At Webster University, undergraduates who study French immerse themselves in French language and culture, balancing language instruction with explorations of the philosophy of Henri Bergson, the Cannes Film Festival, and the Tour de France.
The French degree program offers students a strong liberal arts education in French and francophone cultures from an international perspective. Webster's French professors individually mentor students in small classroom environments that encourage discussion. Undergraduates may choose to minor or major in French, and often pair their French program with other academic disciplines such as international relations, philosophy, music, film, or education.
Immersion Experiences
With international campuses and study abroad opportunities, students are able to experience foreign languages and cultures first hand. Popular options for French majors include short-term cultural trips to Nice, France and semester-long study terms at Webster University's campus in Geneva.
Weekly roundtables and "language cafes" allow you to practice your conversational French in informal settings with other students and faculty from the campus community. Roundtables are led by visiting teaching assistants -- younger native speakers who give the latest insights into French culture.
The program also connects students with several opportunities to teach English in France.
Points of Distinction
- Webster University is home to Le Centre Francophone, an organization that promotes Francophone culture in the St. Louis area. Its first mission is to invite native French writers and speakers to campus in order to enrich Webster's intellectual environment for students and faculty.
- Study abroad locations that support French-language learning include Webster’s Geneva campus, a partnership program with Brussels, Belgium, and a re-occurring hybrid program in Nice, France. In addition, Webster offers a study abroad exchange/teaching internship opportunity with a university in Toulouse in the southwest of France.
- Language classes are small, discussion-oriented, and contextualized within both historical and contemporary francophone cultures.
- Students can earn recognition credit for previous language study, making it easy to add a language minor to their primary degree.