Cymraeg / Welsh (For First- and Second-language) BA (Hons)

Bangor University

United Kingdom, Bangor

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Home/United Kingdom/Bangor /Bangor University/Cymraeg / Welsh (For First- and Second-language) BA (Hons)

Bangor University

United Kingdom , Bangor

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

Q562

Campuses

Bangor

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake Deadlines13-Sep-2026

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Go to the official application for the university

Duration 3 year(s)

Next Intake 13-Sep-2026

Cymraeg / Welsh (For First- and Second-language) BA (Hons)

About

Did you know that a BA in Welsh at Bangor is much more than a degree course? It is a complete cultural experience that will enable you to play a professional role in the excitement of creating a truly bilingual Wales. In areas such as education, the creative industries and the heritage, broadcasting and media sectors, public relations and marketing, translation, language planning and public administration, Bangor graduates fulfill important roles. They are among the leaders of our contemporary Wales and shaping our future.

Welsh at Bangor is a living language of the present day rather than a relic of the past. Here you will have the opportunity to not only study and enjoy one of the most remarkable Celtic literatures in the world, but there will also be opportunities to pursue more practical modules that will prepare you for a career. This course will enable you to research independently, to practise original thinking, to get to know Welsh literature and culture in depth and to master the various registers of the language. If you so wish, you will have the opportunity to pursue your creative interests under the guidance of experienced writers and poets. You will also gain an awareness of the Welsh language in wider international contexts. What is the relationship of Welsh with the other languages of the world? How does the fate of the language compare with languages like Basque and Irish? How have Welsh writers and poets responded to global themes such as slavery, the Holocaust and the ecological challenge of the modern industrial world? From the earliest times to the present, the choice of modules is wide and the opportunities to broaden your horizons are endless.

Students from both first and second language backgrounds are accepted to follow this course. It is also a natural progression for students who followed the Welsh for Beginners foundation year. It is also suitable for those who have achieved proficiency in Welsh, e.g. through the Learn Welsh courses at the National Centre for Learning Welsh.

Why choose Bangor University for this course?

A world-renowned centre for the study of Welsh and Celtic Studies.
Study in the unique Celtic linguistic environment of Gwynedd (north-west Wales) where Welsh remains the language of the majority.

Additional Course Options

Placement Year

This course is available with a Placement Year option where you will study for 1 additional year. The Placement Year is undertaken at the end of the second year and students are away for the whole of the academic year.

The Placement Year provides you with a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons and develop valuable skills and contacts through working with a self-sourced organisation relevant to your degree subject. The minimum period in placement (at one or more locations) is seven calendar months; more usually you would spend 10-12 months with a placement provider. You would normally start sometime in the period June to September of your second year and finish between June and September the following year. Placements can be UK-based or overseas and you will work with staff to plan and finalise the placement arrangements.

You will be expected to find and arrange a suitable placement to complement your degree and will be fully supported throughout by a dedicated member of staff at your academic School and the University’s Careers and Employability Services.

You will have the opportunity to fully consider this option when you have started your course at Bangor and can make an application for a transfer onto this pathway at the appropriate time. Read more about the work experience opportunities that may be available to you or, if you have any questions, please get in touch.

International Experience Year

This course is available with an International Experience Year option where you will study or work abroad for 1 additional year. You will have ‘with International Experience’ added to your degree title on graduating.

Studying abroad is a great opportunity to see a different way of life, learn about new cultures and broaden your horizons. With international experience of this kind, you’ll really improve your career prospects. There are a wide variety of destinations and partner universities to choose from. If you plan to study in a country where English is not spoken natively, there may be language courses available for you at Bangor and in your host university to improve your language skills.

You will have the opportunity to fully consider this option at any time during your degree at Bangor and make your application. If you have any questions in the meantime, please get in touch.

Read more about the International Experience Year programme and see the studying or working abroad options on the Student Exchanges section of our website.

Watch/Gwyliwch- Mared Fôn Owen, Cymraeg

Requirements

Entry Requirements

2025 Entry Requirements

Offers are tariff based, 104 - 128 tariff points from a Level 3 qualification e.g.:

A Levels: including grade B in Welsh (or a grade B in a humanities subject studies through the medium of Welsh - e.g. History, Geography, Religious Studies). General Studies and Key Skills not normally accepted
BTEC National Extended Diploma**: DMM-DDM
Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma**: DMM-DDM
City & Guilds Advanced Technical Extended Diploma (1080): considered on a case-by-case basis
International Baccalaureate Diploma: including grade H5 in Welsh**
Access**: pass required
Welsh Baccalaureate: We will accept this qualification in conjunction with other level 3 qualifications
T Levels: T Levels in a relevant subject considered on a case-by-case basis
Extended Project Qualification: Points can include a relevant Extended Project (EPQ) but must include a minimum 2 full A-levels, or equivalent.

We are happy to accept combinations of the qualifications listed above, as well as alternative Level 3 qualifications such as City & Guilds, Access and Cambridge Technical Diplomas.

We also welcome applications from mature learners.

International Candidates: school leaving qualifications that are equivalent to A levels/Level 3 and/or college diplomas are accepted from countries worldwide (subject to minimum English Language requirements). More information can be found on our International pages.

*For a full list of accepted Level 3 qualifications, go to www.ucas.com.

**Can be considered in conjunction with another qualification in Welsh or taken through the medium of Welsh (e.g. A Levels).

Career

There has never been a more exciting time to study Welsh at Bangor. There has never been more demand for a workforce that can use Welsh at senior professional levels. The goal is clear, it has been set by the Welsh Government - a million Welsh speakers by 2050 and a truly bilingual Wales.

In pursuit of that aim, there will be a great need for confident Welsh-speaking graduates, who can use their language skills in flexible ways, who can think analytically through the medium of the language and use it - both orally and in writing - in various work situations.

The remarkable professional success of our students in employment - and their varied careers - already proves how entirely relevant this course is to the requirements of contemporary Wales. A proportion of them go into education, to be primary and secondary teachers, headteachers, education officers and directors of education. Others go into further education and others become university lecturers. Teaching Welsh for adults is also a key area. Television and digital and print media - including the BBC centre in Bangor - offer a cross-section of interesting jobs and have attracted other alumni into book publishing, creative writing and television scripting, public relations and marketing. There is also continuing demand for bilingual administrators and local government officers. And without the presence of Bangor's Welsh graduates, the translation industry would be quite different. And present day graduates also have every right to aim high. The National Library of Wales, The National Theatre of Wales, Cwmni Da (one of Wales' largest production companies), the Welsh Parliament’s Translation and Reporting Service and Anglesey Council - what do they have in common? Bangor's Welsh graduates have reached the top of their professional careers in them and are at the forefront of them all!