World Language: French Major

Foreign Language: French Major

World Language: French

Major

French language majors will follow a track of courses designed to develop their French language proficiency and cultural understanding.

Offered by the Department of English and World Languages.

What Can I Expect from Studying French at West Point?

The French major offers cadets of all language ability the opportunity to improve their language skills and regional knowledge. The program is designed to develop those just starting to study French and those with previous experience. 

Class material will focus on functional language. At the advanced level, cadets will focus on real-world news and documents. Majors who do abroad and work hard through the full complement of courses can expect an Interagency Language Roundtable scale of 2/2 (limited working proficiency), on the way to 3/3 (professional working proficiency.)  

As a French language major, cadets will be able to function in a military or civilian francophone environment. They will be able to adapt culturally and use their experience with French to more rapidly adapt to other cultural settings in military and civilian milieux. Cadets will have a strong ability to lead others cross-culturally and ensure mission success and force protection. They can choose from a French language major or combine French and another language for a dual language major, or combine the language and the region with an interdisciplinary European or African studies major. Each of these options can be taken as an honors program. Language majors also work well as part of a double major with another department. 

Majors: French, French with Honors, Europe or Africa Foreign Area Studies, Dual Language (French and a second language of your choice).

Minors: Europe or Africa Regional Studies

Watch our French Welcome Video!

To learn more about this area of study, visit the Department of English and World Languages.

Required Courses

  • LN380 NATURE OF MODERN LANGUAGES

Sample Electives

  • LF371 INTENSIVE INTERMEDIATE FRENCH 
  • LF372 FRENCH FOR ORAL & WRITTEN COMM 
  • LF470 SPECIAL TOPIC IN FRENCH 
  • LF475 FRENCH RDG/WRTG THRU MEDIA 
  • LF476 MILITARY SPKG/RDG - FRENCH 
  • LF483 FRENCH CIVILIZATION I 
  • LF485 SURVEY OF FRENCH LIT I
  • LF492 MASTERWORKS OF FRENCH LIT  
  • LN440F FRENCH IN CULTURAL CONTEXT 
  • LN488 ADV IND STUDY-FOREIGN LANGS 
  • LN491 SEM ABROAD: ADV LANG & CULT I

To learn more, view the full Foreign Language - French Major Curriculum.

Interact with French at West Point! 

Cadets can spend a semester at one of three partner universities in France, including the French military academy at St-Cyr and civilian universities in Lille and Lyon. Majors also have the opportunity to spend three weeks along the Atlantic Coast in Rochefort, France, studying in an intensive summer language immersion program with the French Gendarmerie as part of the Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) program, USMA-run academic enrichment experience.

Immersion Opportunities:

  • Semester Abroad Program (SAP): Spend a semester at one of three partner universities in France, including the French military academy at St-Cyr and civilian universities in Lille and Lyon. 
  • Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD): Spend 3 weeks along the Atlantic Coast in Rochefort, France, studying in an intensive summer language immersion program with the French Gendarmerie.

Honor Societies:
Phi Sigma Iota - International Foreign Language Honor Society
Golden Key - International Honour Society
Phi Kappa Phi - Oldest and Largest Collegiate Honor Society

To learn more about enrichment for this area of study, visit the Department of English and World Languages or the Center for Languages, Cultures, and Regional Studies.