French and Francophone Intercultural Studies (MCert, MA, PhD)
Over 300 million people worldwide speak French, including more than seven million Canadians.
La Cité universitaire francophone is the main hub for French-language university programming, research and services offered at the University of Regina and across the province.
Our French and Francophone Intercultural Studies graduate programs are among the few truly interdisciplinary francophone studies programs in Canada, which allows you to pursue your interests while interacting with colleagues in related fields.
Develop your graduate studies path by choosing from one or more areas of study:
- Social sciences: political studies, sociology
- Languages: applied linguistics, sociolinguistics
- Humanities: literature, history, philosophy
We offer the following graduate programs:
Master of Arts (thesis-based)
In the thesis-based Master of Arts, the academic focus is on the study of linguistic, cultural and political practices and representations of Francophone communities, and their relations with other cultures (anglophone, Indigenous, immigrant, and others.) Become a specialist by exploring a research topic in-depth, according to your interests.
Master of Arts (course-based)
In the course-based Master of Arts, you can build your knowledge, establish connections between topics and disciplines, and develop your skills. There is a choice of courses in various subject areas, including French and Francophone literatures, and a seminar for collaborative work and exposure to research by U of R professors. This program includes a 6 credit internship with a community organization, which allows you to become familiar with the work of a Francophone community organization and to understand the challenges and opportunities of Francophone communities.
Master’s Certificate
The master’s certificate lets you discover your interests. In this program, you will gain knowledge of Francophone and intercultural studies topics, learn how to use data for research purposes, and take three elective courses for a range of experiences and skills.
The master’s certificate can easily transition into the thesis or course-based master’s program.
Doctoral programs
Doctoral studies focus on literature, sociolinguistics, linguistics, terminology, gender and culture studies, and the history of ideas. The Doctoral program encourages students to develop meaningful engagement and relationships with Francophone communities, both through their research and as part of their learning, where experiential learning opportunities will be provided. The program itself is multidisciplinary in nature, given the involvement of professors from various disciplinary backgrounds, and the students’ work will be interdisciplinary, drawing and adapting from various disciplines as their topics suggest.
Our graduate programs help you develop your skills in communication (writing and presentations in French), in research (data use and analysis) and in community and intercultural relations.
Quick Facts
French and Francophone Intercultural Studies Meet Your Faculty
Why Study French and Francophone Intercultural Studies at the University of Regina?
La Cité universitaire francophone is the main hub for French-language university programming at the University of Regina. La Cité’s mission is to meet the university education needs of Saskatchewan’s French-speakers, regardless of their first language. We initiate, encourage, develop and support research and the dissemination of academic work in French on issues that affect Francophone minority communities.
La Cité is set apart through community engagement, experiential education, and interdisciplinary research approaches.
Centre canadien de recherche sur les francophonies en milieu minoritaire (CRFM)
Situated at La Cité, the CRFM directs a research program that focuses primarily on the experience of the Fransaskois community while also considering the experience of other Canadian and international Francophone communities seeking to assert their role in a minority environment. The research program uses a multidisciplinary and inter-institutional approach. The CRFM also fosters research that allows for a comparison of the Francophone experience with that of other ethno-cultural minority groups.
The CRFM also offers research internships.
Interdisciplinary programs
Our focus on interdisciplinarity and on intercultural relations means we take into account variations in the French language and respect diversity within Francophone communities. We relate Francophone communities in minority settings to other Francophone settings in Canada and the world, including diasporas, but also to Indigenous peoples, and continually question the relationship between coexistence, interdependence, and movements of peoples across the world.
Bilingual experience
Studying at La Cité means that French is the language of work and study, but outside of it the language is English. This quasi-immersive experience means that students have the opportunity to develop their capacity in French in formal and informal settings, all while working in an environment that includes people who approach French from various trajectories and speak it differently. As a result, students learn how to function effectively in a bilingual environment.
Expert faculty members
Learn from expert faculty members who are also active researchers with diverse interests. Our faculty research interests include:
- 20thcentury French literature, rhetoric, and stylistics
- Comic strips (from Europe, Asia, and North America)
- Political and intellectual history of Canadian Francophonie
- Language policies on education in multilingual environments
- Language planning and sustainable development
- Comparative francophonies, French as second/foreign language in multilingual settings
- Sociolinguistics and vitality of languages in minority settings
- Politics of intercultural relations
- Social and political philosophy (phenomenology and existentialism)
- Popular music
Faculty members also offer research assistantship positions.
Research project
If they choose, students can pursue original research projects related to the francophone community of Saskatchewan, which is currently understudied. There are also opportunities for collaboration with francophone community organizations in Saskatchewan.
French and Francophone Intercultural Studies Frequently Asked Questions
Admission to the Master’s certificate program requires a four-year undergraduate degree with a minimum grade point average equivalent to 70% at the U of R.
Perspectives sur l’étude des communautés francophones begins with the minority settings of French speakers in Canada to study the ties between discourses, academic research, governmental policy, the organization of communities, and processes of identity-building and socialization.
Relations interculturelles au Canada and Bilinguisme, multiculturalisme et interculturalisme explore key Canadian policies and issues around language and culture from the disciplinary perspectives of history, political science, sociolinguistics, and others.
Littérature franco-canadienne explores selected works by Francophone authors in Quebec and Canada, particularly texts written in a minority context.
Some courses include fieldwork, archival work, and working with documents (e.g. translation). Each course has its own approach to the connection between ‘la francophonie canadienne’ and ‘la francophonie internationale’.
Yes! Once you have been accepted as a fully-qualified graduate student with no conditions or holds on your admission, then you are eligible to apply for our scholarships, awards, or graduate teaching assistant positions.
French and Francophone Intercultural Studies Scholarships and Awards
- French Studies Graduate Entrance Award
- La Cité universitaire francophone Scholarship
- Saskatchewan Innovation and Excellence Graduate Scholarship
- Lloyd Person Scholarship
- La Cité Graduate Student Scholarship
Apply for these scholarships, and more, by visiting our Graduate Awards Portal (GAP), the U of R online graduate scholarship application system.
All Graduate Funding Opportunities
Visit our Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research website to learn about all graduate funding opportunities including:
- National Scholarships (including Tri Council funding)
- Awards to Study Abroad
- FGSR Funding/Special Awards
- Funding for Indigenous Students
- Funding for International Students
- Other Awards and Scholarships
- External Scholarship Opportunities
- External Student and Faculty Awards
What Can You Do With a French and Francophone Intercultural Studies Degree?
Upon successfully completing your graduate program in French and Francophone Intercultural Studies, you will be ready for the next step of your career. Many professors at La Cité are graduates of La Cité programs. The jobs that graduates go on to include:
- Professor
- Government administrator
- Translator
- Non-profit administrator
- Researcher
