Undergraduate Program

French & Francophone Studies at William & Mary

The French & Francophone program at the College of William & Mary provides students with a critical understanding of the rich and varied cultures of the French-speaking world. It exposes them to a life-changing experience through the intellectual and personal challenges of learning a different way of living and thinking. Solid linguistic competency in French and a critical understanding of Francophone cultures are indispensable for anyone who wishes to study the French-speaking world.  In class and in our research, we analyze varied forms of  cultural production and the ways in which they represent  real-world struggles related to nation, gender, race, class, the environment, etc. Our courses prepare students to work in fields as diverse as international relation, medicine, business, law, journalism, finance, education, and the arts.

Thanks to the diversity of our faculty, their backgrounds and specializations, the French & Francophone Studies program offers a wide selection of courses that examine different periods and aspects of Francophone culture and literature from France, the Indian Ocean, Africa, Vietnam, the Caribbean and North America. To foster an awareness of these different cultures, courses are taught in French and are interdisciplinary in approach.

Most students who major in French & Francophone Studies have a double major, such as International Relations, History, Government, English, Economics, or even Biology or Chemistry. In order to support students' interests and career goals, the French & Francophone Studies program works in close collaboration with faculty from other departments or programs- Africana Studies, Women's Studies, Art History, Anthropology, Film Studies, European Studies, Literary and Cultural Studies among others. Courses in other departments relating to French & Francophone issues can count towards a major in French & Francophone Studies.

A community

To be part of an engaged and global Francophone community, majors, minors and other advanced students have many opportunities  to enhance their coursework and to engage the global Francophone community. In addition to this academic work, they often

-live in the French House, a French-speaking residence hall,

-participate in Pi Delta Phi (the French Honor Society) activities,

-participate in programs abroad in France or other Francophone countries,

-start an internship and research project in Paris,

-tutor on campus or in the community

-participate in cultural events, such as the WM French Film Festival, The Richmond French  Film Festival, or the WM International Dinner Night