French is not only one of the official languages of Canada; it is also one of the world’s major international languages. French studies provide varied and flexible approaches to the French language and the diversity of cultures it expresses. The skills and knowledge acquired will lay the groundwork for careers in teaching, journalism, translation, publishing and government service, as well as research in a variety of fields. In the Canadian job-market, command of the French language is a definite asset. 

The department offers students an integrated curriculum, which brings together courses in language, linguistics, literature, French Culture and didactics. 

Unless specified otherwise, the language of instruction is French.

• Department of French
• Calendar Listing

Admission Information

• You can take courses in French at U of T even if you are a beginner - if you plan to complete a program in literature or linguistics, it is preferable to have taken at least some French at the high school level
• Apply to the Humanities admission category on the St. George campus
  
• Six Grade 12 U or M courses, including English are required
• Students outside of Ontario should have the equivalent senior high school credits

Honours Bachelor of Arts Programs

• French Language and Literature (specialist and major options)
• French Language and Linguistics (specialist and major options)
• French Language Learning (major)
• French as a Second Language (minor)
• French Studies (minor)

First-Year Courses

• FCS 195H1 - French Culture from Napoleon to Asterix (taught in English)
• FSL 100H1 – French for Beginners
• FSL 102H1 – Introductory French
• FSL 121Y1 – French Language I

Advice for First Year

In first year students may take any French as a second language (FSL) course that is appropriate to their level of skill. Students with no knowledge of French must enrol in FSL 100H1. The Department reserves the right to place students in the language course appropriate to their level of language skills, based on the results of the placement test. Since 100, 200, 300 and 400-level FSL courses correspond to levels of competence in French, a student may be recommended to enroll in a course at a higher level than his/her year of study.

The placement test is mandatory for all students who register in a FRE or FSL course for the first time (except true beginners who have no knowledge of French). The placement test can be taken only ONCE and the results of the first test will prevail in the event of several attempts. Ideally, the placement test should be taken in the preceding term of the course students intend to register in, e.g. for a Fall term or "Y" course, students should take the placement test in the summer term, prior to their registration date on ROSI and before the beginning of classes in any given term, in order to ensure enrolment in the appropriate course. Students not having access to a computer capable of managing sound files should write to french.placement@utoronto.ca to arrange to take the test at the Multimedia Centre.

Careers

Graduates from programs in French have found employment in a broad range of careers related to their own aptitudes and interests.

In some fields, such as teaching or translating, a thorough grounding in French is of utmost importance. In our bilingual country, many government jobs require fluency in French.

The ability to communicate effectively in French is also a valuable asset in our global economy, in almost all careers in business and industry, but especially in management, advertising, marketing, and sales. There are also more and more job opportunities related to communication, such as journalism, information services, and editorial work.

For French graduates with a travel bug, the ever-expanding tourism industry provides various employment opportunities.

Direct career options include:

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