About This Course
As Wales develops as a vibrant bilingual country, there has never been a more exciting time to study Welsh at university level. In fields as varied as education, media and journalism, the civil service, the heritage industry, public relations and marketing there is a great demand for graduates who have competence in Welsh and the ability to work in a bilingual environment. The School of Welsh and Celtic Studies at Bangor has responded energetically to this demand by designing courses which are both academically rigorous and relevant to the needs of modern Wales. At Bangor you will have the opportunity to study rich and diverse literary texts extending from the tales of the Mabinogion to the dynamic literature, theatre and film of contemporary Wales. You will also follow practical language modules which will greatly enhance your career prospects.
Placement Year
This course is available as a 4-year ‘with Placement Year’ option. Please apply for Welsh with Placement Year BA Q56P. Find out more about 'with Placement Year' coures here.
The placement year provides you with a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons and develop valuable skills and contacts through working with a self-sourced organisation relevant to your degree subject. The Placement Year is undertaken at the end of the second year and students are away for the whole of the academic year. The minimum period in placement (at one or more locations) is seven calendar months; more usually you would spend 10-12 months with a placement provider. You would normally start sometime in the period June to September of your second year and finish between June and September the following year. Placements can be UK-based or overseas and you will work with staff to plan and finalise the placement arrangements.
You will be expected to find and arrange a suitable placement to complement your degree, and will be fully supported throughout by a dedicated member of staff at your academic School and the University’s Skills and Employability Services.
Why choose Bangor University for this course?
- Bangor University is located in the county of Gwynedd, where the majority of the population is speak Welsh. No other university offers such a remarkable linguistic environment to study a living Celtic language.
- We offer a wide choice of modules.
- You will be able to study aspects of Wales’s great medieval literature under expert supervision. You will also learn how Welsh literature and the Welsh language have adapted and responded to the challenges of the modern world.
- In the first year we have modules which have been specifically designed for our second language students.
- You will be offered work placements where your academic transferable skills will be put to practical effect.
- We have a firm commitment to teaching small groups of students.
- In recent National Student Surveys, Welsh at Bangor achieved high satisfaction levels among its students (according to recent student surveys).
- You will be taught by academic staff who are leading international experts in their respective fields of study. Their publications encompass both the medieval period and the literature of Wales in more recent times.
Course Content
You will be spend around 10 hours per week in lectures, seminars and small tutorial groups. This will be supplemented by private study. You will be assessed through examinations, essays, continuous coursework and oral presentations.
What will you study on this course?
Year 1
You will follow a variety of modules catering for the needs of both first-language and second-language students. Second-language students will follow a combination of modules with a particular emphasis on developing writing and aural skills. In order to ensure an integrated learning experience you will also follow a selection of modules with first-language students. First-language students will study a broad selection of texts – extending from the poetry and prose of the middle ages to modern Welsh classics and media literature. You will also be given a range of insights into the culture and history of Wales. There will also be an emphasis on advanced skills in oral and written Welsh.
Year 2 and Year 3
Both first-language and second-language students will follow the same Welsh degree scheme during their final two years. Additional tutorial support is provided for second-language students to ease the full transition to first-language provision. You will be able to choose your modules from a thematically broad and wide-ranging list of subjects such as:
Court Poetry; Early Welsh Saga Poetry; Tales of the Mabinogion; Dafydd ap Gwilym; Poets of the Welsh Gentry; Literature and Society 1500- 1740; Welsh literature of America; The Modern Welsh Novel; Modern Welsh Poetry; Kate Roberts’s Fiction; The Modern Welsh Theatre; Television Drama; History of the Welsh Language; Language Policy and Planning; Translation Skills; Philosophy and Literature; Practical Writing Skills/ Welsh in the Workplace; Dissertation.
If you wish, you can also select modules from our Welsh-medium creative writing provision: Poetry Workshop; Creative Prose Workshop; Cynghanedd; Script-writing.
Modules for the current academic year
Module listings are for guide purposes only and are subject to change. Find out what our students are currently studying on the Welsh (for first- and second-language students) Modules page.
Course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.
Course Costs
Optional Costs:
Students may choose to buy books, but this is not compulsory as all books will be available in the library. The exact cost depends entirely on the individual student, but it could be estimated that students choose to spend around £20 per module.
If the student attends the graduation ceremony, c.£12 will be paid for student ticket and two guest tickets, and c.£40 to hire a gown (prices may change).
General University Costs
Home (UK) students
- The cost of a full-time undergraduate course is £9,000 per year (2021/22 entry).
- More information on fees and finance for Home (UK) students.
International (including EU) students
Additional Costs
There are also some common additional costs that are likely to arise for students on all courses, for example:
- If you choose to study abroad or take the International Experience Year as part of your course.
- If you attend your Graduation Ceremony, there will be a cost for gown hire (£25-£75) and cost for additional guest tickets (c.£12 each).
Course-specific additional costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be additional course-specific costs that you will be required to meet. These fall into three categories:
- Mandatory Costs: these are related to a particular core or compulsory module that you’ll be required to complete to achieve your qualification e.g. compulsory field trips, uniforms for students on placement, DBS Check.
- Necessarily Incurred Costs: these may not be experienced by all students, and will vary depending on the course e.g. professional body membership, travel to placements, specialist software, personal safety equipment.
- Optional Costs: these depend on your choice of modules or activity and they are shown to give you an indication of the optional costs that may arise to make sure your choice is as informed as possible. These can include graduation events for your course, optional field trips, Welcome Week trips.
Entry Requirements
For 2021 entry:
For joint degrees please also look at the entry requirements for the other chosen subject. Typical offer is based on a minimum 112 tariff points from a Level 3 qualification* e.g.:•
- A Levels (including grade B in Welsh)
- International Baccalaureate Diploma (including grade H6 in Welsh)
- BTEC National/Extended Diploma and Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: DMM**
- City & Guilds Advanced Technical/ Extended Diploma: considered on a case by case basis**
- Access course with Welsh elemen
- Welsh Baccalaureate is accepted.
International Candidates: school leaving qualifications and college diplomas are accepted from countries worldwide (subject to minimum English Language requirements). More information here.
We also welcome applications from mature applicants.
*For a full list of accepted Level 3 qualifications, go to www.ucas.com.
For 2020 entry:
For joint degrees please also look at the entry requirements for the other chosen subject. Typical offer is based on a minimum 112 tariff points from a Level 3 qualification* e.g.:•
- A Levels (including grade B in Welsh)
- International Baccalaureate Diploma (including grade H6 in Welsh)
- BTEC National/Extended Diploma and Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: DMM**
- City & Guilds Advanced Technical/ Extended Diploma: considered on a case by case basis**
- Access course with Welsh elemen
- Welsh Baccalaureate is accepted.
International Candidates: school leaving qualifications and college diplomas are accepted from countries worldwide (subject to minimum English Language requirements). More information here.
We also welcome applications from mature applicants.
*For a full list of accepted Level 3 qualifications, go to www.ucas.com.
General University Requirements
To study for a degree, you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com.
We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.
All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.
As part of the University’s policy we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.
We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more information about studying as a mature student, see our Studying at Bangor section of the website.
EU and International Students' Entry Requirements
For detailed guidance on the entry requirements for EU and International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages. International applicants can also visit the International Education Centre section of our website for further details.
Bangor University offers International Incorporated Bachelor Degrees for International students whose High School qualification is not equivalent to the UK school leaving qualification. The first year (or Year 0) is studied at Bangor University International College, an embedded College on our University campus and delivered by Oxford International Education Group.
Careers
Our graduates go on to careers in education, media/journalism, creative writing, the civil service, PR, marketing, the translation industry, language planning, the heritage industry and IT. Furthermore, this course will provide you with a range of rigorous analytical and presentational skills which will be vitally important in numerous other careers. Bangor also offers excellent opportunities at postgraduate level.
Opportunities at Bangor
The University’s Skills and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions.
The Bangor Employability Award (BEA)
With the BEA, you can gain recognition for your extra-curricular activities (e.g. volunteering, clubs and societies, part-time work, etc.)
Internships
Bangor University runs a paid internship scheme within the university’s academic and service departments.
Student Volunteering
Volunteering widens your experience and improves your employability. Find out more about the volunteering on the Students’ Union’s website.
