The French and Francophone Studies Major allows students to gain expertise in the French language and in a number of the myriad cultures in which it is spoken. Compared to the French major, for which at least 27 of the required 30 credit hours must be from courses taught in French, this option allows students to count toward the major up to 12 credits hours of courses taught in English, 9 of which can be in other departments.

It should be especially appealing to students who: would like to attain more language proficiency than a French minor can provide but who would like to count up to three courses for this major toward a second major and/or GE requirements; want to explore French and Francophone Studies in a highly interdisciplinary manner, through courses taught in departments such as History, History of Art, International Studies, and Political Science, among others; are deeply interested in French and Francophone Studies but who may find the number of advanced-level language courses required for the French major daunting; and semi-native and native French speakers, for whom many of our language courses are too elementary and who would therefore like a wider range of course options.