French - Major

The purpose of the French Major Program is to educate students to think and perceive rationally and critically. This education includes reading and thinking; learning about literary and cultural movements; and making connections between the primarily aesthetic literary artifacts of the culture and its political, social, and economic history.

Through the Emerson Language Laboratory, students are trained to use new learning and technology media at all language levels to allow them to communicate effectively in a variety of personal and professional contexts. 

Likewise, students are encouraged to prepare themselves philosophically and practically to make linkages between the major and other academic disciplines. While doing so, they have the opportunity to enroll in French courses tailored to their future professions, to do French-based internships, to take community engaged learning classes working with French-speaking community partner institutions, thereby enhancing both their linguistic abilities, and their understanding of business culture and global perspectives. This comprehensive approach prepares students to excel in diverse professional environments where their language and intercultural competencies are highly valued.

Students majoring in French learns about the world of ideas and letters, past, present and future, and are given the tools to develop a critical engagement with the world around them. This training highly recommends at least one semester of study abroad; one year is recommended. The cohesive, integrated program of language, culture, and literature courses ensures maximum proficiency in the target language.

At the heart of the program is La Maison Française, a vibrant center dedicated to French studies and to fostering an immersive experience in the French language, culture, and the diverse traditions of French-speaking countries worldwide. At La Maison Française, French Majors have the unique opportunity to live and learn alongside students from Rennes, France. This living-learning experience allows students to build meaningful connections with their French peers on campus before meeting them again during study-abroad program in Rennes, France.

La Maison Française is also a cultural meeting place for the French Club, an active student-led organization on campus, and brings together Francophone and Francophile members of the Rochester community. Regularly hosting cultural events, La Maison celebrates the richness of French culture and the cultures of French-speaking countries, fostering opportunities for networking, community building, and cultural exchange, to enrich the student experience.

All resident French majors are strongly encouraged to spend at least two semesters in the Maison Française. One of these should be the year following their study abroad trip in France, to allow them to maintain fluency in the language skills acquired abroad.