The Department of French Studies is open to students who are eager to play an active part in European and international society in the 21st century, using French, the second international language along with English.

France has been a pillar of Western culture for a long time. Now, it is considered as a leader of the EU, which consists of 25 countries with plans for further development. With the importance of France in various areas in mind, members of the department pursue research in French culture and society from every possible aspect.

In order to prepare for specialized studies, students in the first and second years must complete a comprehensive course in French speaking, reading, and writing. In the third and fourth years, after increasing their abilities in the target language, they can carry out individual research in four major fields: history/sociology, politics/economics, linguistics/literature, and philosophy/culture.

The department is staffed by 11 Japanese teachers to offer a wide range of areas of specialization, covering all the fields mentioned above. In addition two native French speaking teachers are engaged in language training.

Every year about ten students in the third and fourth years go to France for more in-depth study. This university also maintains a student exchange program with a sister school, University of Lille III, located in the North of France.