Professional Welsh Undergraduate

This course responds to the increased demand from employers for students who have high quality skills in Welsh which can be transferred easily to the workplace. You will study a variety of topics related to the Welsh language and literature with a strong emphasis on practical and occupational aspects. You will gain work experience with professional employers and companies.

This course works closely with Canolfan Bedwyr, a centre which has been named after the late Professor Bedwyr Lewis Jones, a previous head of the School of Welsh in Bangor. You will benefit from the national and international expertise that Canolfan Bedwyr has developed over the years. This course allows you to follow a degree with all of the components that would be expected within a traditional degree in Welsh, but with a clear practical route that leads to a variety of different career paths.

Please note: Applications from those who have studied other A Level subjects through the medium of Welsh will be considered on an individual basis.

Some of the public sector companies that have supported this new degree are Natural Resources Wales, Snowdonia National Park and Authority, Menter Iaith Môn and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service. Such support adds to the professional integrity of this programme.

Placement Year

This course is available as a 4-year ‘with Placement Year’ option. Please apply for Professional Welsh with Placement Year BA Q5PP. 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?

• This course offers a combination of new and traditional modules which will be taught by specialists in their fields.
• You will be taught in smaller classes which will enable you to get to know the staff and your fellow students better.
• The School has a successful tradition of high quality teaching and consistently achieves over 95% general satisfaction levels among its students (according to recent student surveys).
• You will get the chance to go on work placements where your academic transferable skills will be put to practical effect.
• You will be taught by academic staff who are leading international experts in their respective fields of study and frequently research, and publish books and articles.
• The School’s high profile and the respect that employers have for our standards means that there is a high demand from employers for our students.
• Bangor allows you to live a full student life through the medium of Welsh in a friendly and natural environment.

You will be attending lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops each week. You will also be writing essays, various practices, further reading and preparation for seminars.

The assessment is a combination of coursework and examinations.

What will you study on this course?

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and there will also be opportunities to experience work placements. You will study a combination of core, compulsory and optional modules. You can follow some optional modules within the School of Welsh’s modules or from other schools. Assessment methods will vary according to the modules that have been chosen. The aim is to give you the opportunity to study the Welsh language in a practical way which will improve your writing and speaking skills as well as providing you with the opportunity to study aspects of Welsh literature up to the present day. There will be a special emphasis on understanding and developing a greater awareness of the Welsh language in the workplace.

In your First Year there will be an opportunity for you to go on work placement and you will experience guest lectures from representatives of different professions. You will follow four core modules which include Defnyddio’r Gymraeg which concentrates on aspects of contemporary Welsh grammar, O’r Senedd i’r Swyddfa which introduces language to the workplace, Llên Gyfoes which focuses on contemporary literature, and Llên y Cyfnod Modern Cynnar which focuses on Welsh literature from the 18^th and 19^th century. You will also study Cyflwyniad i Bolisi a Chynllunio Ieithyddol which will be taught be Dr Rhian Hodges from the School of Social Sciences. You will also have the freedom to choose up to 40 credits from the School of Welsh or other school’s modules.

In your Second Year you will follow two core modules. The first core module, Iaith Gwaith includes another opportunity to go on work placement and will build on the knowledge gained in O’r Senedd i’r Swyddfa. The second core module, Ymarfer Ysgrifennu combines that learned in Defnyddio’r Gymraeg with specific context, e.g. a summary, news bulletin, review, short translation, and increases your awareness of different language registers. You will get to choose any other 40-60 credits from the School of Welsh’s modules or from other schools. In the case of a number of our modules, we teach the Second and Third Years together every other year, so students will study the compulsory module Datblygiad yr Iaith which maps the history of the Welsh language from its earliest period up to the present when it will be available to them.

In your Third Year, you will study two core modules. The first core module, Medrau Cyfieithu, builds on the language skills learnt in Defnyddio’r Gymraeg and Ymarfer Ysgrifennu. The emphasis in the other core module, Portffolio Proffesiynol will be on independent study: there will be a chance to link the project with what was done during the work experience, to concentrate on an individual case study, or to present a portfolio of relevant material. Once again, you can choose any 60 credits from the School of Welsh’s modules (except for the module Y Traethawd Estynedig).

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 Professional Welsh Modules page.

Course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.

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/EU Student Tuition Fees (starting in 2019–20 & 2020–21)

• Full time: £9,000 per year
• Part time: £750 per 10 credits

International Student Tuition Fees*
* Please note: the international tuition fees displayed are for the current academic year (2020-21). The fees for the next academic year (2021-22) will be confirmed soon.

When coming to University, you will have two main costs, Tuition Fees and Living 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 guest tickets (£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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

USA Requirements

International Year Zero:  HSD GPA 2.0 OR SAT 1500+ 
International Year 1:  HSD GPA 3.0 OR SAT 500+ each section OR ACTs 26+  
Undergraduate Courses:  HSD GPA 3.0 OR SAT 550+ each section OR ACTs 26+  
Postgraduate Courses:  Bachelor Degree GPA of 3.0. GRE not required 
PhD/Research Course:  Masters Degree 

Note: Some courses may require higher entry requirements. Refer Individual Course page for details. 

Applicants from USA need NOT provide additional evidence of English Language ability, if previous education was with English medium of instruction. Otherwise, an IELTS overall 6.0 with 5.5 in each component or equivalent is normally required (some courses may require a higher score).

For 2021 entry:

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

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.

To study a degree, diploma or certificate course 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 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 help and advice about being a mature student at Bangor, please visit the Study at Bangor site.

Specific entry requirements can be seen on the individual course pages.

EU and International students' entry requirements

For information and further detailed guidance on 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.

More information

Home/EU students and International UCAS applicants

E-mail for General Admissions: admissions@bangor.ac.uk or write to:

Admissions Office
Bangor University
Gwynedd
LL57 2TF

Telephone: +44 (0)1248 383717 

International students (non-UCAS applicants)

Email to International Admissions: internationaladmissions@bangor.ac.uk or write to

Admissions Office
Bangor University
Gwynedd
LL57 2TF

Telephone: +44 (0) 1248 382028

This degree can lead to various job prospects. There is a high demand for graduates from our School and the skills you will learn by studying more practical modules are a great way to prepare you for work and a career. Our graduates go on to careers in education, the translation industry, media/journalism, PR, marketing, language planning, the heritage industry and the civil service.

Opportunities at Bangor

The University’s Skills and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions. Developing your personal skills and enhancing your employability while at university is becoming increasingly important in today’s job market.

The Bangor Employability Award (BEA) and Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR)

The Bangor Employability Award enables students to build on their transferable skills through the recognition of activities they become involved in during their university life. Students can gain points towards the award through extra-curricular activities such as volunteering, attending workshops or actively participating in the Students’ Union’s clubs and societies.

The HEAR is a final graduation report that all undergraduates receive. The report itemises all academic achievements and additional extra and co-curricular achievements. Academic achievements appear on the report automatically and students are able to note their eligible activities by using the online platform ‘My Employability Hub’. This ensures that future employers are made aware of the additional skills the student has gained outside of the curriculum.

The Award is open to everyone and taking part in the scheme can make a major difference to your performance in the graduate job market.

Internships

Bangor University runs undergraduate and postgraduate internship schemes twice a year, which allow students to work in a professional environment while learning relevant skills and earning money.

Internships offer valuable experience in a professional workplace and there are a range of internships you can get involved in.

Student Volunteering

Not only is volunteering worthwhile – it also improves your employability and widens your experience.

The Students’ Union has a dedicated Student Volunteering Office (SVB) which currently contributes a total of 600 hours each week, promoting a close relationship between the university and the local community. Find out more on the Student Volunteering pages of the Bangor Student’s Union website.

TARGETconnect - Working while you Study

The Skills and Employability Service offers support to students searching for employment during and after their studies.

TARGETconnect advertises the following opportunities:

• Graduate jobs – Local, National and International
• Full-time, part time, permanent and temporary jobs
• Work experience / internships
• Voluntary opportunities

General University Application

How to apply through UCAS

Apply online via UCAS

UCAS stands for Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. All university applications are processed through UCAS and then passed on to the universities listed.

Students may apply for a maximum of five courses. For Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary courses students are only allowed to apply for four courses.

The application form is found on the UCAS website, under ‘Apply’.

When to apply?

We advise you to apply as early as you can as we will start considering applications and making offers straight away. The initial UCAS deadline for UK and EU students is 15 January, however we welcome applications after this date. Those received between 15 January and 30 June will continue to be forwarded to universities by UCAS and will receive consideration where places are still available.

Your Personal Statement

Writing your Personal Statement is the part of the application form that requires most work. You are only allowed 47 lines or 500–550 words to explain why you wish to study the course and the skills you have that are essential for university study.

To write a successful personal statement for your UCAS application you must have a good understanding about the course and its content. Remember that you write only one personal statement for your five choices. Make sure that the courses are similar, if not the same, and make sure that you do not mention a specific course or university.

Read our advice on how to draft a winning personal statement or watch our video guide.

After you’ve applied

You should keep an eye on your application on UCAS ‘Track’. Offers from universities will appear on track and you will be able to accept or decline offers.

You can only reply when you have received all your decisions. The types of reply you can make are firm acceptance and insurance acceptance. Usually students reply in early May.

International Student?

If you are an international student, our International Student pages offer further information on applying.

As an international student applying to study one of our undergraduate programmes you can:

• apply via UCAS,
• or apply direct to Bangor through our online direct application system
• or apply with the help of one of our recruitment agents

Erasmus student?

We receive around 350 exchange students every year from all over the world. 45% of these students come from Europe and the remainder from as far as Singapore, South Korea and Australia.

The University’s International Exchanges Office is responsible for welcoming these students.

Confused about your next steps?

Take a look at our Going to University website for information and advice on getting ready for university.