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In a bilingual country and an ever-more globalized world, knowledge of French as a second language gives you an edge in almost any field.
At Waterloo, you can choose language courses that range from basic to advanced, as well as a wide variety of courses in French linguistics, literature, culture, and civilization. You’ll learn from professors that include Governor General prize-winners and world experts in French.
Meanwhile, if you're interested in gaining paid work experience through North America's largest co-op progam, apply to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business Co-op and choose French as your major at the end of first year.
Live at La Bastille, a French residence floor at Waterloo's St. Paul's University College. Or immerse yourself in culture and improve your language skills by studying in Quebec or France for a year.
Interested in teaching? Our French Teaching Specialization offers direct admission to the Faculty of Education at Nipissing University once you've completed your degree here.
International exchanges in 25 countries
Available as a major and minor
Apply to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business and choose French as your major at the end of first year.
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Choose one course from:
Plus:
Choose one course from:
Plus:
*The Arts First requirement consists of two first-year courses that are capped at 25 students: ARTS 130 - Inquiry and Communication and ARTS 140 - Information and Analysis. Instead of listening to a lecture and trying to capture notes, Arts First courses will have you and your classmates working together to respond to a challenge posed by the instructor.
40% of the classes you’ll take will be French courses. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo.
FR 255 – Business French I
FR 291 – French Civilization I
FR 473 – Aspects of French Canada
FR 487 – African and Caribbean French Literature
Apply via Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business
Offered by the Faculty of Arts
Earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in French
By alternating school terms and paid co-op work terms throughout your degree, you can explore new career areas and types of employers as your career interests evolve.
You can add additional areas of expertise to your degree by choosing the French Teaching Specialization or one or more of the minors available to all Waterloo students. Popular areas of focus for French students include Psychology and Applied Language Studies.
Waterloo French graduates typically pursue careers where they can exercise their multi-language skills such as in communications roles, sales, translation, and education. They often work in schools, government, financial institutions and more.
Learn about the future of careers in arts, humanities, social sciences, languages, and creative arts.
Available as a