FASTFACTS
- A four-week long summer abroad program allows students to earn six hours of credit from PC’s partner institution, IDRAC Business School, in Lyon, France.
- French is among the top languages to learn for business around the world.
- French majors can volunteer their language skills in churches, community organizations, and programs that work with people who speak French.
- Starting your career in a domestic position can lead to a promotion into an international position because many international employers often promote current employees into these roles.
What you’ll study as a French major
The courses you take as a French major at PC prepare you for graduate school, employment and beyond. During your first two years at PC, you fulfill your general education requirements. These serve as the basis of your liberal arts education. Courses include natural science, social sciences and humanities.
As you move into your junior and senior years, most or all of your courses will be specific to your French major. Expect to take such courses as Intermediate French, Culture and Communication, and French Literature. You can also learn about French cuisine by taking a special-topic course called “La Table Française.”
A summer or study abroad experience in a French-speaking country is recommended so that you can submerge yourself in the French culture. French courses taken in a study abroad program may be substituted for some courses. As a capstone to the major, you’ll complete an independent research project. If you choose to take Honors Research, you must register for your capstone, or Signature Work, in the same semester.
MORE INFORMATION
- CO = Co-requisite
- POI = Permissions of Instructor
- PR = Pre-requisite
- RE = Recommended
- XL = Cross-listed
Careers in French
Majoring in French can make you marketable as a candidate for a job or when applying for law school, medical school and other graduate programs. It is a practical major, which gives students an edge in their professional careers.
PC graduates have gone on to a variety of fields, including international banking, business, journalism, and teaching right after college. Recent French majors from PC have gone on to earn master’s degrees, MBAs, law degrees, and a Ph.D. degree in French literature and linguistics.
One PC graduate now teaches English for the Ministry of Education in France.
Students with a French degree can also find work translating and interpreting for international companies. According to PayScale, students who graduated with a degree in French made $51,000 as a translator. French majors are in demand in banking and finance, international law and the travel industry.
FACULTY
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