The predecessor of the Department of French Language and Literature can be traced back to the French section of the Capital School of Foreign Languages that was set up by the government of the Qing Dynasty. The School of Foreign Languages of Peking University was officially established in June 1999, thus the former French teaching and research unit under the Department of Western Languages and Literatures was renamed the Department of French Language and Literature. Currently, the Department of French Language and Literature has a standing faculty of eleven, of whom four are full professors, five are associate professors and two are tenured associate professors. In addition to the regular faculty, the department hires two French instructors.

Peking University began to recruit students in French language and literature at Master level in 1956 and PhD level in 1987, and subsequently established a center for post-doctoral studies. Each year, the Department of French Language and Literature admits about eighteen undergraduate students, four MA students and several doctoral students. The department also offers courses to non-French majors, who may choose French as their minor. 

The department offers a variety of courses that are designed to develop competence in the French language as well as an understanding of French literature and the culture and history of French-speaking nations. These courses help students acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for careers in government, research, teaching and business.  

The department maintains close relationships of cooperation with several universities in France and French-speaking countries such as Switzerland and Canada, usually in the form of exchange of scholars or students and joint doctoral degree programs.

Students who prefer further study after completing their undergraduate education here have the option of pursuing a Master's or doctoral degree. Graduate students are eligible to apply for government scholarships to study in France.