Program Overview

Lancaster’s joint French Studies and Theatre degree is taught by the School of Global Affairs in conjunction with Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts (LICA). This degree includes an international placement in year 3.

Your French Studies programme gives you the opportunity to acquire high-level language skills while gaining a thorough understanding of the country’s historical, cultural, social and political backgrounds in a global context. In Theatre, you’ll learn about innovative 20th and 21st century theatre and performance through an exciting and varied mix of practical and academic approaches.

Your first year comprises an exploration of the French language and its cultural context as well as an introduction to theatre’s key concepts and practical tools that culminates in a group performance project. Alongside this, you will study a minor subject of your choice.

Building on your language skills in Year 2, you will study the culture, politics and history of the French-speaking world in more depth, as well as selecting modules which are international in scope and promote a comparative understanding of Europe and beyond. You will combine these with modules such as ‘Performing the Avant-Garde’, ‘Modern Dance’ and ‘British Theatre and the State of the Nation (1945-2000)’.

Spending your third year abroad in a French-speaking country gives you the opportunity to improve your language proficiency while deepening your intercultural sensitivity. You can study at a partner institution or conduct a work placement.

In your final year, you will consolidate your French language skills and choose from a wide range of optional modules in both French Studies and Theatre depending on your particular areas of interest. You can find some examples of optional modules in the Course Structure section below.