English and French

English and French is a combination that gives you deep engagement with two of the most significant literary and cultural traditions in the world. English literature offers access to a rich body of writing spanning centuries and genres, training close reading, critical argument, and sensitivity to the ways language creates meaning. French opens the literature, philosophy, cinema, and contemporary culture of France and the French-speaking world, a tradition that has produced some of the most influential thinkers, writers, and artists in European and global culture.

Studied together, the two traditions illuminate each other and develop a particularly broad and rigorous critical intelligence.

At the University of Strathclyde, this four-year, full-time degree develops your analytical and communicative skills across both subjects. The skills developed in an English degree, including written and verbal communication, the analysis and discussion of ideas, and broad creative thinking, are genuinely valued by employers across many sectors, and the addition of French linguistic competence and cultural knowledge adds an international dimension that further strengthens your graduate profile. You will study literature and culture in both languages, developing your written and spoken French alongside your critical engagement with texts in both traditions.

Graduates from English and French degrees work in publishing, journalism, education, translation, the civil service, international business, cultural organisations, and communications. Teaching and translation are common early-career paths, and the degree provides a strong foundation for postgraduate study in English literature, French studies, translation, education, or international relations. The combination of analytical skill with French fluency is particularly valued in organisations working across European or francophone contexts.