BA Joint Hons French & Psychology

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Key facts

  • UCAS Code: RC18
  • Study abroad: exchange links with universities in Dijon, Paris & Angers

  • Facilities: purpose-built psychology research labs

Study with us

Our BA (Hons) Humanities & Social Sciences degree, explained.

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Why this course?

French is a major international language. It's the first language of more than 100 million people across the world, while more than 60 million people speak French as a second language.

Studying with us will give you the chance to become a fluent linguist and, with our year abroad programme, an opportunity to experience living, working and/or studying in another country.

Our main focus in Psychology is the study of human behaviour.

Studying with us, you'll look at conditions of behaviour – how we learn, remember, coordinate our actions and interact with others – and the reasons for differences between individuals, such as personality or intelligence.

Due to the popularity of the course and performance criteria for entry into Honours (Year 4), the numbers admitted to Years 2 and 3 of the course are limited.

Aerial view of students sitting around coffee tables

THE Awards 2019: UK University of the Year Winner

What you’ll study

French

In every year, teaching focuses heavily on language work, but you'll also discover more about the culture of France and French-speaking countries.

Year 1

Two streams are offered in first-year: one for students with Higher French or an equivalent qualification and another for those without. Students in both classes study contemporary French language and aspects of the country’s culture and society.

Year 2 & 3

You'll continue to develop your reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. In the cultural class each year, you'll learn more about the history, politics, literature and cinema of France and French-speaking countries.

Year 4

In your final year, you'll concentrate on translation, written and oral language, and interpreting. You'll also have the chance to write a dissertation in French. If, however, you choose to write your dissertation for your other Honours subject, you'll take two of our cultural classes. These classes reflect the research expertise of our staff and currently focus on topics such as France since 1945, Black France, Writing the Body, and Images of Women.

Major projects

In your final year, you’ll build on your project work from previous years and write a dissertation. 

Year abroad

Honours students spend a year abroad after Year 3, usually working as an English-speaking teaching assistant, gaining experience on a work placement, or studying at a foreign institution.

This is a central highlight of the course and a major formative experience for students, not just in terms of language, but on many different levels, personal as well as professional.

Student competitions

The Stevenson Exchange Scholarship is a competitive award which offers students funding towards a project they wish to undertake while on their year abroad. Staff select and interview several candidates for this each year. Our students usually do well in this competition; in 2019, for example, one student secured £1,050 towards his project.

Psychology

Year 1

The first year covers the basic principles of learning including biological bases of behaviour, thinking and memory.

Years 2 & 3

Due to the popularity of the course, performance-related criteria may be in place to manage entry into Honours (Year 4); this means that the numbers admitted to Years 2 and 3 of the course are limited. Years 2 & 3 provides a greater understanding of human development and interaction, cognitive processes, individual differences and biological influences on behaviour.

Year 4

In Year 4, you'll take a variety of classes that allow you to study an area of psychology in greater depth. You’ll study conceptual and historical issues in psychology and write a dissertation based on your research project.

International placement

There's an opportunity for you to take an optional international research placement through Erasmus.

The School of Psychological Sciences and Health has Erasmus exchange agreements with several European universities including:

  • Humboldt University zu Berlin, Germany
  • Universidad de A Coruna, Spain
  • University of Twente, Netherlands
  • University Tubingen, Germany
  • Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands

Major projects

You can undertake an optional summer research project working with a member of staff. In addition, there are opportunities to apply for funding to complete summer internships between year 3 and 4.

Facilities

Our high-quality facilities include six purpose-built experimental research laboratories:

  • driving simulator lab
  • memory lab
  • perception and action lab
  • psychophysiology lab
  • psycholinguistics lab
  • oculomotor lab

Postgraduate study 

Psychology graduates can progress into postgraduate training to become professional psychologists. We currently run a number of post-graduate courses which provide additional research training:

Student competitions

The British Psychological Society Undergraduate Award is awarded annually for outstanding academic performance in the final year. 

Single & joint Honours information

English, English and Creative Writing, History, Politics and International Relations and Psychology may be studied to Single or Joint Honours level.

Education, French, Spanish, Law, Journalism, Media and Communication and Social Policy are available only as Joint Honours Programmes. Economics, Human Resource Management, Marketing, Mathematics and Tourism can also be studied alongside a Humanities and Social Sciences subject.

The available subject combinations may change each year. Once accepted on the programme you'll be allocated an advisor of studies who will be able to let you know which subjects can be combined, in first year, and beyond.

Chat to a student ambassador

If you want to know more about what it’s like to be a Humanities & Social Sciences student at the University of Strathclyde, a selection of our current students are here to help!

Our Unibuddy ambassadors can answer all the questions you might have about courses and studying at Strathclyde, along with offering insight into their experiences of life in Glasgow and Scotland.

Chat to a student ambassador
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Course content

French

Year 1

You'll take two combined classes: French 1A (semester 1), French 1B (semester 2). These courses are mainly organised around a linguistic progression towards level B1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. There's a regular input of cultural background which takes the form of three lectures in semester 1 and two in semester 2 covering the following topics:

  • The Making of Modern France
  • France in a Global Context
  • Understanding the French Republic
  • French Identities
  • Contemporary French Society 

In addition, there's an introductory lecture in semester 2 entitled ‘What is translation about?’.

Psychology

Psychology 1a

You'll take this class in semester 1 and are not expected to have any prior knowledge of psychology. It explores learning theory, developmental psychology, personality, biological psychology, and the scientific basis for psychology.

Psychology 1b

This class is taught in semester 2 and covers sensation and perception, cognitive psychology, social psychology, abnormal psychology, and research methods.

French

Students take two language classes as in Year 1. The language courses are based on a series of classes.

Le Monde du Travail

Cultural focus: time (35 hour week, RTT and ‘ponts’, paternity/maternity leave, …) & ‘human resources’ (hierarchical organisation, discrimination, unions, relocation,…)

Linguistic focus: the negation, asking questions, using pronouns.

La France et L'Europe

Cultural focus: the origins of the European ideal, Europe and the EU viewed from France.

Linguistic focus: subjunctive mood.

Immigration & Nationalité

Cultural focus: a historical view of immigration in France and a look at the specificity of the French ‘integration’ system.

Linguistic focus: the system of tenses in French (concentrating on past tenses).

Les Femmes en Politique

Cultural focus: a further look (after first year) at French politics, concentrating on topical issues.

Linguistic focus: modal verbs.

Les Régions

Cultural focus: decentralisation, importance of regions in France.

Linguistic focus: the passive voice.

L’Économie

Cultural focus: the French economy (role of the state, …), marketing à la française

Linguistic focus: equivalent of –ing in French.

In addition, students specialising in French take the French Culture and History 2 class. This class focuses on the Occupation and French Colonialism/Decolonisation. The historical context for each topic is first set, and documents from the two periods studied, before discussion moves on to the cultural domain, via analysis of the following texts and films:

  • Au Revoir les Enfants (film, Malle)
  • Stupeur et Tremblements (text, Nothomb)
  • L'Étranger (text, Camus)
  • Le Samourai (film, Melville)
  • Anthology of historical texts relating to the Second World War
  • Anthology of historical texts relating to French Colonialism/Immigration

Psychology

Cognition & Neuropsychology

This class reveals how our understanding of higher mental functions has been enhanced through:

  • theoretical and experimental studies of normal human cognition
  • neuropsychological studies of how cognitive functions may be damaged as a result of brain lesions
Topics covered include disorders of the perceptual system, memory and attention, and the role of the frontal lobes in planning, motivation, emotion, and personality.
Social & Health Psychology

This class introduces social psychological theories and research that provide insights into why people believe what they believe, and why they behave the way they do.

Topics covered include attribution theory, aggression, prosocial behaviour, group influence, norms, conformity, obedience, and attitudes.

It ends with an introduction to health psychology, demonstrating how social psychological principles covered earlier in the class are applied to pressing, real-world health issues such as dietary behaviour, smoking/alcohol-use, and suicide.

Introduction to Research Design & Analysis

You'll be introduced to the main features of measurement, research design, and statistical analysis in psychology.

Following a general introduction, the course presents fundamental concepts, issues, and debates in the field of research methods.

You'll also become familiarised with the conceptual basis for inferential statistical testing, and introduced to different inferential statistics. Finally, a brief introduction to qualitative research methods takes place.

French

Students take two language classes (as in previous years).
L’Esclavage Moderne

Cultural focus: a historical review of slavery and a look at modern forms of slavery.

Linguistic focus: reinforcement work on subjunctive mood, passive voice and negative forms.

Les Nouvelles Façons de Consommer

Cultural focus: the impact of consumerism on the environment.

Linguistic focus: adjectives and comparative, hypothesis, conditional mood.

Le Système Éducatif

Cultural focus: a look at current issues in the French education system.

Linguistic focus: reported speech, imperative mood, a further look at pronouns.

L’Année à l’Étranger

Cultural focus: practical module aiming at preparing students for the year abroad.

There is also a French Studies 3 class: Freedom and Identity in France and the Francophone world. This class is based on the study of the following texts and films as examples of the treatment of the class’s twin themes:

  • Milou en mai (film, Malle)
  • Poverty (various texts)
  • The Dreyfus Affair (various historical texts)
  • Monsieur Klein (film, Losey)
  • Rue des Boutiques Obscures (text, Modiano)
  • National Identity in the Third Republic (various historical texts)

Psychology

Research Methods in Psychology

This class builds on year 2 and equips you with a broader, more advanced set of methodological and analytic skills. These skills are essential for carrying out the year 4 dissertation and for being able to read and understand articles published in academic journals.

Individual Differences

You're encouraged to think scientifically about conceptual and practical issues related to the study of individual differences, with specific reference to intelligence and personality. You'll gain the chance to put this knowledge into practice by designing your own measurement instrument.

Cognition

You'll be introduced to some of the core topics in cognitive psychology

  • Perception and action, particularly how we perceive time and recognise faces
  • Memory and learning, including models of episodic and working memory
  • Language, including word production, sentence comprehension, and discourse processing
  • Thinking, specifically problem solving, deductive reasoning and judgement and decision making.
Development

This class reviews the ways that children develop from infancy right through to the end of adolescence. Key theories are presented and used to explore the extent to which children’s development is continuous or stage-like and whether specific skills develop more quickly than others. Issues relating to infancy, ‘theory of mind’ (understanding others’ thoughts and beliefs), executive function (planning and monitoring abilities), language, and communication form the core themes in the class.

Psychobiology

The purpose of this class is to provide the opportunity for you to learn the basic principles of brain function, and to encourage you to address the implications of this understanding for their own view of how behaviour is generated. It includes coverage of electrophysiology and psychopharmacology, neuroanatomy, research methods in neuroscience. There are focused sections relating to the visual system and the motor system.

Social Psychology

This class allows you to consider current ideas and positions within social psychology. Four themes drive the class

  • Attitudes and attitude change, covering the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Health Belief Model
  • Identity, with a focus on social, personal and group identities
  • Prejudice, connecting both attitudes and identities, and covering a broad range of areas such as social representations, stereotyping, prejudice and conflict
  • Epistemology, where consideration is given to the theory of knowledge, how social psychological knowledge is produced, and to what effect
Year abroad
This is the year abroad, spent either studying at a foreign university or working as a language assistant or on a work placement. This year is compulsory to gain entry into Honours.

French

French

The language course is based on a series of thematic dossiers dealing with current issues in France and the Francophone world. The focus of the class is on reinforcing and developing key professional language skills, such as translation into English, translation into French, liaison interpreting, and 'exposé' (formal oral presentation).

Students in Joint Honours French will additionally have one or more French Studies 4 classes. Everyone will take the Core Class, Images of Women, which considers the changing portrayal of women over the centuries, using the following texts as the basis of discussion:

  • Madame Bovary (novel, Flaubert)
  • Fatale (novel, Manchette)
  • L’événement (Ernaux, novel)
  • Women in the Paris Commune of 1871 (various historical documents)

Joint Honours students not writing a dissertation in French will take these two further classes:

  • The Occupation and its portrayal in French films
  • France since 1945

Psychology

Dissertation in Psychology

The dissertation is an opportunity for you to undertake an original piece of research, closely supervised by a single member of staff. Planning for the dissertation begins in year 3, and dissertations can be of such high standards that they are subsequently published in peer-reviewed academic journals.

Advanced Organisational Behaviour

This class is offered by the Strathclyde Business School, and draws on current themes in Human Resource Management understood from the perspective of micro-organisational behaviour theory and research. Although the theoretical underpinning of the material covered is primarily about work and organisational issues at the level of individual behaviour in organisations, a contextual understanding of these issues is also encouraged.

 

Advanced Psychological Theory & Practice

Choice of topics may include:

  • Belief & Anomalistic Experience
  • The Psychology of Mental Health
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Psychology & Ageing
  • Psychology of Language
  • Critical Review
  • The Psychology & Cognitive Neuroscience of Face Recognition
  • Neuropsychology of Ageing and Dementia
  • Physiological Psychology
  • Health Psychology
  • Practical Aspects of Memory 

 

 

Psychology Work Placement

This class will support students' development in applying their knowledge and understanding of psychological theory and evidence in a work setting, as well as their ability to articulate the knowledge, understanding, and skills they have developed through the placement, their studies, and other extra-curricular activities.

The class aims to provide students with an opportunity to gain practical, work-based experience in an area that is professionally relevant to psychology. The placement experience should encourage the transfer of academic psychological knowledge, understanding, and subject-specific skills to an applied context. Students will also be supported in developing reflective and professional skills, and the ability to articulate these skills. This class is intended to support students' transition into employment and/or further study after graduation. It is also anticipated that there will be benefits to placement providers in the roles fulfilled by students, and in the longer term in supporting the development of the future workforce.

The placement involves completing a minimum of 60 hours of active engagement within a suitable organisation. An additional 50 hours has been added to account for travel time.

Students will be responsible for setting up a placement with an organisation relevant to their interests. We hope to provide students a list of organisations who have indicated a willingness to receive applications from students seeking a placement. 

In the assessment for the class, students are required to submit a 2000 word written assessment that covers:

  • An account of their role within the placement organisation, including a critical reflection on the student's professional practice in fulfilling the requirements of the role. The student will also relate back to the self-evaluation assessment written at the beginning of the placement;
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the application of psychological theory and evidence relevant to the placement organisation and/or experience in the placement role;
  • Discussion of their personal and professional development, following the placement, with a view to their future development.

Study abroad

Erasmus International Work Placement

This class is an option which is available to a restricted number of students who'll apply to take part. It involves a placement with a European University partner working in a research team during the summer between years 3 and 4. Additional assessment is to be completed during semester 1 of year 4.

How to become a psychologist

Find out all you need to know including what a psychologist does, the different types of psychologist and the steps you need to take to become one.

How to become a psychologist

Assessment

French

We focus on the four important language skills:

  • reading
  • writing
  • speaking
  • listening

We make great use of technology in the classroom – interactive lectures and digital language laboratories – and outside, through the use of web-based learning and streamed French television.

In later years, you'll perform presentations, write reports and interpret into English, which prepares you for potential future careers.

Scholars from French universities visit regularly to give guest lectures and lead workshops, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Psychology

Our methods include:

  • lectures
  • small-group tutorials
  • practical labs
  • online tutorials
  • online wikis
  • group work
  • problem-based learning
  • one-to-one supervision

These methods are used across all years of the degree and aim to provide you with opportunities to learn and work in different ways.

Learning & teaching

French

Our assessment methods include:

  • written examinations, including translations
  • writing for a specific purpose
  • essays

Continuous assessment ranges from online grammar tests to group projects, while oral/aural tests are performed throughout the course. Students write a dissertation in their final year.

Psychology

We assess students using class tests, essays, practical reports, dissertations, individual presentations, group presentations and degree examinations. Online and face-to-face group project work is also included in the course. Students take part in practical assignments from first-year onwards.

Studying psychology at Strathclyde

Find out from our lecturers and students about what it's like to study psychology at Strathclyde.

Psychology's anything about people and how they behave, how they think, how they act in society, how they behave in different settings.

Dr Sally Wiggins, Senior Lecturer

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Entry requirements

Required subjects are shown in brackets.

Highers

Standard entry requirements*:

  • 1st sitting: AAAA
  • 2nd sitting: AAAAB

(Higher English, Higher French B, Maths/ Applications of Mathematics National 5 B, or equivalent)

Minimum entry requirements**:

  • 1st sitting: AABB
  • 2nd sitting: AABBB

(Higher English B, Higher French B and Maths/Applications of Mathematics National 5 C)

A Levels

Year 1 entry: ABB-BBB
Year 2 entry: AAA-ABB

(A-Level French B, GCSE English Language 6/B or Literature 6/B, GCSE Maths 4/C)

International Baccalaureate

32-30

HNC

Social Sciences:

Year 1 entry: A in Graded Unit; Higher French B; Maths National 5 B, or equivalent

International students

View the entry requirements for your country.

Deferred Entry

Not normally accepted

*Standard entry requirements

Offers are made in accordance with specified entry requirements although admission to undergraduate programmes is considered on a competitive basis and entry requirements stated are normally the minimum level required for entry.

Whilst offers are made primarily on the basis of an applicant meeting or exceeding the stated entry criteria, admission to the University is granted on the basis of merit, and the potential to succeed. As such, a range of information is considered in determining suitability.

In exceptional cases, where an applicant does not meet the competitive entry standard, evidence may be sought in the personal statement or reference to account for performance which was affected by exceptional circumstances, and which in the view of the judgement of the selector would give confidence that the applicant is capable of completing the programme of study successfully.

**Minimum entry requirements

Find out if you can benefit from this type of offer.

Widening access

We want to increase opportunities for people from every background. Strathclyde selects our students based on merit, potential and the ability to benefit from the education we offer. We look for more than just your grades. We consider the circumstances of your education and will make lower offers to certain applicants as a result.

Find out if you can benefit from this type of offer.

Degree preparation course for international students

We offer international students (non-EU/UK) who do not meet the academic entry requirements for an undergraduate degree at Strathclyde the option of completing an Undergraduate Foundation year programme at the University of Strathclyde International Study Centre.

Upon successful completion, you'll be able to progress to this degree course at the University of Strathclyde.

International students

We've a thriving international community with students coming here to study from over 100 countries across the world. Find out all you need to know about studying in Glasgow at Strathclyde and hear from students about their experiences.

Visit our international students' section

Map of the world.

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Fees & funding

All fees quoted are for full-time courses and per academic year unless stated otherwise.

Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.

All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.

Annual revision of fees

Students on programmes of study of more than one year should be aware that tuition fees are revised annually and may increase in subsequent years of study. Annual increases will generally reflect UK inflation rates and increases to programme delivery costs.

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Scotland

2023/24: TBC
2022/23: £1,820

Fees for students who meet the relevant residence requirements in Scotland are subject to confirmation by the Scottish Funding Council. Scottish undergraduate students undertaking an exchange for a semester/year will continue to pay their normal tuition fees at Strathclyde and will not be charged fees by the overseas institution.

England, Wales & Northern Ireland

£9,250

Assuming no change in RUK fees policy over the period, the total amount payable by undergraduate students will be capped. For students commencing study in 2023/24, this is capped at £27,750 (with the exception of the MPharm and integrated Masters programmes). MPharm students pay £9,250 for each of the four years. Students studying on integrated Masters degree programmes pay an additional £9,250 for the Masters year with the exception of those undertaking a full-year industrial placement where a separate placement fee will apply.

International

£17,400

University preparation programme fees

International students can find out more about the costs and payments of studying a university preparation programme at the University of Strathclyde International Study Centre.

Additional costs

International students

International students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see student visa guidance for more information.

French 

Course materials & costs 

The majority of course materials are available to students via Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Students can print course materials at their own expense.   

The cost of course texts does not normally exceed £30 per academic year. Key language texts are used over 2 or 3 years of study. Multiple copies are also available in the University Library.  

Study abroad 

Studying abroad is an integral part of the degree course in Modern Languages - and usually takes place in Year 4. Students who choose to study in France are eligible for an Erasmus and grant to help minimise the extra costs of living abroad. This however, is not a full maintenance grant.  

Students are required to meet travel, accommodation and extra living costs. These costs will vary dependent on the country of study. An estimated extra spend of £1,000 should be budgeted.

A range of scholarships are available for students of French and awarded on a competitive basis. 

Students who work as English language assistants will receive a monthly stipend. In the case of France, this amounts approximately to €964.88 per month gross (€800 net after social security deductions).

Psychology 

Course materials & costs

All recommended texts and computer software packages are available from the University Library and our portal, Pegasus.

Students should purchase a standard calculator. It's required for the duration of the course.

Available scholarships

Take a look at our scholarships search for funding opportunities.

Please note: All fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year. Find out more about fees.

How can I fund my studies?

Dean's International Excellence Award 2023/24

This scholarship offers full-time international students s £3,500 per year for the duration of their undergraduate degree. 
Find out how to apply
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Students from Scotland

Fees for students who meet the relevant residence requirements in Scotland, you may be able to apply to the Student Award Agency Scotland (SAAS) to have your tuition fees paid by the Scottish government. Scottish students may also be eligible for a bursary and loan to help cover living costs while at University.

For more information on funding your studies have a look at our University Funding page.

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Students from England, Wales & Northern Ireland

We have a generous package of bursaries on offer for students from England, Northern Ireland and Wales:

You don’t need to make a separate application for these. When your place is confirmed at Strathclyde, we’ll assess your eligibility. Have a look at our scholarship search for any more funding opportunities.

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International Students

We have a number of scholarships available to international students. Take a look at our scholarship search to find out more.

Glasgow is Scotland's biggest & most cosmopolitan city

Our campus is based right in the very heart of Glasgow. We're in the city centre, next to the Merchant City, both of which are great locations for sightseeing, shopping and socialising alongside your studies.

Life in Glasgow

Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square.

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Careers

Strathclyde French graduates are currently working in a wide variety of environments around the world. Job titles include:

  • journalists
  • entrepreneurs
  • lawyers
  • engineers
  • education professionals
  • business executives
  • professional linguists
  • researchers
  • IT experts
  • civil servants

All language graduates have a range of transferable skills, which are greatly valued by employers. These include advanced spoken and written ability, competence in interpreting and/or translating and a high-level ability in other important communication skills.

As a Psychology graduate, continuing your studies will help you become a professional psychologist, which can lead to working in areas such as clinical, educational or occupational psychology. Many graduates also work in research.

Other possible careers are teaching, human resource management, social work, counselling and management and professional positions throughout the private and public sectors.

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Apply

Please note that you only need to apply once for our BA degree programme.

For instance, if you have applied for BA Honours English and are considering your options for a Joint Honours degree, e.g. a BA Joint Honours in English and French you only need to apply for one or the other on UCAS.

If accepted on to the BA programme, you can study one of the many available subject combinations.

Start date: Sep 2023

French & Psychology (1 year entry)

full-time
Start date: Sep 2023

UCAS Applications

Apply through UCAS if you are a UK applicant. International applicants may apply through UCAS if they are applying to more than one UK University.

Apply now

Direct Applications

Our Direct applications service is for international applicants who wish to apply to Strathclyde University at this time.

Apply now
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Contact us

Prospective student enquiries

Telephone: +44 (0) 141 444 8600