French is a major world language, spoken in many parts of Europe, Africa and the Americas. The francophone world also has a fascinating political history, making French and Politics an excellent joint honours combination.

You will have the opportunity to acquire near-native fluency in this widely-spoken modern language through intensive language study at Edinburgh and a year abroad. You will also explore aspects of French culture, including francophone literature and cinema from around the world, social movements and philosophical ideas. Our courses cover material from the Middle Ages to the 21st century and include specialist options taught by leading experts in key disciplines, including post-colonial studies and gender studies.

Politics studies the theory and practice of how societies are governed. How do our political institutions create collective rules, who has the power to make them, and what are the consequences of political decisions? What is the nature of a just society, and how do we get there?Drawing on the expertise of leading academics and researchers in the field, you will explore the origins and present-day contexts of societal conflicts about power, participation, and resources. You will not only study the processes of governance at the local, national, and international levels, but also the morality of political action, and the limits of freedom and justice.

As a world-leading festival and capital city, Edinburgh is a fantastic place to study a global language in its cultural context and alongside politics. We are unique in Scotland in offering students a full academic year abroad within the four-year honours programme, regardless of whether you spend the year studying or working. Our programme is flexible. In Years 1 and 2, as well as studying French and Politics, you will choose option courses from a range of disciplines. You will then specialise as you progress through your honours years. When you graduate, you will have the combination of broad cultural education and specialist knowledge valued by employers worldwide.