Bachelor of Arts in French

French is not one career path. It can open doors across many of them.

French connects you with a global community of nearly 400 million speakers across five continents and can become a powerful professional advantage wherever your interests take you. Whether you want to work in Michigan or abroad, French can strengthen a career in international business, government, education, media, travel, the arts, public service and more. It can also be especially powerful when paired with another field, allowing you to bring language skills and intercultural experience into business, political science, communication, history, health sciences, fashion, film and other professions.

Your path could include:

• International business and global industry: Build a career in international sales, account management, marketing, human resources, supply chain, sourcing, logistics, banking, market research or client relations. French can have professional value close to home, too. France-based companies have invested billions of dollars in Michigan in recent years, with global employers such as Stellantis, Air Liquide, Forvia, Segula Technologies, OPmobility, Valeo and Dassault Systèmes maintaining connections to the state and its industries.
• Diplomacy, government and international affairs: Put your language and cultural knowledge to work in foreign affairs, public diplomacy, consular work, international development, immigration, government research, intelligence or nonprofit organizations. French proficiency can strengthen a path toward the U.S. Foreign Service, and French is an official and working language of the United Nations.
• Translation, localization and multilingual communication: Work across languages as a translator, interpreter, localization specialist, multilingual content professional, editor, subtitler or language-services project coordinator. Language professionals work in government, education, healthcare, business, media and international organizations.
• Education and international exchange: Teach French in U.S. schools with the appropriate teaching certification, pursue language education at the graduate level or build a career in international education and study abroad. Opportunities also exist to teach English overseas; WMU language graduates have served as teaching assistants with the Government of France.
• Media, publishing and culture: Bring French to careers in journalism, publishing, communications, film, museums, libraries, archives, cultural organizations and international arts programming. French gives you access not only to France, but to Francophone cultures and institutions across Europe, Africa, North America, the Caribbean and beyond.
• Travel, aviation and hospitality: Use French in internationally focused careers with airlines, airports, hotels, tourism organizations, study abroad providers, cultural-exchange programs and travel companies.
• Graduate and professional study: A French degree can also prepare you to continue into fields such as French and Francophone studies, law, international relations, public administration, history, education and other graduate or professional programs.

The value of French is often in what you combine it with. A future engineer, business professional, policymaker, filmmaker, teacher, healthcare professional or writer who can also communicate across languages and understand another cultural world brings something different to the table. French can be the skill that turns a degree into an international career.

WMU's Career and Student Employment Services can help you turn those possibilities into a plan. Explore career options with a professional career coach, strengthen your résumé or CV, practice interviewing, search thousands of internships and jobs through Handshake and access resources for international job searches. Whether you already know where you want French to take you or are still discovering what is possible, you do not have to figure out the next step alone.

What others have achieved

Explore the people, ideas and cultural events that connect French at WMU with scholarship, public conversation and the wider Francophone world.

French students at WMU can take their learning beyond the classroom through immersive study abroad, conversation practice, cultural programming and academic support. Programs in Lyon and Besançon allow students to use French in daily life while experiencing the cultures they study firsthand. Closer to home, French Table, student activities, film events and community organizations create opportunities to practice the language, meet others with shared interests and explore the diversity of the Francophone world. Advising, tutoring, placement services and university-wide academic resources help students build confidence and connect their French studies to future academic and professional goals.

Advising and Academic Planning: For questions about French coursework, program requirements, language placement or study abroad credit, contact Dr. Viviane Ruellot, the French program advisor. Students are encouraged to reach out early when selecting future courses, considering study abroad or reviewing the requirements for their catalog year.

For general questions about course scheduling and degree planning, students can also contact Tom Mills.

Tutoring and Student Success: The Department of World Languages and Literatures offers free tutoring for all 1000- and 2000-level French courses. Tutors can help students strengthen grammar, pronunciation, conversation, reading and writing skills or prepare for assignments and exams.

Students can also connect with Student Success Services for additional academic support, study strategies and resources throughout their undergraduate education.

Placement and Previous Language Experience: Students who have previously studied French should follow the department’s placement guidelines before enrolling. Placement helps students begin at the level that best reflects their existing experience rather than automatically starting with introductory French.

Eligible students may also ask about opportunities to earn retroactive credit or demonstrate proficiency through a monitored test-out examination.

Study Abroad: French students are strongly encouraged to consider an approved study abroad experience. The French Language in Lyon program offers an intensive summer experience that includes French coursework, cultural activities and the opportunity to live with a French family. Students seeking a longer immersive experience can spend a spring semester studying at the Centre de Linguistique Appliquée in Besançon.

Students interested in applying study abroad credit toward the French major or minor should speak with Dr. Viviane Ruellot before making plans. Programs and courses must be approved before the experience begins.

French Opportunities and Community: Students can continue developing their French while connecting with others through opportunities such as:

• French Table, which provides a relaxed setting for conversation practice.
• French Club, which may offer activities centered on French language and culture.
• The Francophone Film Festival, which introduces films and perspectives from French-speaking communities around the world.
• Alliance Française de Kalamazoo, which connects students with French language and cultural programming in the wider community.
• Pi Delta Phi, the national French honor society recognizing achievement in French and Francophone studies.

Meet students who have taken exciting Study Abroad journeys

WMU offers institutional scholarships and grants that can help make a college education more affordable. Students interested in scholarship opportunities should review WMU’s financial aid resources and speak with the appropriate advising office about available options.