Start main page content
Wits University Faculty of Humanities
French Language and Literature Take your French to a new level and explore French literature.
French Language and Literature Take your French to a new level and explore French literature.

Qualification: BA(Hons)

Faculty: Humanities

Duration: 1 - 2 years

School: Literature, Language and Media

Study mode: Full-time; Part-time

Overview

French is one of the fastest-growing languages in the world and nearly half of all French speakers live in Africa. The department of French and Francophone Studies at Wits reflects this transcultural diversity in its offerings which are articulated around two main thrusts. The first aims to develop communicative language competence in students, to enable them to become independent users of the French language in a variety of social and professional contexts. The second aims to equip students with intercultural skills and knowledge in order to engage in critical current debates on society and postcoloniality, through the study of seminal Francophone literary texts. These aims are informed by a student-centered, communicative pedagogical approach that encourages independent learning and thinking.

The Honours programme consists of language modules dedicated to the study of French for Specific Purposes and Teaching French as a foreign language. Literature modules focus on Postcolonial Francophone Literature as well as selected topics such as Autobiography and Avant-Garde literary movements. 

 Joint Honours degrees with cogent disciplines such as Translation Studies and English are possible.

Honours:

  • A bachelors degree or equivalent with 65% course mark aggregate in a third year major.
  • At least an upper second class pass in the final undergraduate course in the subject.

Please check with School

  • Applications are handled centrally by the Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC). Once your application is complete in terms of requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment. Click here to see an overview of the Wits applications process.
  • Please apply online. Upload your supporting documents at the time of application, or via the Self Service Portal.
  • Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
  • Selections for programmes that have a limited intake but attract a large number of applications may only finalise the application at the end of the application cycle.

Please note that the Entry Requirements are a guide. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a place. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results and other entry requirements where applicable.

International students, please check this section.

For more information, contact the Student Call Centre +27 (0)11 717 1888, or log a query at www.wits.ac.za/askwits.

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.