French

College of Arts and Sciences

An undergraduate major in French Studies allows students to develop advanced French language skills and cultural fluency. French is a key language of government and non-governmental organizations, business and the arts, and an official language of countries in Africa, Europe, the Americas and Southeast Asia. Students refine their skills in French while pursuing topics ranging from the literature of the European Middle Ages to contemporary popular culture. As they engage with cultural forms (art, literature, cinema, environment, sport) through a variety of lenses (language, gender, race, religion), they develop robust analytical and rhetorical skills. Graduates of this degree pursue careers in a variety of fields such as marketing, technology, health care, law, education, media and communication and the arts.

Major category: Open

Minor available

Topic: Arts

website   Degree requirements

Applicant type

Freshman

Freshmen can apply to the UW to begin autumn quarter or winter quarter (U.S. applicants only)

Read more about applying to the UW as a freshman, including details for programs that provide high school students with college credit (like Running Start).


Transfer

Quarters of general admission to UW: autumn / winter (U.S. applicants only) / spring

Preparation for the major is a factor in transfer admission.

  • Use the information below to help you prepare for this degree
  • Visit MyPlan to run a degree audit.
  • Use the UW Equivalency Guide to find out how courses taken at a Washington state community or technical college will transfer to the UW.
  • UW college and school graduation requirements

Department admission information

  • Departmental application deadline:
  • Please contact the department for details about the application process.

Admission to this major is open. Students in good academic standing can declare this major at any time.

Students are strongly encouraged to prepare for the major before transfer.

Read more about applying to the UW as a transfer student.

Courses recommended for the major:

  • College-level foreign language. Transfer students should take as many lower-division French language courses as possible before transferring to the UW.

Entering transfer information:

Total undergraduates: 42
Total from Washington community colleges: 3

Entering transfer GPA (from WA community colleges):

3.75 – 4.00: 0
3.50 – 3.74: 1
3.25 – 3.49: 1
3.00 – 3.24: 1
2.75 – 2.99: 0
2.50 – 2.74: 0
2.49 and below: 0


Career outcomes