Bachelor of Arts in French

University of California - Santa Barbara

In studying French you will depart on an international adventure not only to France and Europe but also to Africa (where 150 million people speak French), the Caribbean, Asia, and Canada. In our department, you’ll receive focused training in language and intercultural communicative skills that are transferable to many disciplines and careers both in the US and abroad. We offer small classes so you’ll receive significant individual attention from instructors and professors. You’ll have the opportunity to study the intellectual, cultural, and artistic history of France and the Francophone world, as well as to take pragmatic courses in business, translation, and political and social debates in today’s French-speaking world.

The Department of French and Italian offers students a comprehensive course of study in the respective languages, literatures, and cultures of France and Italy. Students acquire a solid foundation in the grammatical, conversational, and compositional skills of the target language and receive training in rhetoric, effective communication, historical understanding, cultural analysis, and the study of institutions more broadly. Our faculty encourage students to situate their studies of France or Italy in the societies and economies of Europe, the North Atlantic, and the world at large. The department intends the study of French and Italian societies to open the door to careers in international relations, advertising, foreign service, government, journalism, medicine, education, science and technology, and the environment.

College of Letters and Science