B.A. in French & Francophone Studies

French is the only language spoken on every continent other than English and is spoken by more than 274,000,000 people worldwide. France is the world’s fifth largest economy, the third-ranking destination for foreign investment, and is ranked as the most important business language after English and Chinese. Indeed, the United States exports to more countries where French is a national language than to countries with any other national language. French has long been recognized as the language of fine cuisine, fashion, and the fine arts, is the second-most taught language after English across five continents, and has long been the language of diplomacy, as it is among the primary languages of the U.N., the E.U., U.N.E.S.C.O., and N.A.T.O. In addition to the documented salary increase learning French can bring, translation and interpretation are among the top five fastest growing careers.
In addition to introductory and intermediate language classes that focus on preparing students for the interactions and conversations they’ll have in everyday life, HPU offers a streamlined and modernized curriculum to challenge students to think carefully and critically about cultures, legacies, history, and literature. French majors and minors at High Point University benefit from small class sizes, increased personal attention from faculty, and a curriculum that seeks to prepare them equally for the workplace as for graduate study. Moreover, the French program fosters a strong sense of community – one of the most frequently cited strengths of the program by former students.