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Explore connections and interactions between cultural traditions with our BA in French and Comparative Literature.
Studying French at Queen Mary means appreciating the diversity of the French-speaking world. You’ll learn not only about metropolitan France, but also about French as a global language, France’s role on the world stage, and the culture and thought of groups who have historically been silenced or excluded, such as women, the working class and ethnic minorities. No prior knowledge of French language is required.
As a result, besides high-level linguistic and analytical skills, you’ll gain an understanding of cross-cultural issues that will equip you to deal with today’s increasingly globalised world.
At the same time, you’ll gain a solid grounding in the discipline of literary studies, choosing from a range of topics from modern fairy tales to First World War literature, and a host of themes from madness to migration.
You’ll spend your third year abroad, an exceptional opportunity to develop your language skills through immersion and boost your intercultural competence.
Register your interest
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
You have three options for how to spend your year abroad:
Our French-speaking partner institutions are:
You’ll receive approximately 12 hours of weekly contact time, in the form of lectures, seminars and language classes.
You will spend up to five hours per week in language classes – in small groups of no more than 20 for classroom or language lab teaching, and no more than 10 for oral and aural work.
For every hour spent in class, you’ll complete a further two to three hours of independent study.
Assessment typically includes a combination of coursework and exams, or coursework only. You’ll also be assessed through oral exams for language modules (including producing a short radio programme), final-year dissertations, independent projects and creative journals.
The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:
If you're interested in learning another language alongside French, you can sign up for a course at Queen Mary’s Language Centre, where you can choose from Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), German, Japanese, Bengali, Catalan, Italian or Spanish.
Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification.
For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq
Our standard contextual offer: BCC at A-Level.
Our enhanced contextual offer: CCC at A-Level.
More information on our contextual offer criteria can be found on our contextualised admissions page.
Please note that General Studies and Critical Thinking are excluded from any A-Level offer and cannot be considered.
We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.
If your qualifications are not accepted for direct entry onto this degree, consider applying for a foundation programme.
Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.
You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.
See our general undergraduate entry requirements.
UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.
Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.
Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.
Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.
We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.
Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:
French and Comparative Literature graduates have a broad range of skills that can take them through to successful careers, such as analytical and critical thinking and communication.
Some apply their degree knowledge directly, entering careers such as translating, editing and teaching, while others transfer skills gained during study into areas such as the media, publishing and marketing.
Recent graduates have been hired by:
The School of Languages Linguistics and Film offers a range of career support, including for students interested in working during their year abroad. Final year students can attend two bespoke events: 'What a difference the year abroad makes', which highlights how the year abroad helps you stand out in the graduate job market, and 'Career avenues for literature students', which explains the wide range of career options and how studying comparative literature prepares students for them. Alumni share their own experience at both events.
Our careers team can also offer:
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The School of the Arts combines innovation, discovery and excellence in education and research in Drama, Film, Modern Languages, English & Comparative Literature, Creative Writing, Linguistics and Liberal Arts. We rank in the top 100 worldwide for Arts and Humanities (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024)
With our commitment to social justice, inclusivity and social mobility, our collaborations with external organisations, prominent writers and performers, and our facilities that support both academic and practice-based learning, an education in the School of the Arts equips our students with critical thinking and practical skills, unleashes their imagination and enables them to reach the levels of excellence needed in today’s industries.
We regularly host prominent writers and performers and collaborate with leading organisations such as the V&A, the Barbican, the Live Art Development Agency and Shakespeare’s Globe.
We are renowned for the depth and impact of research - which leads our teaching. We rank 1st for drama and in the top 10 for film in the UK for the quality of our research (REF2021). Our multilingual community brings together brilliant minds from across the world to share a wealth of expertise combining research excellence with an unrivalled commitment to social justice and social mobility.