Sample Courses
- Advanced Grammar
- Contemporary Francophone Civilizations
- French Civilization
- Introduction to Literature
- Phonology
- Written Expression
Popular Electives
- French for the Professions
- French-Canadian Literature
- Modernity in West Africa
- Selected Topics in Linguistics
Recent Internships
- American Turkish Society
- Brooklyn Defender Services
- Clinton Foundation
- Culture Learning TOGETHER, Inc.
- Department of Cultural Services, Embassy of France
- Galerie La Forest Divonne, Paris
- Rodin Museum, Paris
Alumni Spotlight
Martin Beach ’14
Majors: French, International Relations
Minor: Geography
Career: Beach earned a master’s degree in European and Russian affairs from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy of the University of Toronto in 2018 and is currently manager of quality control and risk management for KPMG Canada.
French Major
Why study French at Geneseo?
French is the only language other than English that is spoken on all five inhabited continents. At Geneseo, students learn not just about France, but about the whole Francophone world, from professors with extensive knowledge of Africa, Europe, and French-speaking Canada.
Class size is small, so students receive plenty of personal attention. Faculty encourage students to take advantage of study abroad opportunities, directed studies, classroom assistant experiences, academic conferences, and cultural events, such as National French Week. Double majors are common with anthropology, English, history, international relations, political science, and many other disciplines. Geneseo’s graduates in French find themselves well prepared to pursue a variety of careers or to further their education.
Program Options
- BA in French
- BA in French, Adolescence Education
- Minor in French
- Minor in Africana Studies
- Minor in European Studies
Additional Options
- Certification in Adolescence Education: French (7–12)
- Concentration in Foreign Language: French with Childhood Education with Special Education (1–6)
- Concentration in Foreign Language: French with Early Childhood/Childhood Education (B–6)
Program Highlights
- Award-winning faculty (Distinguished Teaching Professor, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching); all hold a PhD
- Strong participation in study abroad with programs in Paris and Montpellier, France, and Dakar, Senegal. An annual department scholarship and Geneseo Ambassadorship support study abroad; the Paris program includes internship opportunities.
- Students may work one-on-one with professors on independent research; research is often presented at local, regional, and national conferences.
- Students are eligible for membership in the Geneseo chapters of nationally accredited academic honor societies in French and foreign languages.
- The Center for Languages and Cultures creates a cross-cultural bridge with the world; there, students may volunteer to tutor French or receive free peer tutoring.
- Many of the college’s recipients of Fulbright Awards, Gilman International Scholarships, and other prestigious fellowships and scholarships are language students.
Example Careers
- Career Development Professional
- College Academic or Admissions Advisor
- Director of Global Programs
- Editor or Multimedia Journalist
- Foreign Service Member
- Government or NGO Worker or Official
- Migrant/Bilingual Educator
- Teacher or Professor
- Translator or Interpreter
- US or International Lawyer
Recent Employers
- Bronx County District Attorney Office
- Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks, Ottawa
- Cisco
- General Services Administration
- KPMG Canada
- New York University
- NYSARC Trust Services
- Saint Joseph’s University
- SUNY Chancellor’s Office
- Van Cleef & Arpels
Recent Grad Schools
- Boston University
- Columbia University
- Fordham University School of Law
- Johns Hopkins
- Middlebury College
- Penn State Law
- Trinity College, Dublin
- Université de Montréal
- Université Paris Cité
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Toronto
Contact Info
Beverly Evans, Department Chair
evans@geneseo.edu
Welles Hall 211
585-245-5247
