For the French Major Requirements Sheet click here (pdf).
Why study French?
Skills. The French major provides intensive training leading to a high degree of proficiency in the French language and a varied curriculum leading to a deep understanding of French history, culture, and society. The Department offers a variety of courses devoted to the study of major texts from every period of French history and from French-speaking countries around the world. It provides students with a sense of the key role that France has played in world history, as well as its changing place in the modern world. It also offers courses in composition, translation, Business French, and advanced grammar that prepare students to succeed in a variety of fields that require strong foreign language skills, intercultural awareness, and the ability to think critically and communicate effectively. In conjunction with the many opportunities for study abroad offered through UC's Education Abroad Program, the major provides students with the skills they will need to live and work abroad.
Careers. Students who major in French benefit from all the advantages of a liberal arts education, and are equipped to pursue careers in media, law, international commerce and finance, education, government service, travel and tourism, and communications, among others. Recent graduates have entered careers as translators, marketing analysts, foreign aid workers, business development professionals, university professors, and secondary school teachers. They have worked for employers like the United Nations, the US Department of State, the French Ministry of Education, the Catholic Church, and a wide variety of businesses ranging from local wineries and translation services to international corporations with offices in France. Others have gone on to top graduate programs around the country.
Double majors. The French major also pairs well with other majors. Many of our majors are double majors in a variety of disciplines, including Business Economics, Communications, Film & Media Studies, and Global Studies. Because our undergraduate French program includes innovative approaches to cross-cultural encounters, our students are prepared to work at the intersections of national and international issues. Moreover, they develop a better awareness of cultural differences through study of the Western European heritage that informs the experience not only of metropolitan French speakers, but also of Francophone populations within and outside France. Students can access the rich diversity of African, Caribbean, Canadian, Middle Eastern, and Asian communities that elect French as their primary or secondary language.
Study abroad. We strongly encourage study abroad in a French-speaking country. All French majors and minors can apply to spend up to one year in France through the Education Abroad Program (EAP) or through the accredited programs of other US universities.
For more on the importance of knowing French, please visit this informative site: http://www.utm.edu/staff/globeg/profren.shtml.
