Welcome to the Department of Languages, Literatures, & Cultural Studies where you can discover new worlds and their languages, cultures and literatures. Our department is known for its team of dynamic and dedicated teachers, many of whom have been recipients of USSU Teaching Excellence Awards. Within the department, we offer second-language study in French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Arabic, and courses in the cultures and literatures of these languages as well as in Comparative Literature. Our close and active collaboration with STM College widens our French and Spanish course offerings and also allows students to study Ukrainian through STM. Students may also benefit from various study-abroad opportunities offered by the department and can complement their degree requirements and further enhance their language fluency by studying French, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese in the countries and environments where they are spoken. 

Students interested in majoring in second-language study may opt for undergraduate degrees in French or Modern Languages. In French, we offer the full range of undergraduate programs (3 yr. B.A., 4 yr. B.A., Honours B.A., Double Honours B.A., French Minor, and French Language Recognition). Students who already hold an Honours, 4 yr. or equivalent undergraduate degree in French may also pursue their studies further at the graduate level through our French M.A. program. We strongly recommend that undergraduate students who are interested in Graduate Studies opt for the Honours B.A.  Please consult the web site for information on graduate studies. Students thinking of teaching French at the elementary and high school levels as well as in French Immersion should seriously consider completing a 4 yr. French B.A. prior to starting their degree in Education.

The department also offers an interdisciplinary 3 yr. and 4 yr. B.A. in Modern Languages. These programs provide students with the opportunity of combining study in one or more of our languages with other areas of study such as Comparative Literature, for example. Students may choose French or Spanish as their primary language of study and complement this focus with study in any of the other languages taught in our department or other languages offered in the College of Arts and Science. Students majoring in other disciplines who would like to complement their area of specialization with study in languages may also opt for a Minor in French or Spanish or may obtain Language Recognition in any of these two languages.

Make sure to browse all our course offerings at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Our Department has a strong commitment to teaching excellence at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and is proud of its award-winning team of teachers, most of whom have either been recipients of the USSU Teaching Excellence Award or have been nominated for it numerous times. Our faculty members routinely receive excellent student evaluations and are frequently cited for demonstrating a genuine concern and interest in the academic success of their students. Our professors have a reputation for fostering a strong and personable sense of academic community and belonging through small senior classes. They are known for walking the extra mile in order to ensure that their students are exposed to the full scope of intellectually rewarding facets of academic life. Faculty prepare students for participation in local, national and international scholarly conferences and organize academic, cultural and language student activities beyond the classroom such as conferences showcasing invited speakers and student research, theatrical productions, community theater outings, student talent and variety shows, potluck dinners, language retreats, discussion groups, film nights or international dance events. Additional cultural activities are organized by language student groups such as Le Cercle français.

Our faculty members are committed to providing the most comprehensive education possible in the languages we teach and their associated cultural and literary areas of study. We are equally engaged in working with students to promote student language-related extra-curricular activities both within the university and beyond it in the wider local languages communities.

The University of Saskatchewan is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a city with a diverse and thriving economic base, a vibrant arts community and a full range of leisure opportunities. The University has a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and scholarly activities, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs to a student population of about 20,000. The university is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities. The University of Saskatchewan is committed to employment equity, welcomes diversity in the workplace, and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including women, members of visible minorities, Aboriginal persons, and persons with disabilities. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply to academic positions as they become available even though Canadian and permanent residents will be given priority.