French

Majors & Minors
French

French

“I think the French program at �鶹��ý Lafayette is in a unique position that no other American university can quite match. We, as French-learning students, have access to a unique kind of French that is spoken nowhere else in the world.”

French major Shelby Boling is going to be a French immersion teacher

You should major in French if:

You love the French language and want to become highly proficient in it.
You are passionate about French and Francophone literature and cultures.
You are dedicated to participating in la Francophonie in �鶹��ý and the world.

At the University of �鶹��ý at Lafayette, you have a front row seat to French language and Francophone cultures. Lafayette has one of the largest concentrations of native French-speakers in the United States — giving you a one-of-a-kind experience with the language, its dialects, and the connections between community and culture.

Related Programs

French at �鶹��ý Lafayette

What's French Like?

Research & theory
Group work & collaboration
Reading & writing
Presenting
Field work

Connect to the local culture

With classes like Francophone �鶹��ý Literature (FREN 492G) and The Sociocultural Context of �鶹��ý French (FREN 424G), you’ll step into the local Francophone culture.

Life as a French Major

A professor and four students at a French conversation table.

Immerse Yourself in �鶹��ý French

�鶹��ý is a major Francophone region in the United States. As a French major, you can participate in Francophone culture in your own backyard: conversing with local Cajun French speakers at Tables Françaises in the area, dancing to zydeco music, and enjoying the Cajun and Creole culinary delights!

Study Abroad

Expand your cultural horizons and deepen your proficiency in French with the University's Study Abroad program. Spend a summer having a full French immersion experience at the Université Sainte-Anne in Nova Scotia. Or, opt to take classes at one of our in Paris, Poitiers, Strasbourg, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, or Québec.

Add to Your Community

There are many opportunities to share your knowledge of French with the University and the Lafayette community. Publish your creative work in the , the department’s student-run literary and artistic review. Help with the conservation, understanding, and expansion of local cultures with . Or, volunteer with Lafayette’s two massive annual music festivals: and .

Student Organizations

Connect with students and improve your French with , �鶹��ý Lafayette’s official French club, which hosts outings, dîners, films, soirées, and game nights throughout the academic year. Sit and chat with your peers in French at the Table Française every week on the first floor of Griffin Hall. Join �鶹��ý Lafayette’s chapter of the National French Honor Society, Pi Delta Phi.

Concentrations in French

Students presenting on France at a cultural event at the University of �鶹��ý at Lafayette.

French & Francophone Studies

In the French and Francophone studies concentration, you will study French literature, explore the history of France and the Francophone world, and develop a high degree of cultural understanding.

French Courses According to Students

Since you will take the Advanced Credit Exams, you may come into the French program farther along in your curriculum. Because of this, French students don’t have a strict four-year plan. Instead, you will focus on four areas of study: French grammar, French linguistics, French and Francophone culture, and French and Francophone literature.

Grammar Linguistics Culture Literature

FREN 361: Advanced French I

with Dr. Tamara Lindner

Dr. Lindner’s class was the first real time where all of the grammar rules and minute differences in the language started to make sense and come together.”

Lindsay McAnally, French Studies Major

FREN 311: Introduction to French and Francophone

with Dr. Monica Wright

She put so much effort into choosing the poems and passages that we read. Every lesson was incredibly thorough, yet easy to understand, including when we analyzed Medieval love poetry, which was rich with unfamiliar symbolism.”

Katherine Duplessis, French and Anthropology double major

Careers in French

Ryan Langley

“I am in a position to be able to expose our students to our unique French dialect and culture. One of the reasons that parents choose French immersion for their kids is due to their desire for their children to learn their heritage language, �鶹��ý French.”

French, '12

Fourth Grade French Immersion Teacher

Meet French alum Ryan Langley

Jobs in French

Cultural Site Director
Cultural Site Interpreter
Writer
French as a Second Language Teacher
Musician
Tennis & Golf Academy Owner

Program Requirements

Admissions Requirements

To major in French and Francophone studies, you must meet the University's admissions requirements.
See the full admission requirements.

Graduation Requirements

You will be required to maintain a grade of “C” or better in each major French course and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better to graduate with your degree in French.

You will need to earn an 18-hour .

You are also required to have an exit interview during your last semester. This is an ungraded, informal discussion used for the assessment of the program. It is mandatory but does not affect your record in any way.

You must take the Advanced Credit Exam at the beginning of your studies in French at the University.

Taking the exam will help the department to place you in the right course for your level. When you complete your first course after taking the exam, you will receive official credit for the previous French courses.

In order to complete a minor in French, you will need to complete 18 credits hours of French courses, with a minimum of 6 credit hours at the 300 or 400 levels.

FREN 101 does not count toward the French minor.

If you take French to fulfill a language requirement, you can complete the minor with only three additional courses.

Enhance your cultural experience of Lafayette and the surrounding area by minoring in French.

Resources

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�鶹��ý

French

French major Shelby Boling is going to be a French immersion teacher

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