BA INTERNATIONAL

BA International Programme for students of French

If you are interested in pursuing the International programme with French as part of your BA, you will spend the academic year between Second Year and Third Year, following an agreed course of study in French and your other academic subject, at a French University. Depending on the institutions involved, your other academic subject and the availability of special funding, it may also be possible to incorporate a period of work placement into this programme. During the international year, assessment and evaluation are carried out in the host institution.

The BA International is a four-year honours degree-level programme. It consists of the normal three-year BA programme, with an additional year’s study in a partner institution abroad. This additional year will be the Third Year of the four-year international programme.

The BA International degree gives students the opportunity to enrich their University education by pursuing study of their degree subjects at partner colleges abroad. List of partner universities which host SPD students of French can be found here.

Students who have participated in this programme have found it educationally, culturally and socially rich and fulfilling. Read some of their comments here.

It is envisaged that the BA International graduates will have enhanced job opportunities in Ireland and in Europe, as the experience gained helps students acquire additional skills and expertise, including the confidence and maturity that come from having lived and worked in another European country. For those who go on to pursue a career in teaching, a year’s educational experience abroad is a definite advantage in terms of gaining entry into a graduate teaching diploma course and for eventual job prospects.

Rules

• In common with other BA students taking French, applicants for the BA International will have taken French and two other academic subjects in First Year, French and one other academic subject in Second Year and will take French and the other academic subject in Final Year.

• The Third Year of the BA International programme will be spent in an approved University abroad, following courses approved by the College Departments concerned. The workload for the year will be made up of 60 ECTS credits, to be shared equally between both degree subjects. The study programme will be set out in a Learning Agreement, which will be signed by the Heads of each department whose academic subject the student is taking, and by the SPD Coordinator of International Affairs.

• At the end of the year in France, BA International students will return to College for the Fourth and final year of the programme, which is the Third Year of the normal BA programme.

• Application for the BA International programme will be made during Second Year to the Head of each department in which the student is working. Successful candidates will receive, from each Head, written permission to follow an approved course of study in the partner University in France.

• The granting of this permission will be conditional on applicants having:

• performed in a satisfactory manner during Second Year;
• passed all required examinations at the end of Second Year;
• acquired an appropriate level of oral and written competency in French

• There is no provision for the deferral of the international year.

• Students will be assigned to an SPD departmental tutor, in each academic subject area, who will oversee progress through contact with colleagues in the host institution. Students will be responsible for maintaining contact with their tutors and for providing course and other information on request.

• Assessment will be carried out by the host institution. An official transcript of records will be sent to the College at the end of the international year. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that results are communicated to the relevant department in SPD.

• If a student fails to gain the required credits during the year abroad and/or fails to respect the rules and regulations attached to the programme and set out in this document, he/she will not be eligible for the award of BA International degree at the end of Fourth Year. He/She may continue to work in Fourth Year for the normal BA degree. In this case, any Erasmus financial support received from the HEA must be repaid. In addition, such students will be required to pay repeat tuition fees for the final year of the BA programme. There may also be implications for the payment of the higher education grant to those who had been in receipt of it previously.

• Admission to the programme will be limited in accordance with numbers of approved places available at partner institutions, as set out in the relevant bilateral agreements.

Finance Information

• Students are registered students of St Patrick’s College while abroad. Students must register with the College, and fees (including registration and tuition fees) are payable to the College in the normal way for the International year. Students will not normally be required to pay tuition fees at the host university.
• A student who is in receipt of a Local Authority higher-education grant should apply to his/her local authority for a transfer from the BA programme to the 4-year BA International programme. A letter will be provided by the Registrar’s Office in College stating that the student is a full-time student at the College for the forthcoming academic year and that the time spent studying abroad forms an integral part of the course. This letter should accompany the formal request to the Local Authority. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that he/she is eligible for the grant while on the International year abroad.
• Students visiting EU institutions with which the College has an Erasmus exchange agreement will receive a grant, the amount of which will depend on the amount of student mobility funding received for the relevant year from the Erasmus programme. Receiving an Erasmus grant will not be a condition for acceptance on this programme.

If you are interested in applying for the BA International degree or require more information, contact the Head of Department.

Please now read what you will achieve during your BA courses at St Patrick's College by clicking here.

 

Last Updated: Wednesday May 11 2011