The Department of French at Osmania University was established in the year 1954, the first of its kind in the state of Hyderabad as well as in Andhra Pradesh. Visiting and guest faculty enabled the university to offer "Beginners course in French". It started functioning as a full-fledged Department only from the year 1958. Initially, only two diploma courses in French were offered: Junior and Senior. These were offered with the help of visiting faculty from France.Later under successive headships more courses were added. With Prof. A.D. Bhogle as Head, the Advanced Diploma in French was introduced in 1974. This qualification along with another degree was equivalent to graduation in French. In 1986, under the headship of Prof. Pramila V Rao, the M.A. programme in French was started. Apart from these language courses and the M.A. programme, French is also offered as second language for undergraduate students in the constituent and affiliated colleges of Osmania University. It is also offered as an optional subject in professional courses such as Hotel Management, Catering Technology, Culinary Art and Business Management. Need based short-term courses are also offered on demand.

The faculty members of the department have contributed in various capacities in getting the French speaking community of the twin cities together. Prof. A.D. Bhogle along with a dozen likeminded people was instrumental in founding the Indo-French Friendship Society which resulted in establishment of the Alliance Francaise of Hyderabad. Prof. Pramila V Rao was closely associated with the academic activities of the Alliance in the initial years. Mr. Ravi Eshwar Chand, the last French faculty member to head the department, has been an executive member and an office bearer of the Alliance for several years. He was also the Vice-President of the Alliance Francaise of Hyderabad. Prof. V. Jyoti Reddy and Prof. V. Nanda Reddy were life members. The Department has been in continuous touch with other French and French teaching Bodies such as the Embassy of France in India, English and Foreign Languages University (earlier CIEFL) and French Teachers' Associations in India (AITF and IATF) which has resulted in the conduct of purposeful international conferences, national and regional seminars and workshops for the benefit of the French teaching community of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The Department also receives journal and books from Swiss and Canadian Universities. The faculty of the Department has been associated with academic endeavours such as Refresher Courses. They have served in capacities varying from advisory members on the Boards of Studies to Experts in the Panels of various institutions and universities in India.

The Department also has a huge library with a collection of over 2000 French novels, plays, collection of poems and essays, comics, journals, magazines, newspapers and brochures.