Welsh and History BA (Hons)

Cardiff University

By combining Welsh and History, you will gain a wealth of transferable skills and knowledge, opening the doors to a variety of career paths. The time spent on each subject is shared, allowing you to study the Welsh language, its literature and culture, while exploring and understanding key moments in history.

Given the Welsh Government's target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050, there has never been a greater demand for graduates who have these attributes. Graduates in Welsh have a unique opportunity to follow an interesting and varied career through which they can have a real impact on Wales' linguistic, cultural and economic future.

The degree cultivates key attributes in its graduates:

firstly, intellectual curiosity; secondly, a thorough and critical understanding (academically and practically) of the Welsh language, its literature and culture; thirdly, first-rate linguistic skills, both written and oral; fourthly, a lively and critical understanding of the past and how it connects to the present and finally, creative, critical and employability skills that are of crucial importance in an increasingly competitive jobs market.

The modules in the School of Welsh enable you to develop key academic and professional skills. Students are able to develop their interests in a range of topics such as literature through the ages; linguistics, language planning and language acquisition; heritage and tourism; and active writing. There is a strong interdisciplinary aspect to the provision: you can choose modules that consider the Welsh language, its literature and culture in a range of historical and contemporary contexts.

The modules in History develop your knowledge and critical understanding of the political, social, economic, and cultural structures of past societies. Our expertise reaches an extraordinary breadth of societies, periods and places, spanning the British Isles, Europe (east and west), Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Our modules give you the opportunity to study both well-established areas, such as political, social, cultural and gender history, or explore areas that might be new to you, such as environmental history or digital history. Through these modules, you are able to cultivate intellectual skills such as the ability to assess evidence critically, to evaluate different interpretations of the evidence, to construct arguments on the basis of evidence, and to express opinions cogently in speech and in writing.

We pride ourselves on nurturing a friendly, personalized and supportive environment, placing a strong emphasis on individual one-to-one meetings at key points throughout the degree. Bringing a wealth of expertise across different themes, periods and geographies, your lecturers will share the latest thinking in the classroom, including their own cutting-edge research.

Distinctive Features of the Program

Tailored to you

Develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the topics and themes which interest you, whilst placing this knowledge into the bigger picture.

Welsh in practice

Build your confidence and practical skills using Welsh in a professional setting on placement.

Global Relevance

Take modules with a wide global coverage and chronological depth which speak to world issues from social inequality and community belonging to the environment and inclusion.

A thriving community

Make connections through the Welsh Students' Union, Welsh-language halls and the new Welsh-language Academy.

Learn from experts

Benefit from the teaching and support of research-active staff and gain practical research skills that will benefit you throughout your career.

Industrial experience

Develop your employability and enterprise skills and gain work experience as part of your degree to gain skills relevant to both the academic world and the workplace.