Whether you have A Level French or are just a beginner, you can study International Relations and French at Aston. Aston's language degrees offer an up-to-date approach to becoming a highly competent French speaker and a cultural expert on contemporary French-speaking countries.

Crucially, Aston languages degrees aim to prepare you for working life in the 21st century at a time when the world of employment is being revolutionised by artificial intelligence and automation. In this context, they focus closely on helping you develop excellent intercultural understanding, the power of persuasion, empathy, and skills for deep-listening, problem solving and cross-systems thinking. They also offer a series of modules focused on routes into employment, not only in the language industries but right across professional life.

In the final stage of our language degrees it is possible for students to take a series of modules that lead to an additional ‘Translation Studies’ exit award. By acquiring intercultural communication competencies, technological skills and negotiation skills in multicultural contexts, our graduates become equipped for successful careers in the growing international language industries.

The value of a language degree is all the greater when combined with a discipline like international relations. Aston’s International Relations and French degree course offers something quite different. The course takes an applied approach to the teaching of international relations and French through the integrated placement year and professionally relevant modules, focusing on topics of contemporary social and political interest.

You’ll gain a sound knowledge of domestic and international politics and understanding of the nature of global, European and domestic political institutions, which, when combined with the year abroad component of this degree programme, will set you on a strong career path.

Our languages courses have a practical focus, with an emphasis on language as a means of communication and mutual understanding. At Aston, you will acquire near-native linguistic skills and the deep understanding of social, cultural and political realities that marks Aston’s students out.

You will spend a year abroad on a professional or study placement and return equipped with the experience, resilience and emotional intelligence to succeed in the world of work.

Our international relations and modern languages graduates are in demand from a wide range of employers, with former Aston students now working at companies such as Bloomberg LP, Deutsche Bank and Apple, as well as for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and in schools, colleges and universities across the UK and overseas.

Recent graduates have gone on to work in roles including Analyst, EFL Teacher, International Sales Coordinator, HR Coordinator, Languages Teacher, Operations Support Analyst, Senior Project Manager and Translator.