French

French is one of the major world languages, the native or official tongue of some 300 million people across five continents, a language of international law, diplomacy and science, and the carrier of one of the most significant literary and intellectual traditions in European history. Studying French at degree level means developing genuine linguistic depth alongside serious engagement with the cultures, literatures, histories and contemporary realities of France and the wider francophone world. From Montaigne and Moliere through Flaubert and Baudelaire to Beauvoir, Sartre and Camus, from the French Revolution to May 1968 and beyond, the field encompasses ideas and events that have shaped modernity.

At Queen Mary University of London this four-year programme takes you to an advanced level in French, developing your abilities in reading, writing, speaking and listening through sustained engagement with literary texts, film, journalism and cultural material. You will study the history and culture of France and the francophone world, engaging with the political and intellectual movements that have made French one of the most internationally influential of languages. Queen Mary's location in London gives you access to French cultural institutions and to a substantial French-speaking community, enriching your engagement with the language beyond the classroom.

The four-year structure gives you the time to develop real proficiency and the depth to engage with the most demanding texts and ideas in the tradition.

French graduates are valued across an exceptional range of careers. International business, the foreign service, diplomacy, translation and interpreting, law, journalism, publishing, education, cultural management and the arts all welcome people with advanced French and the analytical skills that literary and cultural study develops. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in translation, linguistics, French literature, European studies or international relations.

Fluency in French combined with the critical intelligence that a degree of this kind builds is a combination that remains valuable throughout a career.