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Why Minor in French at Allegheny College

From “Bonjour!” to graduation day, as a French minor, you will engage with French-speaking cultures and continue to improve your language skills throughout your journey.

Division

  • Language, Literature, and Culture

Program Type

  • Minor

Number of Credits

24 for minor

Where French Alumni Work Today

District Superintendent

Deer Lakes School District

Janell Logue-Belden ’90

Milieu Therapist

UMPC

Maria Mervine ’18

Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

Middle Tennessee State University

Cheryl Torsney ’77

Systems Analyst II

Aurora

Derek Reno ’16

Headshot of Derek Reno, 2016 alumni

The faculty are top-notch professors and are a wealth of information about both the language and the culture. With their help, I’ve been able to drastically increase my fluency in the French language.

Derek Reno ’16 View Derek’s Story

Your Four-Year Journey

French Overview

Year One: Understanding

Understand the basics of language and culture. You can start from the very beginning if French is new to you or if you’ve studied French before. We’ll ensure you start in a suitable class to make the most of what you already know while building a solid foundation for the coming years.

Year Two: New Approaches

Your second year is a great time to reach out to the French-speaking community on campus. If you haven’t already, try having lunch at a French table once a week or apply to live in the French house in the Max Kade Wing, where you’ll speak French all the time and have a native speaker for a roommate. Don’t forget to declare your French minor before the end of the year!

 

Year Three: Delving Deeper

By now, you’ll be advancing your language skills and gaining rich knowledge of its culture. Nothing helps you do that more than studying in a French-speaking country. Many French minors go abroad in their third year. Visit the Global Education Office about your options and talk with your advisor to ensure you don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime immersion opportunity!

 

Year Four: The Comp

By now, French will come easy to you, and you may have taken advantage of study abroad or internships. Some of our minors choose to incorporate aspects of French into their Senior Comp for their major. Career planning and exploration should be underway, and the Center for Career and Professional Development can assist in identifying paths that rely on all of the academic areas of learning you have explored.

 

Research and Internships

Allegheny French Students Learn by Doing

World Language & Cultures students get immersed into a culture by:

  • Living in the Max Kade International Wing, promoting cross-cultural exploration
  • Write creative work in a foreign language for Gator International, a magazine established in 1993 and managed by the language honor society, Phi Sigma Iota.
  • Joining a language or cultural student organization, such as Phi Sigma Iota language honor society

Max Kade International

Special-interest housing is open to any student who has a strong interest in world cultures or who wants to live in the language they’re studying.

World Language Program

Write creative work in a foreign language for Gator International, a magazine established in 1993 and managed by the language honor society, Phi Sigma Iota.

Faculty and Staff

Briana Lewis

Associate Professor

Ph.D., The University of North Carolina; M.A., Boston University; B.A., Furman University

Frequently Asked Questions About the French Program

What credits do I need to minor in French?

The French minor consists of 20 credits in French. At graduation, French minors must have a GPA of at least 2.0 in the minor. The calculation is based on the grades of all courses presented for the minor. Only the most recent grade is considered for courses that have been repeated.

Requires a minimum of 20 semester credit hours in FRNCH, including FRNCH 305
and one other course numbered above 300.

Why Study French at Allegheny?

  • Put your language skills to work.
    • Because, as an French minor, you’ll have a major in another discipline, you’ll have a head start at putting your language skill to work in your chosen field.
  • Get more “talk time.”
    • Allegheny’s small classes mean you have more time to practice the language in class.
  • Close-knit community.
    • You’ll get to know other language students and be part of a community of students who love language in and out of the classroom.

Are there any clubs and activities available for French students?

Yes, there are multiple campus organizations that can benefit students in the French minor. Explore all Allegheny College clubs and organizations.

Program Contact

Barbara Riess

Program Chair

Email (814) 332-2323