French Major and Minor

Build, solidify and gain fluency in the language and cultures of the French-speaking world. Along the way, you’ll prepare for and then embark on a French-speaking, off-campus program. After you return, you'll continue to study current issues in France, West Africa, North America or the Caribbean.

Two students wearing masks working on the floor together working on laptop computers

Why Study French at Albion?

From the classroom to our language-learning housing (known as the I-Space), and from study-away opportunities and internships to engaging in Albion’s thriving French Sister Cities relationship, you’ll build the communication skills and historical context you’ll need to understand contemporary issues in the French-speaking world.

What Will You Learn as a French Major?

In your first courses you will develop the four skills—listening, speaking, reading and writing—you’ll need to effectively function within a French-speaking environment. As you expand your communication skills you will also gain cross-cultural understanding through more enhanced interpersonal, interpretive and presentational communication.

Upper-level courses, interdisciplinary in scope, focus on the culture of a particular area or time period and examine the relevant literature as well as social issues, artistic movements, political change, religious influences and film.

Major Courses Minor Courses

Teacher Certification with a French Major

Interested in teaching? Pair your French major (or minor) with an Education Concentration to be eligible for your Michigan Department of Education teaching certificate.

Education concentration and teaching certification

Program Highlights

Experience Opportunities

Three Albion College students talking outside on campus

Fluency in more than one language and understanding other cultures are essential skills for living and working in our increasingly internationalized world. While practicing and mastering their French outside of the classroom—weekly meetings with Native Speaker Teaching Assistants, living in the I-Space, studying abroad—Albion students will discover how people in other parts of the world think and express their ideas and beliefs.

Off-Campus Study

Isabella Scalise in front of the Louvre in Paris.

Beyond the ultimate opportunity to put your French to everyday use, a semester or even a year of study abroad can be a life-changing experience. Through the Center for International Education, Albion offers a wide range of well-established programs and will help you every step of the way in choosing the right program for you.

Scholarships and Awards

Three Albion students conversing outside of a campus building.

The French-American Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Chapter, offers a scholarship program to assist college students in Michigan to study business or business-related courses and French language studies and who plan to combine French and business in their future career plans. Read about a recent Albion recipient.

Honors Thesis

Student holding a piece of paper in a classroom

French majors who are also members of the College’s Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program can construct an original research project as a capstone to their undergraduate studies at Albion. Eighty percent of Honors students go on to graduate or professional school after graduation.

Careers & Outcomes

As the world continues to become increasingly diverse across traditional borders and cultural boundaries, there will be more demand in the workplace and for communities to effectively negotiate otherness—different ways of living lives—which will directly impact professional practices. Your knowledge of French language and culture will continue to grow in importance as a foundation for functioning successfully in a global economy across many professions.