Explore the literature, culture, and history of the French-speaking world. Learn a rich language that is valued worldwide in higher education, medicine, international relations, diplomacy, business, and travel.
The Department of French and French Studies at Sewanee offers an exceptional opportunity to study and experience the rich literature and culture of the French-speaking world. We develop each of the pillars of the National Foreign Language Standards: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. Language classes are designed to help you develop skills in speaking and writing French as well as in reading literary texts. We integrate culture, history, and technology into our classes, creating a cross-disciplinary approach to the curriculum.
As a result of our course of study, you’ll obtain an operative level of oral and written proficiency and will be capable of reading important French works and reacting to them critically. As a student of French, you will also have opportunities to take skills learned in the classroom further. The French House offers a variety of extra-curricular activities that represent French culture. French majors and minors may live in the French House for at least one semester, sharpening their skills with complete language immersion.
French is both the language of love and reason. It opens up the world, and there is no limit to what you can accomplish once you speak it fluently. Sewanee prepares you for your profession and your passion. Below is a sampling of recent graduates' first jobs.
Sewanee graduates enjoy extraordinary acceptance rates to top graduate and pre-professional programs–about 95 percent to law school and over 85 percent to medical school. Below is a sampling of where Sewanee grads continue their education.