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University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada, R3T 2N2
Map out your career pathway from the start of your academic journey!
Get the information you need for academic planning and connect with experiences to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes that employers are seeking.
This resource is meant as a guide to provide suggestions throughout your time at university (refer to the Academic Calendar for a complete list of program requirements). Develop a plan and timeline that suits you best. Make intentional choices for your courses and work experiences.
“Whether you are a native speaker, an immersion student or have had zero exposure to French in the past, the French program at the University of Manitoba offers courses for everyone. The key to learning any language is participation.”
Jean-François Matte, French student
As a French student in the Faculty of Arts, you will learn about the French language and the rich variety of literature and culture. The Department of French, Spanish and Italian has many opportunities for you to explore, with three main areas of study in French:
Year 1 - 30 credit hours
Course requirements: FREN 1192 and FREN 1194 or FREN 1202 and FREN 1204
To do this year:
Year 2 - 60 credit hours
Course requirements:
Honours: 24 credit hours in FREN courses at or above the 2000 Level.*
Double Honours: 24 credit hours in FREN courses at or above the 2000 Level.*
Advanced: 18 credit hours of FREN at or above the 2000 level.*
Double Advanced: 15 credit hours of FREN at or above the 2000 level.*
General: 12 credit hours of FREN at or above the 2000 level.*
*Refer to the Academic Calendar for specific course areas to be completed.
To do this year:
Year 3 - 90 credit hours
Course requirements:
Honours: 21 credit hours of FREN at or above the 3000 level.*
Double Honours: 6 credit hours of FREN at or above the 3000 level.*
Advanced: 24 credit hours of FREN at or above the 3000 level.*
Double Advanced: 21 credit hours of FREN at or above the 3000 level.*
General: 12 credit hours of FREN at or above the 3000 level.*
*Refer to the Academic Calendar for specific course areas to be completed.
To do this year:
Year 4 - 120 credit hours
Course requirements:
Honours: FREN 4426, 6 credit hours of FREN at the 4000 level.*
Double Honours: FREN 4426, 3 credit hours of FREN at the 4000 level.*
Advanced and Double Advanced: See Year 3*
*Refer to the Academic Calendar for specific course areas to be completed.
To do this year:
Year 1 - 30 credit hours
Start planning your career:
Year 2 - 60 credit hours
Make professional connections:
Market your skills: Develop your resumé and cover letter and refine your interview skills.
Year 3 - 90 credit hours
Investigate your career options:
Consider continuing your studies: Check out the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Extended Education or other academic institutions.
Year 4 - 120 credit hours
Start job search 9 months in advance: Contact Career Services to refine your job search and self-marketing strategies. You can visit the office up to 6 months after graduation.
If you are continuing on to graduate school: Finalize your application materials and required tests. Use the awards database to search for funding and awards to help finance your continuing education. Contact your department to find out how their awards deadlines are advertised.
Year 1 - 30 credit hours
Link experiences to your career interests. Options include:
Year 2 - 60 credit hours
Explore student research opportunities: Apply for a research assistant position or Undergraduate Research Award.
Gain practical experience by volunteering: Check out Festival du Voyageur, Folklorama, or St. Boniface Hospital.
Find opportunities to market yourself: Become a Faculty of Arts Student Ambassador or join the Student Leadership Development Program.
Year 3 - 90 credit hours
Continue or start research: Participate in the Undergraduate Research Poster Competition.
Check out student job opportunities with: Languages at Work, Manitoba Legislative Assembly, Winnipeg Public Library and Young Canada Works.
Search for job opportunities online: Check out Job Bank, Find My Job, Indeed or other search engines.
Use your networks and connections: Inquire about unadvertised job openings (the "hidden job market").
Year 4 - 120 credit hours
Ensure you have references in place: Ask your professor for a reference or a letter of recommendation if you're applying for graduate school.
Assess your resumé: Identify any gaps in experience and fill them through volunteering, work placements or internships such as the Official Languages Program.
Cultural experiences offer valuable exposure and learning opportunities that help us engage with and appreciate the diversity in our communities and future workplaces. Learn more about Indigenous and International communities at the University of Manitoba.
Year 1 - 30 credit hours
Engage in intercultural experiences: Visit the International Centre website to learn more about volunteer opportunities for UM students. Engage in Indigenous cultural learning by attending Indigenous events on campus.
Indigenous Student Programming: If you’re an Indigenous Student, explore supports and programs at the Indigenous Student Centre.
Interested in studying abroad to gain intercultural experiences and skills employers want? Visit the student exchange programs website and book an appointment with the student mobility coordinator to learn more. Also learn about a full year abroad experience through McCall MacBain International Fellowships.
Year 2 - 60 credit hours
Applying for an international exchange program? Students apply almost one year in advance of their exchange. Book an appointment with the student mobility coordinator on the exchange programs website to start the process.
Participate in cultural learning opportunities on campus: Participate in Indigenous learning opportunities such as Fireside Chats, Tea with Auntie, Indigenous Studies Colloquium, and other events within your faculty. Your active and respectful participation is welcome at Indigenous ceremonies on campus. Please note that some ceremonies are confidential spaces; feel free to ask about cultural protocols.
Join a student community: There are many student groups at UM, including those that represent a wide variety of cultures and communities - the UM Indigenous Students’ Association (UMISA), UM International Students' Organization, and many more!
Looking to learn a language? Visit the Language Centre for a variety of resources and join the Language Exchange program or Language Partner Volunteer Program.
Year 3 - 90 credit hours
Develop global career skills and expand intercultural learning: Participate in the Intercultural Leaders program to enhance cultural awareness and develop intercultural skills for a variety of settings, both in and out of the classroom. Participate in 8 sessions with topics on leadership, self-awareness, intercultural competency, communication, conflict resolution and more.
Volunteer at the International Centre’s Welcome Mentors program and/or Graduation Pow Wow.
Engage locally: Learn more about the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba and your responsibility as a Treaty partner. Enroll in Community Engaged Learning programs; Indigenous students may wish to explore programs such as Land and Water: Land-Based Education.
Year 4 - 120 credit hours
Expand your knowledge on Indigenous culture and protocols, including developing your own Territory Acknowledgement. Explore resources provided by Canada's National Research Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and take part in the educational programming offered during Truth and Reconciliation Week!
Industries such as business, communications, education, government and justice would value a French major in combination with the employability skills that are highly sought after by employers. These include:*
*Information has been adapted from Employability Skills 2000+ and Workplace Education Manitoba – Essential Skills.
Briefly, tell us about your job. What do you find most rewarding? What are your greatest challenges within this profession?
I’ve worked as an editor and instructional designer for various companies for over 15 years. As an editor of art museum publications I edit scholarly essays written by curators and art historians for books that accompany exhibitions at galleries across Canada. As an instructional designer, I design and write training curriculum to teach adult learners specific skills and specialize in e-learning delivery: online self-study, webinars and virtual classroom.
What I find rewarding about editing is playing a part in shaping a writer’s work to enhance the author’s voice and make the content clear, accurate, engaging and meaningful to the reader. With instructional design I enjoy the dual aspects of analysis and creativity: I have to analyze both employer and learner needs; I have to write content that meets those needs and make it engaging and interesting; and I have to use graphic design skills to make the content visually appealing and to make abstract ideas more concrete.
The greatest challenges with both jobs usually revolve around deadlines. Content may get to me days or weeks after I’m expecting to receive it, but printing deadlines or overall project deadlines usually stay the same. I need to be able to work well under pressure and to not expect that any given day or week will flow the way I want or expect it to.
What experiences and activities helped you to map out your career pathway?
The tips below helped me to map out my career path, but they are general in nature and will be useful regardless of your career choice:
As a student, did you see yourself in your current career? What stayed the same and/or changed?
No, when I was in school I didn’t see myself being an editor or an instructional designer. I thought that I’d become an academic and teach at a university, so I had to do my Master of Arts degree first, then a PhD. Working on my masters made me realize that I didn’t want to spend my life researching and writing papers and books on a narrow field (literary criticism) that would be of interest and value to so few people. So my plan to become an academic changed, but what stayed the same was my understanding that my career would revolve around my analytical and language and writing abilities.
What advice do you have for students who are interested in pursuing a degree in French?
Like completing a degree in English, completing a degree in French literature is a gateway to career opportunities in communications and education fields. A French degree doesn’t mean you have to work solely in that language, or train later to become a teacher or translator. I find that those who learn another language have a far better understanding of grammar and syntax than those who speak only one language. My study of French literature definitely helped shape the skills I use now as an editor and writer of English content, from correcting grammar errors to reorganizing text to make content more logical and easier to understand.
What job search advice do you have for students and recent graduates?
It’s rare for people to find an ideal job upon graduation, especially in the arts and humanities, so my advice is to avoid thinking that certain jobs are beneath you. Every job is a growth opportunity because you’ll learn what you do like to do and don’t like to do and what you’re good at and not good at.
If you’re in a job that doesn’t make use of all your talents and abilities, take control and create opportunities that can make use of other skills you want to develop. For example, in one of my first jobs after getting my masters degree, I asked if I could revamp the design of a newsletter and write all the content, and my employer said yes. My motto is, “If you don’t ask, you won’t get.” The worst that can happen is someone tells you no and then you move on.
Tell us a fun fact about your career path.
After my first year in my masters program, I applied for a program where I could teach English in a French high school. I got to teach in the city of Nantes in the Brittany/Loire region and in addition to travelling in that area, I also made several trips to Paris, as well as trips to the south of France and Spain. I lived in an apartment with two Germans and an Australian and met lots of great people. It was a fantastic experience, although it did confirm for me that I didn’t want to be a school teacher!
Meet with a career consultant for a confidential discussion about your career goals, job search, resumé/CV and interview preparation.
Contact Career Services at cs.receptionist@umanitoba.ca or call 204-474-9456 to make an appointment.
Talk to an academic advisor who will guide you to resources to help you make important decisions for your future. Advisors are specialized, often by program, faculty/school or unit.
Department of French, Spanish and Italian, Faculty of Arts
430 Fletcher Argue Building
15 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 5V5 Canada
Career Services
Room 474 UMSU University Centre
65 Chancellor's Circle
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
