French Major - Academics

What You’ll Study in the Bachelor’s Degree in French

Become fluent in French and delve into French and Francophone literatures, films, and cultures with our expert professors and immersive learning opportunities. Learn to analyze literature and other texts in courses that cover a wide variety of periods and movements from the French-speaking world.

Roadmap to the BA in French at Reed

As a student in the French department, enroll in courses that immerse you in the world of French and Francophone cultures through poetry, novels, and film. Pursue study abroad opportunities as well as on-campus interactions with native speakers to build your language, writing, and analytical skills and prepare you for your future.

Explore French Major Learning Outcomes

Year One

Begin Your Reed Journey

Start your French studies by taking a beginning French course or testing into our intermediate or advanced classes. Explore the breadth of Reed’s offerings by taking a course outside your major. And, of course, participate in the great Reed tradition of Humanities 110, our yearlong, first-year course in which you study perspectives from the past and present while strengthening your critical thinking and writing skills.

Discover Humanities 110

Year Two

Increase Your Language Skills

Continue your language studies with language courses and a conversation course. Choose additional electives from the French department to engage with French and Francophone literature from the classics to new writings and films.

Live in the French House, our unique residence hall where students converse mainly in French and learn from our resident language scholar. The French House also hosts cultural events, including a weekly "table française," French films, French dinners, and various French holiday celebrations.

Visit the French House

Year Three

Study Abroad and Deepen Your Knowledge

Take your final French humanities course and spend a semester (or two) studying abroad in France. Delve into the world of French poetry and cinema, and choose from electives such as Postwar French Cinema (1945–1975) and Poetics of the Nonhuman.

Through your classes, gain experience with literary theory, build critical thinking skills, and engage in close readings to better understand texts as you prepare for your junior qualifying examination. Apply for grants to conduct summer research.

Year Four

Showcase Your French and Research Skills

Spend your final year at Reed completing your senior thesis. Conduct research in French and write using primary and secondary sources in both French and English. This yearlong project builds research skills and develops French-to-English technical and literary translation skills.

Enroll in additional classes that enhance your knowledge of French culture and history, such as Modern French and Francophone Theater and Nineteenth-Century French Poetry and Poetics. By the time you graduate, reach near-native fluency in spoken French and become proficient in reading and writing.

Explore Degree Requirements for the French Major

Why Study French at Reed College?

Advanced Language Studies with Small Classroom Sizes

When you're studying a new language, small class sizes make all the difference. Reed’s French department prioritizes personalized attention, with an average class size of 10 to 15. We also provide one-on-one office hours, conversation practice with our resident language scholar, and peer tutoring.

Specialized French Courses

Our robust French literature courses offer a wide range of literary interests and critical attitudes from a variety of periods and movements in the French-speaking world. Classes are taught in French so you are able to use your language skills and develop them further.

Study Abroad and Research Opportunities

Enrich your understanding of the French language and culture through studying abroad. At Reed, we strongly encourage French majors to apply to our programs in France.

We also provide research opportunities to help you gain experience studying primary documents, translating, and more. Apply for Reed grants, which can help fund your work.

Our French Courses

French BA course catalog

French language reference materials on a bookshelf in the Reed library

French 111 - Beginning French I

Develop essential listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in French. Step into the French and francophone world by working on cultural materials and learn to use French as it is spoken and written today.

French 363 - Introduction to Francophone Literature

Interpret themes and forms in francophone works, explore narrative strategies, and delve into critical essays and literary works by authors writing in French from a variety of cultural situations and geographic locations.

A poster for the 1949 film Le Silence de la mer. A green abstract image of a soldier is shown against a black background above the title.

French 390 - Postwar French Cinema (1945–1975)

Examine the critical function taken on by French cinema in the second half of the twentieth century. Through discussion with peers, film screenings, and reading key essays by film critics and theorists, learn how the filmic medium can propose critical alternatives to traditional historical narratives.

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Careers for French BA Graduates

With their high French proficiency levels and strong critical thinking and writing skills, graduates of the French major pursue a variety of careers.

Bilingual communication specialist, NAVEX Global
Software engineer, Microsoft
Senior legislative officer, United States Department of Labor
Associate professor of French, Virginia Tech
Physician, Providence Health & Services
Attorney, Hall Prangle & Schoonveld
Assistant Professor of French, Northwestern University

Learn More About Career Paths and Possibilities

Graduate Program Placement for French Majors

Graduates of Reed’s French department continue their studies at many renowned universities, including the following:

Columbia University
New York University
Princeton University
University of British Columbia
University of California, Berkeley
University of Paris, Sorbonne
Yale University

Learn About Graduate Studies

Photo portrait of Ann Delehanty, professor of French and humanities

Meet Our Faculty

Meet our dedicated French department professors who are experts in topics from French literature and poetry to cinema. Discover the world of French and Francophone literature and cultures and hone your French speaking and writing skills.

Explore French Department Faculty Profiles