Politics with French

Politics with French offers a combination that is genuinely useful in a world where political processes are increasingly international and where linguistic competence opens doors that purely English-language education closes. Politics examines how societies organise power, make collective decisions, and manage conflicts of interest and value. French connects you to a major European language and to political traditions, intellectual histories, and contemporary debates that are distinct from but deeply intertwined with British and international political life.

France is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, one of the EU's most powerful members, and a significant force in Francophone Africa: French is a working language across a range of international organisations and political contexts.

At the University of Dundee, this four-year programme includes a year abroad, which is central to the language element of the degree. Spending time in a French-speaking environment is the best way to develop genuine fluency, and the year abroad also gives you the opportunity to experience political culture and everyday life in France or another Francophone country from the inside. Throughout the programme, you will study political theory, comparative politics, international relations, and contemporary political issues, developing the analytical skills to evaluate institutions, policies, and arguments critically.

The French element takes you from wherever you start, whether beginners or advanced, to a level of fluency that allows you to engage with political texts and contexts in French as well as English.

Dundee is a relatively small, teaching-focused university with strong student support, and the politics department has particular interests in Scottish politics, international relations, and political theory.

Graduates work in the civil service, international organisations, journalism, law, diplomacy, and politics, as well as in business roles where French and political understanding are valued. Postgraduate study in politics, international relations, European studies, or French area studies is a natural progression.