Undergradute student studying in the George Green library, University Park. November 5th 2021.

French and International Media and Communications Studies BA

University Park Campus, Nottingham, UK

Course overview

Communication defines us as human beings.

This degree gives you a chance to think critically about media and communication in your own society, globally and in a French-specific context.

Indicative modules

Mandatory

Year 1

Questioning Culture

Optional

Year 1

French 1: Beginners

Optional

Year 1

French 1

Optional

Year 1

French Texts in Translation

Optional

Year 1

Introduction to Modern French Poetry

Optional

Year 1

Introduction to French and Francophone Studies

Optional

Year 1

France: History and Identity

Optional

Year 1

Introduction to French Literature: Landmarks in Narrative

Optional

Year 1

Contemporary France

Optional

Year 1

Introduction to French Literature: Representations of Paris

Optional

Year 1

Communication and Culture

Optional

Year 1

Communication and Technology

Optional

Year 1

Media and Society

Optional

Year 1

Cultures of Everyday Life

Mandatory

Year 2

Researching Media and Culture

Optional

Year 2

French 2

Optional

Year 2

French 2 - Beginners

Optional

Year 2

Introduction to French and Francophone Studies

Optional

Year 2

Literature and Politics in Modern France

Optional

Year 2

Huit Tableaux: Art and Politics in Nineteenth-Century France (1799-1871)

Optional

Year 2

Enlightenment Literature: An Introduction

Optional

Year 2

Contemporary Francophone Cinema and Social Issues

Optional

Year 2

Contemporary Translation Studies

Optional

Year 2

French Cinema: The New Wave

Optional

Year 2

Nineteenth Century French Narrative

Optional

Year 2

On Location: Cinematic Explorations of Contemporary France

Optional

Year 2

Introduction to Contemporary Science Fiction

Optional

Year 2

French Cinema: The New Wave

Optional

Year 2

Nineteenth Century French Narrative

Optional

Year 2

On Location: Cinematic Explorations of Contemporary France

Optional

Year 2

Introduction to Contemporary Science Fiction

Optional

Year 2

After Empire: Colonisation and its Legacies

Optional

Year 2

La France en guerre: Memoires de la Premiere Guerre Mondiale

Optional

Year 2

Varieties of French

Optional

Year 2

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Optional

Year 2

Introduction to French Literature: Landmarks in Narrative

Optional

Year 2

Understanding Cultural Industries

Optional

Year 2

Media Identities: Who We Are and How We Feel

Optional

Year 2

Political Communication, Public Relations and Propaganda

Optional

Year 2

New Media and Digital Culture

Optional

Year 2

The Sixties: Culture and Counterculture

Optional

Year 2

Black Art in a White Context: Display, Critique and The Other

Optional

Year 2

Film and Television in Social and Cultural Context

Optional

Year 2

Transnational Media

Optional

Year 2

Art and Architecture in Nottingham

Optional

Year 2

Memory, Media and Visual Culture

Optional

Year 2

Los Angeles Art and Architecture 1945-1980

Optional

Year 2

Work placement

Mandatory

Year 3

Year abroad

Mandatory

Year 4

French 3

Mandatory

Year 4

Dissertation in International Media and Communications Studies

Optional

Year 4

Communicating and Teaching Languages for Undergraduate Ambassadors

Optional

Year 4

Contemporary Representations of Travel

Optional

Year 4

French Documentary Cinema

Optional

Year 4

Subtitling and Dubbing from French into English

Optional

Year 4

Language Contact and French

Optional

Year 4

Citizenship, Ethnicity and National Identity in Post-War France

Optional

Year 4

Difficult Women

Optional

Year 4

Contemporary Francophone Cinema: The Personal and The Political

Optional

Year 4

Self, Sign and Society

Optional

Year 4

Mediating Disaster

Optional

Year 4

Global Cinema

Optional

Year 4

Working in the Cultural Industries

Optional

Year 4

Photographing America

Optional

Year 4

Teaching Film and Media Studies for Undergraduate Ambassadors

Optional

Year 4

Film and Television Genres

Optional

Year 4

Screen Encounters: Audiences and Engagement

Optional

Year 4

Auditory Cultures: Sound, Listening and Everyday Life in the Modern World

Optional

Year 4

Gender, Sexuality and Media

Optional

Year 4

Public Cultures: Protest, Participation and Power

Optional

Year 4

Media and the Ecological Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities

Optional

Year 4

Contested Bodies: Gender and Power in the Renaissance

Optional

Year 4

Performance Art

Optional

Year 4

American Magazine Culture: Journalism, Advertising and Fiction from Independence to the Internet Age

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About modules

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. This content was last updated on Thursday 3 October 2024. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.

The majority of the language teaching you will experience on this degree will be led by native speakers.

Class sizes vary depending on topic and type. A weekly lecture on a core module may have 50-60 students attending while a specialised seminar may only contain 10 students.

Teaching quality

Our staff know that learning languages can sometimes seem challenging (they've all been where you are!) and take pride in their teaching. Tutor's contributions to high quality teaching and learning are recognised through our annual Lord Dearing Awards. View the full list of recipients.

If you have worries about your work we won't wait for them to become problems. You will have a personal tutor from the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures who will review your academic progress and help find solutions to any issues.

Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Oral classes
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Workshops
  • Placements

Assessment methods

  • Dissertation
  • Commentary
  • Essay
  • In-class test
  • Oral exam
  • Portfolio (written/digital)
  • Presentation
  • Reflective review
  • Written exam

The minimum weekly scheduled contact time you will have is:

  • Year one - at least 12 hours
  • Year two - at least 10 hours
  • Year three - at least 8 hours

Weekly tutorial support and the accredited Nottingham Advantage Award provide further optional learning activities, on top of these class contact hours. Your lecturers will also be available outside your scheduled contact time to help you study and develop. This can be in-person or online.

As well as your timetabled sessions you’ll carry out extensive independent study. This will include course reading, seminar preparation, completing assignments and groupwork with fellow students. A typical 20 credit module involves three to four hours of lectures and seminars per week.

Your lecturers will be members of our academic staff in Modern Languages and Cultural, Media and Visual Studies many of whom are internationally recognised in their fields.

Class sizes vary depending on topic and type. Typically,

  • a lecture will have around 50 to 100 students
  • a weekly seminar will have 15 to 20 students

You will have developed a critical understanding of the creative and cultural industries. This will allow you to explore multiple career pathways in those sectors.

Combined with your advanced language skills you'll be well placed to work internationally.

Your skills will be those in demand by most professional organisations:

  • ability to conduct and report on in-depth research
  • think critically and communicate effectively
  • operate independently and as part of a team
  • construct reasoned arguments and be able to defend them
  • have strict attention to detail and be a confident communicator

These skills will make your career:

  • resilient - as the nature of work changes you can adapt
  • flexible - you can choose across different sectors as you develop and grow and opportunities arise

Find out more about skills gained and career destinations:

Graduate profiles

Key fact

Only 14% of employers state that specific degree subjects are a selection criterion. (Institute of Student Employers recruitment survey 2019)

Average starting salary and career progression

78.8% of undergraduates from the Faculty of Arts secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual starting salary for these graduates was £23,974.

HESA Graduate Outcomes (2017 to 2021 cohorts). The Graduate Outcomes % is calculated using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.

Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top ten in The Graduate Market in 2013-2020, High Fliers Research).

University undergraduate student Cole Pearce studying in Nightingale Hall accommodation's library, University Park. November 5th 2021.

Having another language is an incredibly helpful skill, especially when you’re working in a global organisation. 

Tobi Ruth Adebekun

BA French and International media and Communications

Course data

Open Day June 2022