European Studies

Degree Programme Structure & Content

Courses are available from first to fourth year. European Studies is an Honours Degree.

First Year
In the first year, students follow courses in Comparative European Politics, European History and Integration and in one or two languages chosen from French, Gaelic, German and Spanish.

Second Year
All students continue with one or two language courses, and History of Integration and Politics courses. Additionally, some courses from a wide range of choices will be taken.

Third & Fourth Year (Honours)
The third year is spent abroad: one semester in the country of one of the selected languages, another semester in that of the other language; students who take only one language or who have decided that they wish to take only one language in fourth year spend a full year in the country of that language. While abroad, students will normally attend approved university courses, and may also be able to spend a semester in a European institution. In their final year, students may opt for both, or only one, of their two languages, take a compulsory course (the dissertation, a long essay on a subject chosen during the year abroad), and have a wide choice of further options.

Teaching & Assessment

Teaching is generally in small groups (seminars/tutorials), especially for language classes. Assessment is by a mixture of continuous assessment and oral and written examination.