Program Overview

French and History is a joint degree, equally weighted between both disciplines and studied in both departments. You will graduate from this course as both a specialist historian and a highly qualified linguist with advanced intercultural skills. You will also have a deep understanding of the past and present in French-speaking cultures, and a multifaceted knowledge of the study of history.

A French and History degree will allow you to combine two specialisms. Firstly, you will be able to develop and refine your skills as a linguist through a programme of modules exploring the French language and the culture, history and politics of France and the Francophone world. Alongside this, you will pursue your interests in history, with core and optional modules on topics including the history of the Renaissance, the modern history of Britain, France and Russia, and the history of the non-European world.

French at Warwick enables you to collaborate with academic specialists to develop your language skills and intercultural competence. Together, we will examine the historical, cultural, geographical, and political contexts in which French is spoken across the world. The flexible course covers cultural topics such as philosophy, literature, politics, history, linguistics, media and film. Core language modules develop an in-depth understanding of the French language and its links to the cultural contexts where it is spoken, and you can then choose optional modules to develop your academic interests.

History at Warwick asks you to look critically at the motivations, context and characters behind the events that define world history from the Renaissance to the present day. Our far-reaching approach allows you to explore historical topics in depth from around the globe. The department’s expertise spans the British Isles, continental Europe, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin and North America.

Your second or third year is normally spent abroad, either as a language assistant, working, or studying at one of our partner universities. This is an invaluable opportunity to immerse yourself in the linguistic and cultural contexts where French is spoken, enhance your language skills and build international connections.

You will have access to outstanding facilities and resources. This includes flexible collaborative and individual learning spaces, as well as a vast selection of print, digital and multimedia learning materials.

You will finish your degree as a proficient, internationally mobile linguist with a deep understanding of key issues and developments in the past and present of Francophone cultures, and an advanced knowledge of global histories.