Skills and experience
Studying one or more languages to degree level demonstrates that you're a good communicator, a resilient problem solver, and someone open to other cultures and new ideas – what employers value as intercultural competence.
Beyond the language skills you will develop on our programmes, and the nuanced understanding you will gain of other cultures and societies, graduating with a four-year honours degree from the University of Edinburgh shows intellectual maturity, resilience, and flexibility.
The skills you will be able to demonstrate to employers when you graduate include the ability to:
- understand, analyse and articulate complex issues and concepts
- manage your time to meet deadlines on different types of projects
- work independently and as part of a group
Opportunities across sectors
Our programmes are an excellent primer for a range of careers, especially those that place a premium on thinking that is both disciplined and imaginative.
Within the private, public, not-for-profit, and for-benefit sectors, previous graduates have gone on to work in:
- business, finance, commerce, and tech
- communications, marketing, advertising, and public relations
- education, outreach, advocacy, and training
- journalism, broadcasting, and media
- leisure, tourism, and travel
- politics, policy work, diplomacy, civil service, and law
- publishing, culture, heritage, and the arts
- research, development, consultancy, and venture acceleration
- translating and interpreting
Local and global opportunities
With increasing migration in response to changing global dynamics, there is demand for our graduates in Scotland, the UK and abroad.
Wherever you are based in the world, the ability to communicate in another global language, and to understand the cultures to which it opens doors, will make you stand out.
If you are keen to work abroad, it is good to know that French is a major language of international communication, one of the most widely spoken in the world, particularly in Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
As one of our graduates, you will be well-placed to seek opportunities in the 29 countries where French is an official language, and the many multinational companies and institutions for which it is a working language
Further study
The enhanced research skills you will develop on a four-year programme, particularly in your honours years, are a valuable asset if you wish to continue studying at postgraduate level.
At the University of Edinburgh, we typically offer a Masters by Research degree in French and taught masters programmes in:
- Comparative Literature
- Intermediality
- Translation Studies
Any of our masters degrees, whether research-based or taught, is a good foundation for a PhD, but is equally of value as a stand-alone qualification.
