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French Studies

Bachelor of Arts (BA) - Honours

Gain a competitive edge in the job market as you explore French language, literature and linguistics, and francophone culture in Canada and throughout the world. 

All of our courses are taught in French, but you don’t need to have taken French immersion. Your language proficiency will be assessed when you enrol, and you’ll be placed in the correct course. Our small classes provide plenty of opportunities to speak the language and interact with professors and classmates. 

Graduates enter the workforce with a well-rounded education and diverse career options, including civil service, human resources, tourism, journalism, communications, and non-governmental and international organizations.

Program Learning Outcomes


  • Communicate effectively with Francophone speakers, orally and in written form, in a variety of formal and informal as well as academic and professional contexts.
  • Apply fundamental concepts of literary and/or linguistic analysis to support critical reasoning and reflection.
  • Review and critically evaluate primary and secondary sources pertaining to Francophone cultures, literary texts and linguistic phenomena.
  • Articulate original, nuanced and well-supported arguments when discussing a wide range of topics relating to the Francophone world.
  • Read and understand long complex texts in French.
  • Appreciate Francophone cultures in Canada and in the world.
  • Demonstrate essential professional and academic skills such as note-taking; summarizing, analyzing and evaluating information; drafting, revising and editing of texts; effective group work and adhering to deadlines.
  • Commit to using acquired skills, knowledge and learning strategies to become effective life-long learners, through further studies and/or professional life.

Hands-on experiences 


  • Enhance your language skills and your university experience with an exchange program in Europe or Quebec.
  • Join the Association des Étudiants Francophones et Francophiles de York, which promotes events where you can practise your French.
  • Engage with the community for credit, including a course in which students develop activities for young children.

Our program has an interdisciplinary curriculum with courses in language, linguistics and literature. We offer a very holistic perspective on the language and culture, and our courses are specifically designed to prepare you to use French in professional settings.

— Marilyn Lambert-Drache
Chair & Associate Professor, Department of French Studies

male and female student in front of dahdaleh building on keele campus