French

À Waterloo, les possibilités sont infinies

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.

Immersive opportunities

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.

A fast track to teaching

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.

 

Taking a photo on a street in France.

icon of the globeInternational exchanges in 25 countries

briefcaseAvailable as a co-op and regular program

icon of open bookAvailable as a major and minor

 

Admissions

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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First-year French courses

September to December

Choose one course from:

  • FR 151 - Basic French 1
  • FR 152 - Basic French 2
  • FR 192A - French Language 1: Module 1
  • FR 192B - French Language 1: Module 2 (if you've taken Grade 12 immersion or extended French)
  • FR 251 - French Language 2: Module 1

Plus:

  • Arts First requirement 1*
  • Three additional courses

January to April

Choose one course from:

Plus:

  • Arts First requirement 2*
  • Two or three additional courses
 

*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.

After first year

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.

Sample upper-year courses

FR 255 – Business French I
FR 291 – French Civilization I
FR 473 – Aspects of French Canada
FR 487 – African and Caribbean French Literature

 

Arrow pointing up and clickingApply via Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business

icon of network of peopleOffered by the Faculty of Arts

Graduation capEarn a Bachelor of Arts degree in French

 

Co-op = relevant paid work experience

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.

Sample co-op job titles

  • Social media & student engagement coordinator
  • Research analyst
  • Project coordinator
  • Alumni relations and events assistant
  • Developer community associate

Sample co-op employers

  • Microsoft Canada
  • Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation
  • University of Waterloo
  • The Regional Municipality of York
  • FairVentures
 

Customize your Bachelor of Arts degree in French

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.

What can you do with a degree in French?

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.

Recent graduates

  • Marketing Communications Manager - TELUS Communications
  • Curator - Sombra Museum
  • Bilingual Credit Advisor - RBC
  • University Program Specialist - Google Canada
  • Bilingual Sales Agent - Fibernectics
  • Immigration Officer - Human Resources Development Canada
  • Translator - Manulife Financial

Learn about the future of careers in arts, humanities, social sciences, languages, and creative arts.

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