One of the most attractive characteristics of this four-year programme is its flexibility.
In Years 1 and 2 your pre-honours years you will choose option courses from a wide range of disciplines in addition to your core subjects of French and Portuguese.
As well as broadening your education and skill set this may enable you to change the focus of your programme in Years 3 and 4 your honours years.
Year 1
You will study French and Portuguese developing your spoken and written skills in both languages.
You will also study aspects of literature and culture.
French
If you have a limited knowledge of French you will take French 1A an intensive language course that also introduces you to French culture.
If you have studied French beyond National 5 (SQA) or GCSE level you will typically take French 1B. As well as developing your written and spoken language skills this course focuses on modern French literature culture and civilisation covering the period from the Second World War to the 21st century.
Portuguese
You will study Portuguese 1 which caters for both beginners and more advanced students.
You will also be introduced to Portuguese-speaking literature through a selection of short stories from Mozambique Angola Brazil and Portugal.
Option courses
You will complete your Year 1 studies with option courses chosen from a wide range offered by the University of Edinburgh.
Options include but are not limited to courses in:
linguistics and language sciences
business economics and informatics
politics social policy and social anthropology
art and architectural history
history classics and archaeology
Celtic and Scottish ethnology
philosophy divinity and law
Year 2
French
You will develop your written and spoken language skills in readiness for your year abroad in Year 3.
You will also build on your knowledge of French and Francophone culture. In these courses the focus now shifts to exploring the 16th to 19th centuries.
You will study work by authors such as Molière Montaigne and Baudelaire alongside texts that have been considered marginal to French culture for reasons of gender or colonial politics.
Portuguese
You will continue to develop your spoken and written language skills with Portuguese Language 2.
You will also study the cultures and the societies of the Portuguese-speaking world through literature film and the arts.
Option courses
As in Year 1 you will also choose other courses from a wide range offered by the University.
These include a great selection in European languages and cultures allowing you to study literature film and theatre in themed and comparative contexts.
You can opt to study Catalan or different aspects of linguistics. You will also have the chance to study French politics.
Year 3
If international travel restrictions allow you will spend Year 3 abroad dividing your 30 weeks between a country in which French is spoken and one in which Portuguese is spoken.
You will spend at least eight weeks in each country either studying or completing a work/teaching placement.
Whether studying or working our graduates have told us how much the year abroad has benefited their broader life experience and skills as well as their understanding of Francophone and Lusophone languages and cultures.
During your year abroad we will aim to ensure your experience is as beneficial as possible to your final year as well as to your wider language learning cultural awareness and skills development. For example you will take e-learning courses which will count as part of your Year 3 mark and prepare you for your Year 4 language courses.
If international travel is not possible you will be offered an alternative means of engaging with your subjects enabling you to meet your learning outcomes and preparing you for your final year.
Year 4
You will develop advanced language skills in French and Portuguese.
You will also choose from a wide range of specialist honours-level courses taught by research-active experts.
These courses cover topics such as Francophone and Lusophone:
film
literature
history
politics
You will complete your dissertation or long essay in your choice of French or Portuguese.
Show less