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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 111 - Beginning French I
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.
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.
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
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
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.
