Degrees Offered

• BA Single Honours Spanish (4 years) (UCAS Code: R410)
• BA Joint Honours English and Spanish (UCAS Code: QR34)
• BA Joint Honours French and Spanish (UCAS Code: RR14)
• BA Joint Honours History and Spanish (UCAS Code RV41)
• BA Joint Honours International Studies and Spanish (UCAS Code: LRF4)
• BA Joint Honours Irish and Spanish (UCAS Code: QR54)
• BA Joint Honours Social Anthropology and Spanish (UCAS Code: LR64)

Contact Information

For entrance requirements
E: admissions@qub.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)28 9097 3838

For course information
Spanish and Portuguese Studies
School of Modern Languages
T: + 44 (0)28 9097 5362
E: spanish@qub.ac.uk
W: http://www.qub.ac.uk/ml

Entrance Requirements

BA degrees

Post A-level

• A-level: BBB or BBC + B (AS-level) including A-level Spanish.
  
  
• Irish Leaving Certificate: B2B2B2B2CC/B2B2B2B2B2 including Higher Level grade B2 in Spanish.

Beginner Level

• A-level: BBB or BBC + B (AS-level) + evidence of linguistic ability.
  
  
• Irish Leaving Certificate: B2B2B2B2CC/B2B2B2B2B2 + evidence of linguistic ability.

Note: if the language is studied at a higher level then the grade indicated at that level will be required.

BA Joint, BSc and LLB Requirements
For BA Joint Honours the requirements are stated separately under each programme. For other degrees please refer to their Course Finder entry.

For students whose first language is not English
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. Further information on other acceptable English Language qualifications is available here

If you are an international student and you do not meet the English Language requirements, you should consider a preparation course at INTO Queen's University Belfast, which will develop the language skills you need to progress. INTO Queen's University Belfast is based on the University campus and offers a range of courses. For a full list click here

The Subject

Spanish is one of the world's most widely spoken languages, spanning every continent across the globe. It is a vibrant and growing subject of interest and as such it is a major vehicle for international commerce and trade, as well as the doorway into a variety of rich and fascinating cultures. Degrees on offer analyse a wide variety of literary, historical, social, cultural and linguistic aspects of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries across the globe (please see our website for details).

Course Content

All students follow modules in the Spanish language which are of a broadly communicative nature, focusing on contemporary social and cultural issues and drawing on authentic materials. The degree programme takes four years to complete (this includes the study abroad year).

Level 1
Advanced and AS-level students will take a Language for Special Purposes strand, which will enable them to develop competence in important employment-related skills. Beginner students will undertake an intensive course, specifically designed to bring them to A-level standard within a year. Students will take contextual modules introducing them to key concepts and historical moments of Iberian and Latin American culture, literature and society.

Levels 2 and 3
Levels 2 and 3 provide the opportunity to build upon the linguistic skills and cultural awareness developed in Level 1. In both years, students take a compulsory core module, comprising advanced language study and a choice of cursillo, or 'mini-modules'. The cursillos centre on intensive language study for ex-beginners (in Level 2), language for professional purposes (Legal Spanish, Business Spanish), Portuguese language or a variety of historical, cultural, linguistic and literary topics.

Subjects on offer include: The Mexico-US Border, Translation, The Mexican Periodical Press, Maria Victoria Atencia's Legends of the Self, Larra and Remedios Varo. Depending on their pathway, students can then choose from the range of optional modules which include:

Avant-Garde Explorations
Encuentros Maravillosos: Exploration and Survival in Latin America
Failed Romances of Latin America
Reading the Book of Nature
Representations of the Mexican Revolution in Literature, Art and Film
Rewriting Love in the Renaissance
Spanish Memoirs and Autobiographies of the 20th Century
The Spanish Enlightenment
Theory and Practice of Literary Translation
Through a Child's Eyes: Post-Civil War Narratives by Women
Towards a Portuguese Post-colonialism
World as Stage

Click here for more information on modules

Learning and Teaching

At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential.

On the English and Spanish degree programme we do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners.   Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:

• Lectures: introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading.  Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers).
• E-Learning technologies:   Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online.  A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example: computer-based grammar learning packages in the Language Centre; interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space; IT and statistics modules; podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities; opportunities to use IT programmes associated with design in practicals and project- based work etc.
• Seminars/tutorials:  Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students).  These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of peers.  You should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups.
• Language classes:  Almost all of the teaching in Modern Languages is carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students) in Spanish.  Written language classes meet for two hours each week, and involve intensive work on developing linguistic competence, vocabulary, idiom, knowledge of grammar, comprehension and translation skills, essay-writing skills etc. Students should expect to prepare work in advance of each of these classes, where they will receive regular written and oral feedback on their work.

• Oral classes:  where you will have opportunities to develop oral skills and apply grammar and vocabulary in real-life, practical contexts and through the study of topics related to contemporary Spain and Latin America. All these classes are taught in very small groups (typically 6-12 students) and are facilitated by native speakers.

• Year Abroad:  This is a significant learning and employability enhancement opportunity during which you can study at university, work as an English-Language Teacher, or undertake a paid work placement in a Spanish-speaking country. This feature of our degree programme gives students the opportunity for personal and professional development, further develops communication and language skills, and the experience of living abroad is important for developing intercultural awareness.
• Self-directed study: This is an essential part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
• Supervised projects:  In final year, you may choose a Dissertation module from the English curriculum which requires you to carry out a significant piece of research on a topic that you have chosen.  You will receive support from a supervisor in English who will guide you in terms of how to carry out your research and will provide feedback to you on at least 2 occasions during the write up stage.
• Personal Tutor:  Undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor during Level 1 and 2 who meets with them on several occasions during the year to support their academic development.

Assessment and Feedback

Assessment:  The way in which you are assessed will vary according to the Learning objectives of each module.  Some modules are assessed solely through project work or written assignments.  Others are assessed through a combination of coursework and end of semester examinations. There are also oral examinations which enable students to demonstrate their ability to analyse and present material in Spanish and pursue high-level discussion in the target language.  Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction.

Feedback (general):  As you progress through your course you will receive general and specific feedback about your work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and your peers.  As a university student, you will be expected to take a greater role in reflecting on this and taking the initiative in continuously improving the quality of your work.  Feedback may be provided to you in a variety of forms including:

• Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted. 
• Face to face comment.  This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.
• Placement employer comments or references.
• Online or emailed comment.
• General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid.  In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time. 
• Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.

Once you have reviewed your feedback, you are encouragedto identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work. 

Careers

Studying for an English and Spanish degree at Queen’s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates from this degree have the proven ability to analyse subjects in depth and develop coherent arguments in written and verbal form, as well as linguistic fluency and experience of living and working abroad, all of which are highly sought after skills in a global job market.

In a context where over half of all graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline, we have found that employers of all kinds wish to employ English and Spanish graduates. Although many of our graduates are interested in pursuing careers in teaching, business, the civil service, translating/interpreting or advertising, significant numbers develop careers in a wide range of other sectors. 

The following is a list of the major career sectors (and some starting salaries) that have attracted our graduates in recent years:

?         Advertising

?         Librarianship

?         Voluntary sector/charities £15,000-£18,000

?         Public Relations £20,000

?         Banking £28 000

?         Export Marketing £15 000-£25 000   

?         Publishing, Media and Performing Arts £16,000-£25,000

?         Teaching £21,500

?         Fast Stream Civil Service £25,000

?         Translation / Interpreting £18,000-£26,000

?         Varied graduate programmes (Times Top 100 Graduate Recruiters/AGR, Association of Graduate Recruiters UK)

Employer Links

Consultations

We regularly consult and develop links with a large number of employers including, for example, BBC Northern Ireland who provide sponsorship for the course in Broadcast Literacy (currently offered at postgraduate level but soon to be offered at undergraduate level also). In Spanish, Santander and the British Council provide sponsorship for our year abroad placements. 

Graduate Careers and Achievements

Many of our former graduates have risen to the top of their fields and include many famous figures; for example:

English

• Seamus Heaney, Nobel prize-winning poet;
• Paul Muldoon, academic and poet;
• Stephen Rea, actor;
• Helen Madden, writer and actor;
• Annie Kelly, journalist and writer;
• Annie Mac, radio presenter.

Spanish

• Hilary Oliver, Managing Director, Cameo Productions
• Carla Leonard, Business Performance Manager, Barclays
• Nuala McKeever, Comedian
• Niall Donnelly, Reporter, UTV

The Prospects websiteprovides further information regarding the types of jobs that attract English and Spanish graduates. Students can also choose from a wide range of Masters programmes as well as a comprehensive list of research topics. For opportunities in English and French, see relevant pages within the Englishand Modern LanguagesSchool websites.

Other Career-related information: Queen’s is a member of the Russell Group and, therefore, one of the 20 universities most-targeted by leading graduate employers.  Queen’s students will be advised and guided about career choice and, through the Degree Plusinitiative, will have an opportunity to seek accreditation for skills development and experience gained through the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer.  See Queen’s University Belfast fullEmployability Statementfor further information.

Degree Plus and other related initiatives:  Recognising student diversity, as well as promoting employability enhancements and other interests, is part of the developmental experience at Queen’s.  Students are encouraged to plan and build their own, personal skill and experiential profile through a range of activities including; recognised Queen’s Certificates, placements and other work experiences (at home or overseas), Erasmus study options elsewhere in Europe, learning development opportunities and involvement in wider university life through activities, such as clubs, societies, and sports. 

Queen’s actively encourages this type of activity by offering students an additional qualification, the Degree Plus Award (and the related Researcher Plus Award for PhD and MPhil students).  Degree Plus accredits wider experiential and skill development gained through extra-curricular activities that promote the enhancement of academic, career management, personal and employability skills in a variety of contexts.  As part of the Award, students are also trained on how to reflect on the experience(s) and make the link between academic achievement, extracurricular activities, transferable skills and graduate employment. Participating students will also be trained in how to reflect on their skills and experiences and can gain an understanding of how to articulate the significance of these to others, e.g. employers.

Overall, these initiatives, and Degree Plus in particular, reward the energy, drive, determination and enthusiasm shown by students engaging in activities over-and-above the requirements of their academic studies.  These qualities are amongst those valued highly by graduate employers.

Special Features

Study Abroad: all students taking Spanish as part of their Honours degree are required to spend a period of time in a Spanish-speaking country, normally an academic year. This highlights the potential for working abroad after successful completion of their degree. Joint Honours students with another language spend an academic year in the country of their choice followed by a vacation period in the second language country.

Support: students run a lively Spanish Society, and staff offer support through a personal tutoring system, skills development programme, and a structured feedback framework, aimed at helping students integrate into university life.