The School of French Language and Literature at Aristotle University was first established in the academic year 1954-1955, as the French Department of the Institute of Foreign Languages and Philologies, which was inaugurated in 1952 under the auspices of the Faculty of Philosophy. Nowadays, it constitutes one of the eight Schools of the Faculty of Philosophy at Aristotle University.

Aims of the Undergraduate Study Programme

The Undergraduate Study Programme of the School of French aims at the acquisition of basic knowledge in the fields of Linguistics, Teaching of Modern Languages, French Literature, Comparative Literature, French Culture and Translation-Translation Studies. The Programme aspires to cultivate the mind, provide instruction, develop scientific and critical thinking and formulate a European consciousness. More specifically, its objectives include: the promotion of French education in the Greek-speaking area, multicultural communication and training scientists to study and comprehend the French language and letters, prepare curricula for the teaching of the French language and literature/culture in education, manage written and oral scientific discourse, describe and interpret cultural phenomena from the French-speaking and Greek-speaking world, connect linguistic approaches with the teaching and learning of French as a first/second foreign language, and become familiarized with modern teaching and pedagogical methods, special topics related to foreign language teaching and current theories on translation.

On the level of applications, it aims at a learning outcome and skills that will provide graduates with the ability to provide their services and knowledge in the fields of research, education, translation and culture.

Therefore, the graduates of the School of French, depending on the required elective subjects they have chosen, are able to acquire the following skills:

1. to conduct research and write scientific papers on the fields of French and comparative literature, the teaching of modern languages, linguistics and translation studies,
2. to support philological and linguistic research at research bodies, centres and institutes,
3. to teach French in primary and secondary education in the public and private sector, and to adults at various educational institutes,
4. to create original educational material for teaching French as a foreign language,
5. to teach about French/French-speaking literature and French culture, 
6. to use information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching French as a foreign language, 
7. to use various systems of asynchronous distance learning, 
8. to facilitate communication between speakers of French and speakers of Greek,
9. to select and promote French literature to Greek-speaking publishers, 
10. (to translate general/specialized texts from French into Greek. 

The School of French Language and Literature offers:

• A four-year Undergraduate Study Programme in three different fields: Linguistics & Teaching of Modern Languages, French Literature & Culture, Translation & Translation Studies (240 ECTS).
• A two-year Postgraduate Study Programme (known in Greek by the acronym PMS) in three different fields: Linguistics & Teaching of Modern Languages, French Literature & Culture, Translation & Translation Studies.

The PMS consists of two different courses of study:  

• An MA granted after the successful completion of the first two-year course of study of the postgraduate programme (120 ECTS).
• A PhD degree granted after the successful completion of a PhD dissertation and a public thesis defense.

The School of French Language and Literature also comprises:

Three Departments:

• The Department of Linguistics & Didactics
• The Department of Literature and
• The Department of Translation

Three Laboratories, where systematic research and study of the above fields is carried out, based on an interdisciplinary perspective and approach:

• The Laboratory of Comparative Literature,
• The Laboratory of Teaching of Modern Languages, and
• The Laboratory of Translation and Language Processing,

Two up-to-date Libraries

The School of French Language and Literature also participates in:

• The Inter-departmental and Inter-institutional Postgraduate Study Programmes (known in Greek by the acronyms DPMS / DDPMS) respectively. 
• Training programmes in the framework of its research fields and in cooperation with other Greek and/or foreign educational institutions.
• The EPEAEK/ESPA research programmes (financed by the Ministry of Education and the European Union).

Moreover, the School systematically works closely with French-speaking Universities, constantly participating in student, teacher and researcher exchange programmes and also invites highly recognized scientists and experts to give lectures and/or provide seminars to an under- or postgraduate audience.