Welsh (a Pathway for First Language Students), BA (Hons)
Study the Culture and History of Wales in a First Language Context
Course Overview
Discover a fresh and exciting approach to studying Welsh with Swansea University’s BA Cymraeg. This innovative degree explores the language, literature, and culture of Wales while looking outward to global connections and multiculturalism. You will examine what it means to speak, write, and live through the medium of Welsh in the twenty-first century, gaining a rich understanding of its role in society today.
The programme is designed around three key themes – Creativity, Employability, and Welsh in Society – ensuring a varied and stimulating academic experience. You will explore the Welsh language in an international context, considering linguistic diversity and the challenges and opportunities facing minority languages worldwide. This outward-looking perspective makes your learning relevant and globally informed.
Employability is embedded throughout the degree. You will develop transferable skills in communication, research, translation, and bilingual working, preparing you for careers in education, publishing, broadcasting, public services, and the creative industries. Practical assessments and real-world projects help you graduate with confidence and experience to thrive in a bilingual workplace.
You will be supported in a welcoming, inclusive environment. Small-group teaching, personalised guidance, and a strong sense of community are central to the student experience. You will also be encouraged to take ownership of your learning, developing independent research skills that prepare you for postgraduate study or professional roles.
From literature to sociolinguistics, this degree offers a dynamic, outward-looking curriculum that celebrates the richness of Welsh while equipping you for the future.
Enhance your experience with a Year Abroad or Year in Industry. Spend time studying overseas or gain paid workplace experience (average salary over £20,000), boosting your skills and employability.
Why Welsh (a Pathway for First Language Students) at Swansea?
You will be based on our stunning Singleton Park Campus, overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula.
You will benefit from the skills and experience of prominent authors and poets on our academic team.
Cultural Studies at Swansea is ranked:
4th in the UK for student experience (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026)
We pride ourselves in preparing you for life beyond university. We are able to do this by using our connections to industry, and our emphasis on the particular interpersonal skills that our industry panel identify as key within their recruitment processes
Your Welsh (a Pathway for First Language Students) Experience
You can tailor your studies to reflect your interests and career ambitions, with opportunities to study abroad or gain hands-on experience through a Year in Industry. These options allow you to broaden your horizons, develop new skills, and stand out in a competitive job market.
The Year in Industry provides valuable workplace experience. The University advocates for paid placements, with an average salary of £20,000+. Unpaid placements are considered on a case-by-case basis. Although securing a placement is the responsibility of the student, we work with several organisations who provide a range of opportunities. If you choose to pursue a Year in Industry, you will be supported throughout the application journey with advice, guidance, and resources. If you are unable to secure a placement by the end of the second year of study, you will be able to transfer onto the equivalent 3-year degree programme.
Our programmes are designed to deepen your understanding of grammar, and you are encouraged to make the most of additional resources and extracurricular activities to strengthen your skills. Our close-knit community of students and staff is passionate about the Welsh language and committed to helping everyone succeed. Small-group teaching, personalised support, and a strong sense of belonging are central to your student experience.
You will also benefit from a curriculum that encourages creativity and critical thinking, alongside respectful discussions about language diversity, representation, and inclusivity. From literature to sociolinguistics and digital publishing, you will engage with a rich and varied academic experience. Real-world projects and opportunities to connect classroom learning with the wider community help you develop practical skills and confidence for your future career.
Welsh (a Pathway for First Language Students) Employment Opportunities
Employability is at the heart of the BA Welsh degree at Swansea University. The programme is designed to prepare you for success in a bilingual and dynamic job market, with professional skills embedded throughout. You’ll develop expertise in communication, translation, digital media, and strategic thinking, supported by real-world assessments and creative projects that encourage original content creation, pitching ideas, and exploring freelance or self-employed pathways.
Our Department’s close links with media and communications organisations mean we can offer a wide range of work experience opportunities and internships at all levels of study. We regularly receive requests from local employers for short-term communications roles, giving you the chance to apply your skills in real-world settings through both paid and voluntary placements.
Students also benefit from access to SPIN internships, with many securing Welsh-medium roles such as supporting events at the Urdd Eisteddfod with Academi Hywel Teifi. Welsh-language skills are highly valued across departments, opening doors to internships throughout the university and helping you build networks and hands-on experience. Volunteering opportunities with Swansea University’s charity, Discovery, also allow you to organise and host events within the university and wider community.
Entrepreneurial thinking is encouraged throughout the programme. Guest speakers - including authors, translators, media professionals, journalists, and policy makers—regularly contribute, offering insights into career routes and inspiring students to see Welsh as a tool for innovation and leadership. Whether you aim for a career in the public sector, creative industries, or community development, you’ll graduate with the confidence, experience, and bilingual skillset to make a meaningful impact.
The programme has been shaped with input from external stakeholders such as Cymdeithas Cyfieithwyr Cymru, Cwlwm Cyhoeddwyr Cymru, and y Ganolfan Dysgu Cymraeg, ensuring it reflects the needs of employers across Wales. We also work closely with the Media Department to enhance opportunities in the creative industries, and students can showcase their work at COPA, an event celebrating student achievement and connecting you with industry professionals.
Our graduates go on to careers in business, HR and finance, education, arts, design, media, marketing, PR, sales, politics, language planning, youth work, translation, and administration. Many also progress to postgraduate study, including PGCE, Taught and Research Masters, and PhD programmes.
Modules
We're currently reviewing our curriculum to enhance your learning experience and embed skills that will benefit your future career. This means that some modules may be subject to change.
At Swansea, you will benefit from a high-quality, research-informed
education that combines a range of effective and inclusive teaching methods,
carefully tailored to suit the needs of your course. Most courses are taught
in person, on campus, giving you the opportunity to
actively engage with other students, academic staff, and the wider
university community.
You can expect a mix of
lectures, seminars, workshops, and practical sessions -
including laboratory work, skills training, or studio-based teaching where
relevant to your discipline. These sessions are designed to encourage active
participation, collaboration, and the development of both subject-specific
and transferable skills.
Digital learning tools are also used to enhance your
learning experience. These may include:
Recorded lectures to support flexible study and
revision.
Virtual labs or simulated environments, particularly in
science, healthcare, and technical disciplines.
Online resources on the university’s virtual learning
environment (Canvas), including videos, reading materials, quizzes, and
discussion forums.
This approach enables you to engage with and review content at your own pace
while benefiting from the structure and support of in-person teaching.
This course may offer some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or
bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh
speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh
Provision expander below.
N.B If you are an international student studying with a Student Route
Visa, please note that your timetabled activity, along with any
additional supervisory activity (with Swansea University staff present)
will take place on campus. In line with UKVI protocol, these sessions
will be monitored and data made available on request.
You can study 80 credits or more of this course through the medium of Welsh. Academi
Hywel Teifi is here to support you throughout your time at Swansea University. We can offer you:
Access to modules taught wholly or partly in Welsh.
A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
One-to-one support through the medium of Welsh to improve your academic skills.
An opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence
of your Welsh language ability for future employers, namely the WJEC and Coleg Cymraeg’s Welsh Language
Certificate.
Fees for full time undergraduate UK students may increase in subsequent years of study in line with the maximum regulated fee level set by the Welsh Government
You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.
You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.
To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.
Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.
You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.
To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's
scholarships and bursaries
page.
Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually.
For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.
Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.
You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):
Travel to and from campus
Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your
personal tutor, the Centre for Academic
Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas
such as:
Academic writing
Maths and statistics
Critical thinking
Time management
Digital skills
Presentation skills
Note taking
Revision, memory and exam techniques
English language skills (if English is not your first language).
In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability,
mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have
Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and
requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.
International summer programmes are open to students from all schools.
Programmes typically range from 2 to 6 weeks, across destinations such as
Sri Lanka, South Korea, Fiji, Bali, the USA and across Europe. For more
information about programmes and eligibility visit our
Summer Abroad webpages.
We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application
deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can
find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.
This course offers you the opportunity to spend a Year In Industry, in the UK or overseas*, giving valuable workplace experience. The University advocates for only paid placements which on average have a salary of over £20,000. Unpaid placements are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Although securing a placement is the responsibility of the student, we work with a number of organisations who provide a range of placement opportunities. Students are also supported throughout their application journey with advice, guidance and additional resources. If you are unable to secure a placement, you will transfer onto the standard degree programme.
*overseas locations are dependent on VISA restrictions per country
