Spanish and Portuguese

Course Structure

Course Content

Level 1 Students are required to take 1 core language module in each subject area, the Introduction to Lusophone Studies optional module, and Introduction to Iberian Studies or Introduction to Latin American Studies optional module in the relevant semester. Core Modules • Spanish 1 or Intermediate Spanish or Spanish for Beginners • Portuguese 1 • Introduction to Lusophone Studies Optional Modules • Introduction to Iberian Studies • Introduction to Latin American Studies Level 2 Students are required to take 1 core language module in each subject area + 2 optional modules in the relevant semesters. The Portuguese modules are specially designed for students studying Portuguese and the level has been ‘pitched’ linguistically to reflect the ab initio access point of entry. Students on this pathway are, therefore, strongly advised to take the Portuguese optional module. Core Modules • Spanish 2 • Portuguese 2 Optional Modules • Issues and Cultures of the US-Mexico borderlands • Afterlives: Rogues and Mystics of the Spanish Golden Age • Representations of Lusophone Africa in Postcolonial Cinema • Spanish Memoires and Autobiographies • The Fantastic in Latin America Year Abroad Modules • Working and Studying Abroad • International Placement Level 3 Students are required to take 1 core language module in each subject area + 2 optional modules in the relevant semesters. The Portuguese modules are specially designed for students studying Portuguese. Students on this pathway are, therefore, strongly advised to take the Portuguese optional module. Core Modules • Spanish 3 • Portuguese 3 Optional modules • Rewriting Love in the Renaissance • Brazilian digital culture: Trends and Topics • Failed Romances of Latin American Literature • Imperfect Heroines: Spanish fiction in the 19th and 20th centuries * The Spanish Enlightenment * Gender & Society in Contemporary Mexican Cinema

Contact Teaching Times

Medium Group Teaching	13 (hours maximum) hours
Personal Study	24 (hours maximum) 20-24 hours preparing and revising

• 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; interactive web-based learning activities; opportunities to use IT programmes in project- based work and for presentations etc.
• Lectures
  These 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 larger groups of approximately 40 students). Only a few of our modules are delivered in this way, e.g. Introduction to Iberian Studies.
• Oral classes
  Students will have opportunities to develop oral skills and apply grammar and vocabulary in real-life, practical contexts. All these classes are taught in very small groups (typically 6-12 students) and are facilitated by a native speaker. Students will be expected to attend 1 oral class per week as part of your core language module.
• Personal Tutor
  Students are allocated a Personal Tutor who meets with them on several occasions during the year to support their academic development. This gives students one identified contact to discuss any difficulties they might encounter and who can answer any queries they might have.
• 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.
• Seminars/tutorials
  Almost all of the teaching in Spanish and Portuguese Studies is carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students) in English, Spanish and Portuguese. These provide significant opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess your own progress and understanding with the support of peers. Students should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups. All of our language teaching and the vast majority of our other modules are delivered through small-group seminars.
• Year Abroad
  Students taking a BA in Spanish and Portuguese undertake a year abroad after Level 2. Students on this programme normally spend one semester in a Spanish-speaking country and the other in a Portuguese-speaking country. This is a significant learning and employability enhancement opportunity during which students can study in a Spanish or Portuguese University, work as an English-Language Teacher, undertake a paid work placement etc. This feature of our degree programme gives students the opportunity for personal development, gives them a job placement, further develops communication and language skills, and the challenges of living abroad come to be a unique (and unforgettable) stage in their own personal development.

• The way in which students 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 the year examinations. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction. All assessment, apart from home language assignments, year abroad portfolio, and oral exams, is marked and returned anonymously.

• Formal written comments and marks relating to work that students, as individuals or as part of a group, have submitted. The vast majority of our written feedback is provided electronically to your personal online account.
• General comments or question and answer opportunities during or at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Immediate, on-the-spot feedback from your teacher during language classes.
• Individual consultations addressing specific queries with lecturers during designated consultation hours.
• Online or emailed comment to specific queries.
• 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 students can review in their own time.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.
• Once students have reviewed their feedback, they are encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of their work.

Facilities

Queen’s has an excellent library with an outstanding range of resources in Spanish and Lusophone cultures. The Language Centre has state-of-the-art facilities for language learning, and IT provision more generally is excellent.

Entrance requirements

A level requirements Post A-level Spanish ABB including A-level Spanish. Note: for applicants who have not studied A-level Spanish then AS-level Spanish grade B would be acceptable in lieu of A-level Spanish. Beginners Spanish ABB + GCSE Spanish grade B or evidence of linguistic ability in another language. Note: the Beginners' option is not available to those who have studied A-level or AS-level Spanish.

Irish leaving certificate requirements H3H3H3H3H3H3/H2H3H3H3H3 including Higher Level grade H3 in Spanish

Access/Foundation Course Not normally considered as Access Courses would not satisfy language requirements.

Career Prospects

Introduction
Studying for a Spanish and Portuguese degree at Queen’s will assist students in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates from this degree at Queen’s are well regarded by many employers (local, national and international) and over half of all graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline.

The First Destination Survey showed that none of our language graduates were unemployed six months after graduating in 2010. A Higher Education Funding Council report for 2008 also showed that 3.5 years after graduation, languages students have the fourth highest mean salary (after graduates in Medicine, Pharmacy and Architecture).

Although the majority of our graduates are interested in pursuing careers in law, business, banking and translation, significant numbers develop careers in a wide range of other sectors. Typical careers pursued by graduates in Spanish and Portuguese can include publishing, education/teaching, translation/interpreting, PR, fast stream Civil Service, and banking.
http://www.prospects.ac.uk

Employment after the Course
Spanish graduates go on to work in a very wide range of sectors, including media and communications, advertising, journalism, tourism, teaching and translation. They are particularly in demand in careers requiring a high level of communication and presentation skills, as well as strong critical and analytical thinking.

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

Stephen Wilkinson, Relationship Director Global Financial Instutions - Americas, Barclays Corporate
Clodagh Shortt, Entrepreneur, Founder of Honey Boutique
Kaniah Cusack, Press Officer at Dáil Éireann

Professional Opportunities
We regularly consult and develop links with a large number of employers including, for example, Santander and the British Council who provide sponsorship for our year abroad placements as well as Rolls Royce, Price Waterhouse Coopers and Moy Park / MARFRIG who are members of the employer liaison panel for the course.

Placement Employers:
Our past students have also gained work placement with organisations such as the British Council Assistantships Program, Santander Bank, and Price Waterhouse Coopers.

What employers say

Additional Awards Gained(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)

Degree plus award for extra-curricular skills

In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.

Tuition Fees

Northern Ireland (NI)	£4,275
England, Scotland or Wales (GB)	£9,250
Other (non-UK) EU *	£4,275
International	£16,400

Tuition fees for 2020-21 have not been set. Those quoted above are for students commencing study in 2019-20. These will be subject to an increase for students commencing study in 2020-21.

Tuition fee rates are calculated based on a student’s tuition fee status and generally increase annually by inflation. How tuition fees are determined is set out in the Student Finance Framework.

* The tuition fees that EU students starting courses at UK universities following the agreed transition period are required to pay will depend on what is agreed as part of the UK's exit negotiations. Please refer to www.qub.ac.uk/brexit

Additional course costs

Spanish and Portuguese costs

Students have a compulsory year abroad in Year 3. Students who undertake a period of study or work abroad are responsible for funding travel, accommodation and subsistence costs. These costs vary depending on the location and duration of the placement.

Students should be aware that placement and internship modules do not normally involve payment or financial support from either Queen’s or the placement/internship provider.
Placement options include:

Erasmus Work with British Council as Teaching Assistant: Students currently receive approximately €780 net per month and an Erasmus monthly grant of approximately €300 .
Erasmus Study Placement: Students currently receive an Erasmus monthly grant of €300. Students have a compulsory year abroad in year 3 of their degree and the costs involved will depend on which type of placement the student opts for.

All Placements are split i.e. one semester in a Spanish speaking country and one in a Portuguese speaking country. Students can have one semester as a Work placement and one as a Study Placement.
A limited number of Erasmus grants are available.

How do I fund my study?

There are different tuition fee and student financial support arrangements for students from Northern Ireland, those from England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain), and those from the rest of the European Union.

Information on funding options and financial assistance for undergraduate students is available at http://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/Fees-and-scholarships/.

Scholarships

Each year, we offer a range of scholarships and prizes for new students. Information on scholarships available.

International Scholarships

Information on scholarships for international students, is available at http://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/International-scholarships/.

How and when to Apply

How to Apply
Application for admission to full-time undergraduate and sandwich courses at the University should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).  Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/apply.

When to Apply
UCAS will start processing applications for entry in autumn 2020 from 1 September 2019.

Advisory closing date: 15 January 2020 (18:00).

Late applications are, in practice, accepted by UCAS throughout the remainder of the application cycle, but you should understand that they are considered by institutions at their discretion, and there can be no guarantee that they will be given the same full level of consideration as applications received by the advisory closing date.

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as is consistent with having made a careful and considered choice of institutions and courses.

The Institution code name for Queen's is QBELF and the institution code is Q75.

Further information on applying to study at Queen's is available at: http://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/How-to-apply/

Apply via UCAS

After an offer is made this will be notified to applicants through UCAS. Confirmation will be emailed by the Admissions and Access Service and this communication will also include Terms and Conditions (www.qub.ac.uk/Study/TermsandConditions) which applicants should read carefully in advance of replying to their offer(s) on UCAS Track.

Additional Information for International (non-EU) Students

1. Applying through UCAS
   Most students make their applications through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) for full-time undergraduate degree programmes at Queen's. The UCAS application deadline for international students is 30 June 2019.
2. Applying direct
   The Direct Entry Application form is to be used by international applicants who wish to apply directly, and only, to Queen's or who have been asked to provide information in advance of submitting a formal UCAS application. Find out more.
3. Applying through agents and partners
   The University’s in-country representatives can assist you to submit a UCAS application or a direct application. Please consult the Agent List to find an agent in your country who will help you with your application to Queen’s University.

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