Course overview

Terrorism, democracy, international security, border war, ecological disaster, globalisation, worldwide credit crunch – how about not just understanding the language of international relations, but being able to express it in another foreign language? International Relations and/with Languages will allow you to do just that, enabling you not only to acquire an in-depth knowledge of why the world is the way it is today and how national and transnational economic and political forces shape our lives, but also to negotiate your way around it.

A major advantage of studying International Relations and Languages at Portsmouth is the close link between the course and cutting-edge research carried out at the University’s internationally-recognised Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR). This is the largest centre of its kind in the UK and many of your lecturers are members, meaning you will only be taught the most up-to-date, innovative and original material. Portsmouth is highly regarded for its language teaching and state-of-the-art language learning facilities, ranking second in the UK for European Languages and Area Studies in the latest National Student Survey. And of course, Portsmouth’s excellent location on the south coast means you are only a short trip away from exploring other European languages and cultures.

The degree offers the possibility of studying the history and politics of European nations and their political systems, and the wider context of world politics. You will study the recent history of the international political system, focusing on the Cold War and beyond. It examines the nature of foreign policy and war since 1945 and the transformation of the international political system since the fall of the Iron Curtain. The question of whether the events of September 11th 2001 have changed the world forever is considered in terms of the changing nature of terrorism. Changes in the world economic order since the Second World War are also discussed.

In particular, the degree considers those issues that transcend national boundaries - the global environment, international debt and world poverty - and assesses whether international institutions and forces are of greater significance than individual nation-states. You can choose your foreign language from French, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin or English as a Foreign Language. By studying two complementary subjects in depth you will be able to keep your career options open - just think how useful it will be to show prospective employers that you have studied two subjects at Honours degree level.

View these videos to give you an idea of what you can expect on your period abroad.

Placements

This course allows you to take the Learning From Experience (LiFE) option, which lets you earn credits toward your degree for work / research placements, volunteer roles or internships undertaken alongside your studies.  The option gives you the opportunity to enhance your employability skills, to reflect on the ways in which you've done so, and to learn to express this to potential employers.

One of the UK's top universities for Languages and European Studies

In 2011's National Student Survey results for European Languages and Area Studies, Portsmouth came joint top nationally. Students’ responses show that they particularly appreciate staff availability and the pastoral support provided by staff in the School of Languages and Area Studies.

For further details on all language courses offered, visit the website of the School of Languages and Area Studies (SLAS). If you are interested in this course and would like further information please contact us (details below). You can also view a virtual tour of the School.

Course content

The International Relations and/with Languages degree programmes at Portsmouth provide a first class opportunity to develop your foreign language proficiency and at the same time enable you to understand some of the fundamental changes that are taking place in the international political system. You can choose your foreign language from French, German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin or English as a Foreign Language. The course is available as either a three-year course ('with language') or a four-year course ('and language') - the latter including a year working or studying abroad.

Both programmes offer the possibility of studying the history and politics of European nations and their political systems, and the wider context of world politics. You will study the recent history of the international political system, focusing on the Cold War and beyond. The degrees examine the nature of foreign policy and war since 1945 and the transformation of the international political system since the fall of the iron curtain.

The question of whether the events of September 11th 2001 have changed the world for ever is considered in terms of the changing nature of terrorism. Changes in the world economic order since the Second World War are also discussed. In particular, the degree considers those issues that transcend national boundaries - the global environment, international debt and world poverty - and assesses whether international institutions and forces are of greater significance than individual nation-states.

Year one provides the essential skills to study international relations and the chosen foreign language.

Year two develops the core subjects of international relations and the study of the politics and/or contemporary history of their language area. The remaining programme in year two is constructed from a wide range of optional units, which include the contemporary politics of major European countries, Latin America, Russia and the US. Students also take a compulsory unit in Career and Research Management in Year two to prepare them for the writing and submission of the dissertation in the final year.

Study abroad: Students on the four-year course have the opportunity to live and work or study in a foreign environment as the third year of the programme is spent in a country where their language of study is spoken. Normally students will pursue a course of study at one of our partner universities in the host country. We have well-established links with universities in France, Germany, Spain, West Africa and Latin America. Alternatively, with the University's approval, students may arrange work placements abroad.

The final year provides opportunities for specialist study through the dissertation. In addition to core units in language and international relations, students may choose from optional units on the politics of Latin America, West Africa, North Africa, Middle East and the European Union.

Students on the three-year programme who do not go abroad may decide not to continue with the study of the language in the final year.

If you are taking English as a Foreign Language, course units available in area studies include British Institutions, British Government Policies and British & Comparative Institutions.

Year one

• EITHER General Language (Grade 1 & 2)
  OR General Language (Grade 3) & Language Project Grade 3
• Introduction to International Relations: States, Conflict & Cooperation
• Introduction to Political Thought
• Studying At University
• Global Issues

Year two

• EITHER General Language (Grade 3 & 4)
  OR General Language (Grade 4) & Language for Professional Communication 1
• International Politics
• Options including:
  • International Relations Theory
  • Global Environmental Issues and Concerns
  • Democratisation in Latin America
  • US Foreign Policy: Ideals and Self Interest
  • International Politics of the Middle East
  • Conflict and Disaster
  • Foundations of the European Union
  • Governing the EU
  • France from the Colonial Exhibition to Liberation 1931 - 1945
  • International Community Development
  • France, 1945 - 1995: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity?
  • Politics in Post-War Germany 1949-1990
  • German Unity and its Consequences
  • Russian and Eurasian Politics
  • Twentieth/Twenty-First Century Chinese History, Politics & Society
  • Colonialism and the End of Empire: France & West Africa
  • Colonialism and the End of Empire: France & Algeria

Year three

• Study / work placement abroad

Final year

• Dissertation
• General Language Grade 6
• Language for Professional Communication 2
• Global Political Economy
• One options from:
  • Democracy and Democratisation
  • Strategic and Security Studies

Three-year programmes

Languages combined honours programmes recruit as 4 year programmes, with the third year spent abroad in a country where the target language is spoken. Students who cannot undertake the Year Abroad because of changes in personal circumstances transfer to a 3 year variant and drop the language at the end of the second year. Their degree will be 'with Languages'.

Teaching and assessment

We provide a varied, creative and stimulating learning environment. Our aim is to enable you to become an independent thinker equipped with skills that will continue to influence your experiences beyond your time at university.

Our staff are highly motivated and research active, ensuring that you are taught by enthusiastic specialists in their subjects. Many language teachers are native speakers. They will enthuse you about their specific fields of expertise, from Latin American Development to German History to Applied Translation Theory, provide advice and guide you to appropriate learning resources.

Blended learning means that through Moodle, your University interactive Intranet site, you will be given opportunities to develop and support your knowledge and skills acquired via traditional class contact. Classes include general lectures and seminars (i.e. interactive teaching with small groups of students). Most of our seminar teaching is undertaken in small groups so that students acquire skills and confidence in their analytical skills and are encouraged to ask questions and develop arguments and debates. Students are encouraged to work in small teams analysing primary documents and debating contemporary issues so that all students learn from a range of opinions and interpretations and increase their academic abilities in a genial environment. Emphasis is placed not just on what the student can take from the seminar but what they can bring to the experience and how they interact and learn from their peers.

Classes may also take the form of hands-on skills development sessions where you learn how to access electronic resources. Language is taught using the MELISSI multimedia digital classrooms (they are much more than 'language laboratories') or via small oral practice classes with Language Assistants.

Our assessment methods are varied, with relatively few formal examinations. The emphasis is on continuous assessment, with assessments designed to measure the learning outcomes of your various units. Most assessment is done through submission of essays, reports, case studies, book reviews or other pieces of written work. Some units are assessed by means of projects, which can be particularly useful to build up your career profile. Some language-based tests are oral presentations to measure your progress in oral communication.

Career prospects

Your time at University of Portsmouth will help you to develop a wide range of skills in analysis, criticism and argument. Students on our degree programmes often have a worldview and study experience abroad, which makes them flexible and adaptable and highly employable. During your course, you will have the opportunity to develop a range of capabilities that are valued by prospective employers. You will have many opportunities to develop transferable key skills such as:

• communication
• research
• time management
• team working
• problem solving

These transferable skills are used in many careers across the private, public and voluntary sectors. Allied with intellectual and academic development, they will provide a sound preparation for the world of work or further study.

The BA (Hons) International Relations and Languages programme aims to prepare you for a wide range of employment at home and abroad. The course is structured to develop a range of skills and competencies throughout the degree programme and you will thereby gain the analytical and practical skills sought by employers. These include language skills, good communication skills in written and oral forms and transferable key skills such as setting and monitoring your own learning objectives. An interdisciplinary approach to study is fostered throughout the course.

Year abroad

Students who choose to study at one of our partner universities within the EU will do so as part of the EU Erasmus ‘student mobility’ programme. This means that you will not have to pay fees (they are waived) and that you will receive a grant from the EU (covering living costs). In addition you will benefit from an intensive language course at the beginning of your stay, which is in many cases provided free of charge as part of the Erasmus programme.

The period spent abroad enhances students’ intercultural awareness, which is a quality increasingly appreciated by employers in a globalised economy.

Career paths

Students at Portsmouth who took a degree in European Studies and International Relations have gone on to work in global business and banking, work for the European Commission, the EU and other international organisations, work in teaching and do postgraduate study. As European expansion and integration progresses, and the world becomes increasingly a global village, the possibilities for employment in transnational organisations and commercial companies will keep on growing.

Facilities and features

The School is located in Park Building, just behind the Guildhall in the centre of the city. Park Building houses two large, modern, high-tech lecture theatres, a number of smaller but equally high-tech lecture theatres, four computer suites, multimedia digital classrooms and editing suites. The Learning Resource Centre provides facilities for independent study, including listening booths, video/DVD/CD players and satellite TV monitors.

You will also have access to the University Library. Open from 8am until midnight every day during term-time, it provides an abundance of information to help with study and research. It has also invested heavily in the purchase of electronic resources. There are thousands of electronic journals and ebooks, which can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.

Entry requirements

View all the entry requirements for BA (Hons) International Relations and Languages for the academic year 2013/14 (opens in new window).