need to obtain a 'buzzword' from the centre you are applying through. Alternatively, you can apply as an individual, independent of a school or college. Please see the UCAS website for instructions. The UCAS institution code name for King’s is KCL, and the institution code is K60.
There are a few programmes which require direct application to King's, this will be stated above
Most applications are considered between November and March, and suitably qualified applicants will be invited to attend an open day in the department. This will offer an opportunity not only to visit King’s, but also to discuss your aims and ambitions, and to discover whether King’s is the right place for you. You will also be able to participate in an informal seminar discussion with a member of staff, to give you a sense of how learning, teaching and research, the core activities of the department, work together.
Certain candidates, particularly those with relevant life experience or with special requirements and/or qualifications may be asked to attend an interview. This is a fairly relaxed affair. It is an opportunity, like the open day, for you to find out about King’s and whether it is the right place for you to study. Formal admission requirements may be flexible, but evidence of academic study in French is required.