French

With over 120 million speakers worldwide, French is among the most widely spoken modern languages. A major in French allows students to explore the rich culture and history of France and French speaking countries throughout the world. The French program provides excellent academic preparation for many professions in various fields, including education, business, travel, and publishing.

The Bachelor of Arts in French provides comprehensive training in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in French as well as exploring the literature and culture of France and the French-speaking world. After the basic language sequence, students take courses from a wide range of offerings in French literature, civilization, cinema, media studies, contemporary culture, advanced grammar and writing practice, and French linguistics. For students with an interest in international business, our department offers a course in Business French.

A major in French is great preparation for many different careers. In addition to language proficiency, French majors acquire advanced skills in general communication, analytical reasoning, and multicultural understanding, among others, that are highly valuable in a variety of professions. French majors often take advantage of the many opportunities to study abroad either for a semester or an entire school year. About 80% of French students spend some time aboard during their time at IUB. The flexible requirements for the French major allow our students routinely to complete a double major.