External summary

Beyond the intensive study of the French language, French Studies at Edinburgh allows you to explore the exciting contribution of French speakers to world culture. Some of the most striking literary texts ever written are in French, French cinema is one of the world’s richest and Paris has long been the centre of the art world. French political and philosophical ideas have played a central role in creating our modern civilisation. As a large subject area, the French Section at Edinburgh can offer undergraduates a wide range of courses spanning from the Middle Ages to the twenty-first century, including specialist options in literature, film and politics taught by leading specialists in their field.

There are high-quality resources to support French students in Edinburgh: in the most recent RAE, 55% of research in French Section was rated as 4* world-leading or 3* internationally excellent. The National Library of Scotland has one of the best French collections in Britain and the University Library holds a very extensive collection of books, journals and electronic resources. Edinburgh is home to the Institut Francais d’Ecosse which runs regular lectures, films, exhibitions and concerts related to French culture. You will also have the opportunity to join the successful French drama group Les Escogriffes, which has performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  You will spend a year working or studying in France as part of your degree. You may attend a university, work as a language assistant in a school, or gain work experience independently. The French Section has numerous exchange programmes (through Erasmus) with prestigious universities and Grandes Ecoles in France and Belgium (Paris IV Sorbonne, Paris Dauphine, Institut d’Etudes Politiques Lyon, Rennes and Grenoble, Université Libre de Bruxelles, etc.), which provide high quality courses.

Social Policy is the study of the distribution of welfare and well-being within societies and the policies which influence that distribution.  Primarily, the focus is on social and economic change, what causes it and its consequences for society.  Specifically, Social Policy considered how the organisation of services such as social security, health, education, housing, personal social services, the criminal justice system and the labour market can influence and alleviate the effects of social change.  Reflecting how policies are developed, students will learn about both the policy making process in the UK (including devolution in Scotland and elsewhere) along with the influence of international bodies such as EU and OECD.

Educational aims of programme

The MA Honours French and Social Policy degree programme at Edinburgh is designed to develop the student’s interest in, and complex knowledge and understanding of the target country or countries, including their language, history, culture and social issues.  Students will gain knowledge of the main sources of data about social welfare and a critical grasp of the main research methods used to analyse them.

Furthermore, they will develop key generic skills in critical thinking, conceptual analysis, research, and written and oral articulation of information and argument.

The programme offers society the resource of intellectually trained individuals capable of acting as conduits of knowledge and understanding between British and non-British cultures, as well as using the acquired knowledge to contribute to the wealth creation of Britain and other nations.  Graduates enter employment in many different fields, including the Civil Service, industry, commerce and education.

Programme outcomes: Knowledge and understanding

Graduates from the French and Social Policy degree will acquire knowledge and understanding of:

1. The target language (spoken and written);
2. The target literature past and present;
3. The history and culture of the target country or countries;
4. Political, social and economic issues related to the target country or countries.
5. activities and organisation of the main institutions of the UK welfare system.
6. methods of comparative analysis and an ability to apply these with reference to social policy across Europe.
7. theoretical perspectives on welfare and state and of interdisciplinary approaches to social policy issues.

Acquisition of 1 and 2 is through classes, tutorials and regular coursework.  Additional support is provided through access to the facilities for language learning in the Language and Humanities Centre and to recommended materials on the Web.  The period abroad in the 3rd year provides total immersion in the target language and culture.

Acquisition of 3-7 is through a combination of lectures/classes and tutorials in Years 1 and 2, and subsequently developed through small-group teaching in Year 4.

Throughout, students are encouraged to undertake independent readings to supplement and consolidate what is being taught/learnt and to broaden their individual knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Testing and consolidation of the knowledge base is through a combination of unseen written examinations, essays, seminar presentations, seminar performance, document commentaries, projects, seminar diaries and a dissertation.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in research and enquiry

French and Social Policy graduates will be able to:

1. retrieve, sift, select and analyse and interpret information from texts and other media in French and English;
2. analyse a text and reconstruct its arguments, to find its premises, and the inferences drawn from them;
3. distinguish relevant from irrelevant considerations in argument;
4. select and apply a variety of critical approaches to problems informed by uneven evidence;
5. exercise creativity in the formulation of important and constructive questions about social science and social policy;
6. extract key elements from complex information;
7. ask key questions and exercise rational enquiry, and will be ready to do so;
8. critically to assess existing understanding and the limitations of knowledge and recognition of the need regularly to challenge/test knowledge;
9. search for, evaluate and use information to develop knowledge and understanding;
10. identify and analyse the strengths and challenges of different social and political systems, and develop processes from promoting social progress;
11. recognise the importance of reflecting on one’s learning experiences and being aware of one’s own particular learning style;
12. work independently to plan, undertake and (in a scholarly and literate fashion) compose an extended piece of bibliographically-based research on aspects of French literature and culture and/or Social Policy.

These intellectual skills are developed through the teaching and learning programme.  Each course, whatever the format of the teaching, involves discussion of key issues, practice in applying concepts both orally and in writing, analysis and interpretation of material, and feedback sessions on work produced.

Great emphasis is placed, in the various methods of assessment used, on the student’s ability to demonstrate the above skills (1-12) through the production of cogent and coherent written and oral responses to problems and tasks set. Students also submit a dissertation in their final year, which is an ideal vehicle for demonstrating these skills, although they are constantly demonstrated also throughout their other work.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal and intellectual autonomy

Graduates in French and Social Policy will be:

1. able work independently and be self-reliant, with readiness to take responsibility for one’s own learning, and commitment to continuous reflection, self-evaluation and self-improvement;
2. open to new ideas, methods and ways of thinking;
3. intellectually curious and able to sustain intellectual interest;
4. able to identify processes and strategies for learning;
5. able to demonstrate and exercise independence of mind and creativity in thought;
6. development of teamwork skills in small-group practical teaching
7. able to test, modify and strengthen their own views through collaboration and debate
8. ability to make decisions on the basis of rigorous and independent thought.

1-8 are all fostered throughout the curriculum. Formative and summative assessment is used to develop, consolidate and evaluate these skills. 1-5 and 8 are particularly developed by the final-year Dissertation.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in communication

French and Social Policy graduates will be able to:

1. process, structure and communicate ideas effectively and at an advanced level of proficiency, both orally and in written form in both French and English;
2. communicate clearly and accurately, constructing cogent arguments;
3. participate constructively in group discussions, assessing and responding effectively to the ideas of others;
4. communicate effectively in English to inform others about aspe seek and value open feedback to inform genuine self-awareness;
5. seek and value open feedback to inform genuine self-awareness;
6. articulate their skills as identified through self-reflection.

All courses require regular written work, on which feedback is provided, so that students develop not only their understanding but also their powers of written expression, while tutorials and tutorial presentations allow development of oral expression, participation in groups and communication with others.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal effectiveness

French and Social Policy graduates will be able to:

1. work autonomously, setting their own goals, self-motivating and organising their own learning;
2. manage their time and priorities and work to self-imposed and external deadlines;
3. collaborate effectively and productively with others in the process of learning and presenting conclusions;
4. develop skills in making critical and constructive judgements;
5. respond flexibly, adaptably and proactively to changing surroundings;
6. make decisions with confidence, based on their understanding and personal/intellectual autonomy;
7. transfer knowledge, learning, skills and abilities flexibly from one context to another;
8. work effectively with others, capitalising on diversities of thinking, experience and skills;
9. work with, manage, and leading others in ways that value their diversity and equality and that encourage their contribution;
10. exercise sensitivity to ambiguity and multiplicity of meanings;
11. confidently interact with, and think about, cultural difference.
12. All skills (1-11) are acquired throughout the degree programme. Skills 3-10 are particularly acquired through interactions with fellow students, tutors and lecturers. The time spent studying abroad also contributes very significantly to 1, 2, 5, 6 and 11.

Programme outcomes: Technical/practical skills

French and Social Policy graduates will be able to:

1. read, write and speak French at a high level of proficiency;
2. translate from and into French;
3. deploy good bibliographical and library research skills, as well as a range of skills in reading and textual analysis
4. produce coherent and well presented text, sometimes of considerable length;
5. an ability to produce text to meet standard presentational specifications as laid out in a style sheet;
6. an ability to make effective presentations, perhaps using audio visual support;
7. comprehend and use data effectively

Throughout their studies, students take classes and receive instruction in French.  The period abroad further promotes active engagement with the language and native speakers of it. Both skills are assessed by class and home exercises, tests and degree examinations (including oral and aural examination). Likewise, the core research and presentational skills (3-6) are fostered throughout the degree programme and are tested in coursework and examinations, especially the final year dissertation. Skill 7 is acquired where the precise programme of study necessitates it.

Assessment:

Programme structure and features

Full details of the degree programme, structure and courses can be found at:

http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk

Courses are taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials. 

Progression Requirements: Students are normally expected to have gained 120 credits from each year of study. 

Teaching and learning methods and strategies

Teaching and Learning strategies employed at the University of Edinburgh consist of a variety of different methods appropriate to the programme aims.  The graduate attributes listed above are met through a teaching and learning framework (detailed below) which is appropriate to the level and content of the course.

Teaching and Learning Activities

In Year 1

Lectures

Tutorials

Seminars

Self-Access to the Languages Microlab

In Year 2

Lectures

Tutorials

Seminars

Self-Access to the Languages Microlab

In Year 3 (Study Abroad)

Lectures

Work Experience

Independent Study

Dissertation

Year Abroad Work

In Year 4

Seminars

Self-Access to the Languages Microlab

Assessment methods and strategies

Assessment

Courses can be assessed by a diverse range of methods and often takes the form of formative work which provided the student with on-going feedback as well as summative assessment which is submitted for assessment.

In Year 1

Language Exercises

Classwork Presentation

Written Examination

Coursework Essays

In Year 2

Language Exercises

Classwork Presentation

Written Examination

Coursework Essays

In Year 3

Extended Essays

Coursework

Dissertation

In Year 4

Language Exercises

Classwork Presentation

Written Examination

Coursework Essays

Extended Essays

Oral Examination

Career opportunities

French and Social Policy graduates from the University of Edinburgh enjoy excellent career prospects.  The communication skills you develop will equip you for a career in business, public relations, banking, journalism, the Civil Service or the legal profession.  The Social Policy element of this programme will allow you to move into policy or research within local government, voluntary organisations, or pressure groups. Language and analytical skills developed in analysing cultural and political documents can open careers in teaching and translating in the UK or abroad. Your skills will also be valued in worldwide business and administration.

Other items

• all students are assigned a Personal Tutor on admission to the degree programme, who oversees the course of the student’s degree programme, offers advice on academic matters (including degree-progression) and should be the student’s first port of call for course-related worries or concerns.
• Liaison Committees, through the election of class- and tutorial-representatives, and by the wide circulation and review of detailed student questionnaires each semester.
• LLC have a student support office, where students can go for advice on degree transfers, course changes, authorised interruption of studies, confirmation letters and general support. Information can be found at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/literatures-languages-cultures/current-students/undergraduate-support
• further information about Division of European Languages and Cultures can be found at http://www.delc.ed.ac.uk/
• further information about Social Policy can be found at: - http://www.socialpolicy.ed.ac.uk/