BA in French in Ithaca United States | Cornell University

As a French major, you'll delve deeply into the languages, literatures, and cultures of France and Francophone regions. From examining Haitian society to analyzing Montaigne's works, from classical drama to modern gender studies, you'll develop into a versatile and eloquent analyst of texts and concepts. The program encourages international study and fosters connections that transcend linguistic, disciplinary, national, and temporal boundaries. Students pursue French studies for diverse motivations: fascination with modern Paris - one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities, interest in French philosophical traditions, literary works, or cinema, or curiosity about Francophone communities stretching from Africa to the Caribbean to Quebec. Whether drawn to France's medieval heritage of knights, noblewomen, and religious orders, or its contemporary society, you'll find opportunities to enhance your fluency in speaking and writing French while engaging with cultural artifacts. Our curriculum caters to nearly all interests: exploring themes from chivalric romance to sectarian conflicts, through mediums ranging from film to theological texts to lyrical verse. These encounters will simultaneously make your world more recognizable and more extraordinary, sparking intellectual curiosity while offering opportunities to experiment with new modes of expression - including but extending far beyond the French language itself.