Having a major in French opens you up to a world of possibilities. It prepares you for graduate school and professional careers. It also helps you understand and appreciate cultural diversity on a global scale.
A bachelor’s degree in French is a valuable option for students who wish to study France, the French-speaking world and its influence on international commerce, culture and history. It allows you to become familiar with the language and the cultural heritage of the country as well as its many Francophone provinces, gaining a deep understanding of how it has influenced world history, politics and popular culture.
The program provides intensive linguistic experiences in small class sizes, making the language easy to master and providing graduates with the communication skills they need to succeed in a global society. Moreover, the courses focus on a wide variety of topics in French and Francophone history, culture and literature.
Courses in this field are a mix of linguistic, cultural and literary studies and address a range of topics including the origin of the language, its development in various countries, the influence of European cultures on other languages, and how languages and literature change over time. Some courses are focused on specific regions, such as the French-speaking Caribbean and Africa, while others examine broader topics.
It is the fastest growing language in the world and ranks as one of the top languages to learn based on population growth data (up to 750 million speakers by 2050). A French degree can open up a variety of careers, ranging from business to technology to marketing and journalism.
With a french degree you can go on to pursue a career in the travel and tourism industry, where knowledge of French is widely sought after. This sector includes airlines, cruise lines, hotels, airports, hotel booking websites and tour companies, among many other businesses that need bi-lingual employees.
You may choose to specialize in a specific area of French, such as French film or the history of French society and culture. You can also focus on comparative literature, examining the literature and literary traditions of two or more different countries, or cultures.
During your coursework you’ll explore the French-speaking world and its influence on world literature, cinema, art and music. You’ll develop transferable skills in analyzing texts, images and video, writing effectively, and expressing ideas clearly.
Our faculty emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary study, emphasizing the links between literature and the other arts as well as the connections between culture and society. We offer a diverse selection of courses in various periods and schools of criticism, as well as courses in composition, stylistics, translation and linguistics.
The CU French language and literature courses utilize CU’s state-of-the-art ALTEC language lab, enabling students to maximize their learning with a range of rich audio-visual content. Using these resources, we teach students to speak and write fluently in French while developing their critical thinking abilities.
The degree of master’s or doctorate in French is achieved by completing a thesis under the guidance of an advisor. This process is highly demanding, taking up to 2-7 years of work. The final product, the dissertation, is a substantial body of original research. A PhD in French is a strong credential for an interdisciplinary career in academia, business, law, government and other fields.