Course details

Summary

Knowing a second language increases one's employability in a global environment. French is a good choice, being one of the few truly international languages, and is useful in travel, culture, trade, science and sport on several continents. French culture is influential and its history fascinating.

The French programme at UC offers courses to 300-level in French language, as well as courses in French culture, French society, French literature and European film. Courses are suitable for those who cannot read or speak a word of French, and for those who have studied French at school.

The recent development of flexible learning in the French programme at UC has made it easier to include language studies within your degree. If you are enrolled in our French programme you can study one semester or one year of your UC degree in France by taking part in a student exchange programme with one of the following institutions: Sciences-Po, Paris; IEP Lyon and University Lyon II; IEP, Aix-en-Provence; University de La Rochelle.

PGCertArts students will be introduced to sophisticated subject matter and develop skills in the critical evaluation of academic literature in their discipline or area of specialisation. They will also foster high-level skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and communication.

Qualification structure and duration

To qualify for the Postgraduate Certificate in Arts, a student must complete at least 60 points from taught courses, as approved by the Head of Department and the Dean of Arts.

This certificate takes six months full-time or 12 months part-time to complete.

Further study

Subject to the approval of the Dean of Arts, a student may transfer courses passed with a B grade or higher for the Postgraduate Certificate in Arts to:

the Postgraduate Diploma in Arts

the Bachelor of Arts with Honours

the coursework section of a master's degree (there are a number of taught master's operated by the College of Arts)

Career opportunities

French as a discipline extends beyond the learning of the language itself and can enhance a range of careers in teaching, diplomacy, foreign trade or the tourism industry. Many UC students combine the study of French with another degree in Law, Science, Commerce or Engineering to enhance their career opportunities.

Graduates of French take up a wide range of occupations, from the public service to banking or journalism, translation, or work in research-based institutions.

Entry criteria

Candidates must have qualified for a Bachelor of Arts or an equivalent degree and satisfied the prerequisites for the subject concerned. Prerequisites vary between departments, but normally good grades in 300-level courses in that subject are required.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 575 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum B+ grade; CAE or CPE score of 176 with a minimum of 169 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 64 and no PTE communicative skills score below 58.