French and Francophone Studies
- Overview
- Careers
- New Freshmen
- New Transfer
- Illinois State Students
Our French and Francophone Studies major offers a dynamic interdisciplinary lens for exploring the diverse cultural productions of the Francophone world: language, literature, the arts, politics, philosophy, and other fields of human inquiry and creative expression.
Our students engage closely with faculty in small seminars and regularly study abroad for a year, semester, or summer in Angers or Grenoble (France), or Québec (Canada). Regularly offered co-curricular activities including Pi Delta Phi (the French Honor Society), conversation tables, guest lectures, service learning, and a film series offer opportunities to hone your French outside the classroom.
Graduates in French and Francophone studies demonstrate language proficiency, intercultural competencies, and analytical skills.
Why Study French and Francophone Studies?
Today, French is spoken on every continent on earth—and locally, right here in Bloomington-Normal. Designated a critical language by the Department of Defense, French also functions as a working language of many major international organizations such as the United Nations, the Red Cross, the European Court of Justice, and the International Olympic Committee.
Studying French opens doors to careers in government, public service, tourism, hospitality, health services, business, law, technology, fashion, communication, and education. Studying French improves your written and spoken communication (even in English!), equips you to succeed in a global workforce, and encourages a broader perspective on what it means to be human.
Listen to this French minor describe her many takeaways from French studies at Illinois State.
Related Skills
- Ability to adapt to other cultures
- Good writing and speaking ability
- Understand cultural diversity, different cultural values and habits
- Critical reader
- Ability to translate carefully
- Strong interpersonal skills
Being Successful in the Field
- Research and Investigation -
The search for specific knowledge, from controlled laboratory experimentation to detective work, from scholarly endeavors to investigative journalism. - Organize: Information Management -The arrangement and retrieval of data and knowledge, from cataloguing to accounting, from computer programming to inventory control.
- Communicate: Communications and Persuasion -The exchange, transmission, and expression of knowledge and ideas, from sales to film news writing to illustrating, from teaching to performing.
- Emphasize: Humanitarian Service -The attention to physical, mental, or social needs of people, from medicine to social work, from labor relations to play therapy.
- Administer: Organization Management -The direction and guidance of a group in the completion of tasks and the attainment of goals, from politician to minister, from industrialist to school principal.
- Imagine: Design and Planning -The conceptualization of the future and description of a process for creating it, from the city planner to artist, proposal writer to architect.
Related Fields
Industry and Commerce
- Overseas sales representative
- Overseas manager
- Overseas researcher
- U.S.-basedimport/export officer or investment specialist
- Interpreter
- Translator
- Technical writer/translator
Academic and Professional
- International lawyer
- Medical researcher
- Health care professional
- Academic researcher
- Librarian
- International researcher
- UNESCO project worker
- Translator
- Interpreter
- Foreign language/Bilingual teacher
U.S. Government
- Agency for International Development (AID)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
- Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS):
- U.S. CustomsService
- National SecurityAgency (NSA)
- Immigration/Customsofficial
- Staff /Faculty at overseas U.S. school
- Foreign Embassy staff
- Overseas broadcast staff
- State Department staff/ Armed forces staff
- Translator
- Interpreter
- Intelligence Agent
Arts, Media, Entertainment
- Journalist
- Foreign/overseas correspondent
- Film producer
- Art dealer
- Overseas manager
- Translator/interpreter
Service
- Employee of overseas non-governmental organization
- United Nations agency and project employee
- UNtranslator/interpreter
- Overseas medicalor agricultural worker
- Peace Corpsvolunteer
- Missionary
Travel and Tourism
- U.S. based travelagent
- U.S. hotel staff
- U.S. tour guide for foreign visitors
- Writer of tourist literature
- International airline employee
- International hotel staff
- International tour guide
- Agency for International Development (AID)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
- Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Immigration &Naturalization Service (INS):
- U.S. CustomsService
- National Security Agency (NSA)
Education
Approximately 100,000 people in this country work in the field of foreign language teaching. Over two-thirds teach in Jr. & Sr. High Schools, and the rest in colleges and universities, elementary schools and commercial and government - operated language schools with the greatest number teaching Spanish. In addition, a substantial number teach English to those who speak other languages as their native tongue. The teaching of English to speakers of other languages also offers expanding opportunities for employment abroad in government, academic & volunteer programs.
Career Industry Liaison
| Name | Office | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megan Ruffin | 223 Bone Student Center | mhruffi@ilstu.edu | (309) 438-2200 |
Internship Coordinator
| Name | Office | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Thomas | 233E Stevenson Hall | rkthoma@ilstu.edu | (309) 438-7982 |
Applying to Illinois State
Applying by our priority deadline is encouraged for best consideration for your academic program and for scholarships. Start your application today!
Applying to Illinois State
Applying by our priority deadline is encouraged for best consideration for your academic program and for scholarships. Start your application today!
Minimum GPA
2.00
Middle 50% GPA
2.96 - 3.67
Required Courses
None
Recommended Courses
To find the course equivalencies at an Illinois community college, please review our Course Articulation Guides.
- Foreign language equivalent to Illinois State’s 115 level or higher
- Introduction to psychology (PSY 111)
- Introductory-level composition (ENG 101)
- Introductory-level speech (COM 110)
Academic Advising
| Name | Office | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Edwards | Stevenson Hall 231B | lcedwar@ilstu.edu | (309) 438-3279 |
Minimum GPA
2.00
Middle 50% GPA
2.96 - 3.67
Application Period
Applications are always accepted.
Application Information
Current students can use the Apply to Your Program tool on My.IllinoisState.edu.
Academic Advising
| Name | Office | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Edwards | Stevenson Hall 231B | lcedwar@ilstu.edu | (309) 438-3279 |