Bachelor of Arts in English with Study Abroad

at University of Bristol - Clifton Campus United Kingdom

The MA in Comparative Literatures and Cultures gives you the opportunity to study the encounters and exchanges between literatures and cultures across Europe and beyond. We welcome graduates of all arts and humanities disciplines.

You will become acquainted with the theory and practice of comparative cultural study, and consider how concepts of national cultures cross borders and interact with ideas of the global and transnational. You will gain a thorough grounding in cultural theory, critical reading and research skills, and put this theoretical knowledge into practice by studying topics and themes that span the disciplines, national contexts and time periods taught by experts in the School of Modern Languages.

While knowledge of a foreign language is not a requirement for this program, you will have the opportunity to learn a language at a variety of levels, from beginner to advanced, and to engage with material in foreign languages throughout the MA. The program culminates in a dissertation - an extended piece of original academic research.

As a postgraduate, you will be considered a full member of the academic community, with the opportunity to participate in the many research seminars and conferences taking place within the Faculty of Arts.

Studying a combination of history of art and French offers an enriching experience with exciting intellectual challenges. It provides a valuable skill set that is ideally tailored to an increasingly globalised workplace.

French is spoken by hundreds of millions of people around the world. Alongside studying history of art, you can take a broad range of French units in language, history, literature and culture, from medieval literature to French cinema. Specialists in French will encourage you to explore the relationship between literary and visual cultures.

You will study a combination of language, art history and culture units, spending your third year abroad in a French-speaking country on a study or work placement. While abroad, you will refine your skills in your chosen language as well as your cultural understanding.

Both departments encourage strong synergy between research and teaching resulting in a vibrant learning environment for our students as staff respond in their teaching to new developments. All modern languages students have access to our state-of-the-art multimedia centre.

This joint honours degree allows you to study two complementary disciplines, both of which ask you to think carefully about texts in their wider cultural and historical contexts. This course combines the broad historical knowledge and well-developed research skills gained in a history degree with the in-depth cultural awareness and advanced linguistic skills that come from studying modern languages.

You will join two large departments with researchers in a great diversity of fields and will be encouraged to develop expertise and research skills relevant to both disciplines while also considering the relationships between them.

Your third year will be spent abroad where you will have the opportunity to explore these intersections in the distinct cultural and social context of a German-speaking country while studying or working. Those who choose to study at a university will be advised to select history-based options, and those who opt for work placements will be encouraged to seek placements in the heritage sector.

In your fourth year you have the chance to explore these intersections independently through writing a historically minded dissertation using some sources written in German.

The combined knowledge of history, language and culture will mean you are uniquely placed to foster and to lead intercultural communication across national boundaries, a skill that is increasingly sought after in a globalised economy.

This genuinely interdisciplinary program offers an innovative way of studying medieval culture and society. As a student, you will benefit from research-led teaching and skills-based training across a wide variety of disciplines, including history, literature, languages, manuscript studies, music, religion and classics.

At Bristol, you have access to one of the most active centres for medieval studies in the UK, comprising more than 30 staff members and approximately 20 postgraduate research students (MPhil/PhD) each year, who together form a lively and dynamic interdisciplinary community.

Every year, the Centre for Medieval Studies hosts a large number of research seminars, lectures and public talks. Staff who teach on the program are members of the Centre, and many have an international reputation in their respective fields.

Beyond the University, you can draw on the important archival, architectural and heritage resources of the city of Bristol – the medieval gateway to Europe – and the south-west region more widely. Through our placement and practice-led project options you have the unique opportunity to gain practical work experience with one of the University's partners in the cultural and heritage industries, training you as a professional medievalist with transferable skills for careers within and beyond academia.

The MA in Anthropology will help you to develop a nuanced and cross-cultural perspective on the challenges that humans face in our fast-changing world, with content that reflects our research strengths in adversity, adaptation and globalisation. You will put this understanding into practice through hands-on activities and work experience in Bristol’s thriving media, creative and cultural industries, as well as social enterprises. In addition to the core themes of the program – which explore inter-related real-world themes such as sustainability, technology, engagement, arts and materiality - you will receive advanced training in theory and method delivered through world-class research-led teaching.

The program will introduce you to anthropological research design and data analysis using qualitative and mixed methods, including ethnographic and visual methods; survey, interview and focus-group design; statistical analyses and hypothesis testing; and ethics. You will have the opportunity to undertake an off-campus placement with an external partner such as a media-tech company, museum, heritage organisation, NGO or local authority. You can gain first-hand experience of working in a vibrant, innovative and diverse industry while putting into practice the skills you have learned throughout the course. The program will enhance your skill set and employability by providing valuable work experience and developing a network of contacts in and beyond work placement providers.