Welsh/Cymraeg

BA Q560 (first and second language)
BA Q522 - 4 years

Studying Welsh at Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth is a vital centre of Welsh culture. Many of the people of the town, and of the county of Ceredigion, are first-language or home-language speakers of Welsh. The National Library of Wales is here, as are the offices of the Welsh Assembly Government, The University's Department of Welsh is one of the UK's leading centres for the study not only of Welsh language and culture, but also of the other Celtic languages and cultures. Our Department of History and Welsh History specialises, (amongst many other aspects of History) in Wales's past, whilst our Department of International Politics has long specialised in the politics of Wales and its relation to the rest of Britain and the rest of Europe.

The University has a designated Hall of Residence where Welsh is the first language; and in addition to the work of the Department of Welsh, the University's Department of Education and Lifelong Learning is one of the area's principal providers of courses in Welsh as a second language. The University has a thoroughgoing policy of support for Welsh, with all its official documents, signage and other literature produced bilingually. To study Welsh here is to become part of the community of a living tradition.

If you are a Welsh speaker, or have an A level equivalent in Welsh, you will probably consider BA Q560. If you are a Welsh beginner, you should consider BA Q522, below

BA Welsh (Q522)

This four-year course is intended mainly for those with no previous knowledge of Welsh. It is aimed at giving you a command of the main elements of spoken Welsh, with some reference to literary history and literary forms.

Year 1

In your first year you spend half your time on beginners' Welsh modules. You can then choose modules from a wide range of other departments to make up the 60 credits required. During the summer you will follow an intensive Welsh language course.

Year 2

In your second year you will be ready to join the second language stream and follow the same modules as the second language students who are in the first year of the BA Cymraeg scheme (Q560).

Years 3+4

After passing your second year, you will take two more years to complete your degree. You will by now have built your competence and confidence in Welsh to the point where you can take advantage of the fascinating range of modules in Welsh language and culture which are delivered through the medium of Welsh; so that on graduation you will have a broadly based qualification in Welsh language and culture, tighter with many of the vital transferable skills of research, analysis and communication so much in demand from employers.

It is also in Years 3+4 that you may be able to combine your studies in Welsh with the study of another subject. Click here to see the available combinations.

Career Opportunities related to your degree in Welsh

A degree in Welsh also opens up a very important range of career opportunities, both in Ceredigion and in the rest of Wales. Graduates of Aberystwyth so frequently fall in love with the place that many of them decide that they would like to make their future here: and to have a working knowledge of Welsh will give you a vital edge in the local employment market. With the arrival of the Welsh Assembly's offices, new opportunities are opening up; whilst the fields of Education, Health and Social Services - large and vital sectors of the local economy - have a continuing need for workers who can communicate in both spoken and written Welsh.