Information for Prospective Students
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Fees and Funding
UK & EU Fee
£9,000 (2013/14)
Overseas Fee
£14,750 (2013/14)
General Funding Notes
Details about financial support are available at: www.ucl.ac.uk/study/ug-finance
Contacts
Key Facts
Research Assessment Exercise
Interdisciplinary programme: see contributing departments
(What is the RAE?)
Departmental website
More Information
Dutch BA
UCAS Code: R911
This four-year programme focuses on the language, culture and history of the Netherlands and Flanders, two regions neighbouring the UK that are among its largest trading partners. Students start learning Dutch from scratch and graduate as fluent and interculturally competent speakers of this global language.
Entry Requirements
A Levels
| Grades | ABB |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Foreign language preferred. |
| AS Levels | A pass in a further subject at AS level or equivalent is required. |
| GCSEs | English Language at grade B, plus Mathematics at grade C. For UK-based students, a grade C or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required. UCL provides opportunities to meet the foreign language requirement following enrolment, further details at: www.ucl.ac.uk/ug-reqs |
IB Diploma
| Points | 34 |
|---|---|
| Subjects | A score of 16 points in three higher level subjects preferably including a foreign language, with no score lower than 5. |
Other Qualifications
For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:
Selected entry requirements will appear here
International Qualifications
International Qualifications
In addition to A level and International Baccalaureate, UCL considers a wide range of international qualifications for entry to its undergraduate degree programmes.
University Preparatory Certificates
UCL offers intensive one-year foundation courses to prepare international students for a variety of degree programmes at UCL.
The University Preparatory Certificates (UPCs) are for international students of high academic potential who are aiming to gain access to undergraduate degree programmes at UCL and other top UK universities.
For more information see our website: www.ucl.ac.uk/upc
English Language Requirements
If English is not your first language you will also need to satisfy UCL's English Language Requirements. A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.
Degree Summary
Degree Benefits
- No previous knowledge of Dutch is required, as you will receive intensive language training in the first two years if you start the subject from scratch. You may also start as a more advanced speaker of Dutch.
- You can go on summer language courses after the first year and will spend the third year of study in Holland or Flanders (the northern part of Belgium), benefiting from the extensive contacts the department has with Dutch and Belgian universities including Amsterdam, Utrecht, Leiden and Antwerp.
- You will study in a small, friendly department which has a staff-student ratio unusual in higher education.
- You will have access to the most comprehensive Dutch Library in the English-speaking world, including our collection of Dutch and Belgian films and documentaries on DVD and multimedia learning resources.
The Dutch BA is a four year, single-subject programme. Each year students take a total of four course credits. The intensive language course develops practical language skills while the cultural studies courses focus on issues of identities and communities, and ways of investigating contemporary culture. Aside from core courses you can choose options in literature, history and sociolinguistics.
You may also take School of European Languages, Culture and Society (ELCS) courses, which allow students to study literature, film, art and culture from outside their subject area(s), focusing on broad cultural movements, issues and approaches from an interdisciplinary perspective and drawing on the full range of specialisms within the school.
The third year of study is spent in the Netherlands or Belgium during which you may study at a Dutch or Belgian university, teach as a language assistant, or work on placement in a field related to your studies or intended career.
Your Learning
We teach Dutch using modern communicative methods to develop fluency, accuracy and an understanding of stylistic issues. Literature, history, linguistics and cultural studies are taught through a mixture of seminars, group work, web-based courses and tutorials. You will be able to get involved with VirtualDutch, a collaborative teaching network between UCL and Cambridge, Sheffield and Nottingham Universities.
Assessment
Courses are assessed by various methods: written and oral/aural examinations, essays, presentations and project work.
Degree Structure
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual courses, normally valued at 0.5 or 1.0 credits, adding up to a total of 4.0 credits for the year. Courses are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional courses varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 1.0 credit is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
Year One
Year Two
Year Three
Final Year
Further details available on degree page of subject website:
Your Career
A substantial number of our graduates use their language skills in a variety of contexts, such as public relations (often for multinational companies, of which plenty have Dutch origins), insurance, banking, political and cultural institutions, or in teaching and translating. Some graduates go on to Master's or PhD programmes.
There is significant and growing demand for Dutch-speaking graduates, despite the recession, as evidenced by regular requests from employers to the department. In the English-speaking context, a university graduate with a good command of Dutch is rare indeed, giving the graduate in Dutch a major asset.
Belgium and the Netherlands belong to the world's most advanced manufacturing and trading areas and are among Britain's largest trading partners, housing the headquarters of numerous multinational companies and the political heart of the European Union and NATO. Dutch has 23 million speakers worldwide and Afrikaans, closely related to Dutch, has some 17 million.
Destinations
First career destinations of recent graduates (2009-2011) of this programme include:
- Lecturer, UCL (2011)
- Financial Analyst, Pernod Ricard (2010)
- Ethnic Minorities Disability Project Officer, Hampstead County Council (2010)
- Research, Reed Business Information (2009)
- Policy Officer, Royal Netherlands Embassy, London (2009)
Find out more about London graduates' careers by visiting the Careers Group (University of London) website:
Application
Your Application
You are able to take this programme without any previous knowledge of Dutch. However, the degree does require an interest in languages and a proven ability in language learning (see entry requirements). We take into account your academic performance and educational background, but also place great importance on your personal statement, your motivation to study Dutch, and your referee's report.
How to Apply
Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.
Selection
If your application demonstrates that your academic ability and motivation makes you well-suited to our degree you will be invited to attend an applicant open day and will have the opportunity to meet a member of staff. You may be asked to respond to an admissions questionnaire and/or attend an interview.
For overseas candidates or candidates for whom travelling to UCL is difficult alternative arrangements will be made. Our admissions process aims to assess your linguistic abilities and attainments as well as cultural awareness and intellectual potential.
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