French & Francophone Studies

French is spoken by over 325 million people around the world. Don't get left out of the conversation.

Whether you're a beginner or already fluent in the language, you'll find a place in our department that will allow you to study French language, literature and culture with an undergraduate or graduate degree or our unique Certificate in Language and Cultural Proficiency.

I could barely conjugate "être" when I first set foot on the UVic campus four years ago, and now I can't imagine myself choosing any other path besides becoming a French teacher. Learning from the brilliant and inspiring professors and students of UVic's French department has been an absolute privilege; I feel very lucky to have acquired so many valuable lessons, both personal and academic, which I will undoubtedly carry with me into my teaching career. I would not have completed this degree (or had nearly as much fun doing so) without the generous support and encouragement I received from many professors along the way, mes remerciements sincères à tous !

—Erin O'Toole, French (Bachelor of Arts - Major) 2021

There are so many reasons to study French: it's one of Canada's official languages and is spoken by millions of people across five continents. At UVic, you’ll explore everything from cinema and literature, to computer-assisted language learning and translation.

Ready to translate your skills into French? Find your edge with us.

We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the University of Victoria stands, and the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

Avec respect, nous reconnaissons les peuples lək̓ʷəŋən et leur territoire traditionnel, où est établie l’Université de Victoria, ainsi que les peuples Songhees, Esquimalt et W̱SÁNEĆ dont les relations de longue date avec ces terres non-cédées continuent jusqu’à ce jour.