Opportunities for Studying French Outside Newfoundland and Labrador
Students enrolled in the Major or Minor programmes in French are required to spend a certain amount of time studying or working in French. This requirement introduces an extra complication into students' programmes that often leads students to request assistance in planning, completing or aplying for credit for their programmes. This pages lists some of the opportunities available to students and provides some important information on transfer credit. It also gives contact information for people at Memorial who may be able to help you when you need assistance.
Types of Opportunities
Federally Funded Programmes
- Explore (Summer Language Bursary) Programme
- Official Languages Monitor Programme
- Fellowship Programme
Opportunities Through Memorial
- Frecker programme in Saint-Pierre
- Canadian Third Year in Nice
- Winter semester exchange programme at the Université de Bretagne Sud
- Lycée exchange programme
- Assistantship programme
- Université de Bordeaux exchange programme (lecteur/lectrice)
- Keele University exchange programme
Other Opportunities
- through Canadian Universities in Canada (e.g. correspondence or distance)
- study-abroad programmes (Canadian or foreign)
- private language schools
- French universities
- Working as an ´ au pair ª
- job opportunities
A Note on Transfer of Credit
Many universities in Canada and elsewhere will include in their advertisements statements to the effect that students completing their programmes are eligible for transfer of credit to their home universities. This may or may not be true, and you should proceed cautiously! Transfer of credit depends on the following:
- Work must be completed at an accredited post-secondary institution.
- Course duration (hours of study) must satisfy criteria defined by the Registrar's Office.
- You must obtain a Letter of Permission or apply for transfer of credit (see over).
- You must have your transcript from the course sent to the Evaluations Officer.
- The course level and content must be satisfactory to the Department (e.g. work must not substantially duplicate course work already completed, must be at a level at least equivalent to work already completed, and must correspond roughly in content and type to courses offered at Memorial or courses that could be offered).
Even if you do not receive credit, you should not consider the experience wasted! It will still satisfy the requirement to study in a Francophone environment, and your primary consideration in any event should be personal benefit (exposure, comfort in French, increased oral fluency, cultural familiarity, etc.) rather than credit. If you require credit (for example in order to complete your degree by a certain time), you should discuss your plans with the Department before leaving in order to avoid disappointment and complications.