Program Overview
French & Francophone Studies
Build fluency in French while exploring the cultures, histories, and ideas that connect communities across the French-speaking world.
A Global Language
Explore the many cultures and communities connected through French around the world.
Find Your Path
Study French alongside another major while shaping a program that reflects your interests and goals.
Language Through Experience
Build fluency through coursework, study abroad, cultural events, and close faculty mentorship.
Why Study French & Francophone Studies at Wooster?
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Learn from tenured faculty recognized for innovative teaching, active scholarship, and close student mentorship.
Explore the French-speaking world beyond France, with courses focused on Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and other Francophone communities.
Study abroad through one of sixteen pre-approved programs in France, Morocco, Madagascar, Belgium, Cameroon, and other French-speaking locations.
Work closely with professors through Independent Study, tutoring, teaching assistantships, departmental leadership opportunities, and cultural programming.
Graduate with the research experience and analytical skills sought by graduate schools and employers alike.
Featured Courses
Explore the French-speaking world through history, culture, literature, and film.
- Introduction to French/Francophone Text, Image & Film
- Mediterranean Crossings: North Africa and France in Historical Perspective
- Contemporary France: Economy, Society, Institutions
- Seeing is Believing? Truth vs. Fiction in 17th-Century France
- Remembering War
- Journeys in the French-Speaking Caribbean
- French and Francophone Feminisms from Christine de Pisan to Alice Diop
- Tracing Colonial Racism in Franco-European Comics
- West Africa and France: Encounters Since 1900
- Religion, Reason, and Revolution: Remaking the World in Enlightenment France
Follow your curiosity.
Independent Study allows you to pursue an original project shaped by your academic interests, study abroad experiences, and career goals while working one-on-one with a faculty mentor. Graduates leave Wooster with a substantial research project and an extensive writing sample in both French and English.
Beyond Independent Study, students can serve as tutors, teaching assistants, and departmental assistants while helping organize cultural events and the department's annual French and Francophone film series.
Ready to Explore French & Francophone Studies?
Whether you're interested in international affairs, business, education, law, public service, or global development, French & Francophone Studies prepares you to communicate across cultures and pursue opportunities around the world.
Career Opportunities
French & Francophone Studies graduates combine language proficiency with cultural understanding, research experience, and strong communication skills.
Many also continue their education in graduate and professional programs.
Several graduates also participate in the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) immediately after graduation, spending a year teaching English and American culture in French schools while gaining valuable international experience.
Key Areas
Graduates pursue careers in:
International development
Diplomacy and international affairs
Business and finance
Education
Law
Journalism
Public service
Museums and the arts
Tourism
Philanthropy
Where Our Alumni Go
French & Francophone Studies graduates have built careers with organizations including:
- The World Bank
- Peace Corps
- The J.M. Smucker Company
- Clinton Health Access Initiative
Graduates have also pursued advanced study at institutions including the University of Chicago, the University of Copenhagen, and the University of Iowa College of Law.
Scholarships & Student Opportunities
French & Francophone Studies students have access to multiple scholarships and awards, including:
- McSweeney Scholarships
- Global Engagement Prizes
- Frances Guille-Secor Scholarship
- G. Pauline Ihrig Scholarship
- Willis C. Behoteguy Prize
- John W. Olthouse Prize
Students also receive departmental support for study abroad, cultural programming, and experiential learning opportunities throughout the major.
Anne E. McCall
President, Professor of French and Francophone Studies
president@wooster.edu
Laura Burch
Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies
lburch@wooster.edu
Marion Duval
Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies
mduval@wooster.edu
Harry Gamble
Department Chair and Inez K. Gaylord Professor of French and Francophone Studies
hgamble@wooster.edu
Connect With the Department
| Interested in French & Francophone Studies? We'd love to help you learn more about study abroad, the French suite, cultural events, Independent Study, and the many ways French can complement your academic goals. |