Bachelors In

French Degrees

The complete guide on what you’ll learn, job prospects, university programs, and saving time and money.
Table of Contents

Why We Love It

  • $69,520
    Potential Avg. Salary*
  • Growing Demand
    Job Outlook

* Salary & growth data is based on the recent Bureau of Labor and Statistics data published at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes251124.htm for 25-1124 Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary 11/2021. Based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.

With a bachelor of arts in French, you’ll be prepared for a career as a translator, interpreter, or educator, and you’ll learn to speak the French language fluently in order to work or live in French-speaking areas.

French majors go on to teach French classes in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools, translate French to English, and act as an interpreter for French speakers.

What is a Degree in French?

A bachelor of arts in French focuses on teaching you to speak and write French fluently and with correct grammar, but the major covers much more than just the study of language. French majors engage in a comprehensive study of French-speaking countries: their history, culture, eating habits, literature, traditions, and much more.

That broader cultural focus is one of the degree’s biggest strengths, because it helps students understand not only how to communicate in French, but also how to navigate social expectations, historical context, and professional settings across French-speaking communities.

Graduates of bachelor of arts in French degree programs have the skills and knowledge necessary to integrate into French-speaking communities in both language and behavior. These programs also help students build transferable skills in writing, analysis, cross-cultural communication, and interpretation, which can be valuable in education, business, nonprofit work, travel, and public service.

By learning to read and write French fluently, you will be qualified for a number of careers. You can work as a translator, translating written texts from French to English and vice versa. You can also work as an interpreter, translating conversations between English and French speakers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, interpreters and translators earned a median annual wage of $59,440 in May 2024, and employment is projected to grow 2% from 2024 to 2034, with about 6,900 openings each year on average.

Additionally, many French majors continue their educations to earn the credentials needed to teach in elementary, middle, and high schools or colleges. With a teaching license or master’s degree, you can work as a French teacher. For college-level teaching, the latest federal data shows that postsecondary teachers earned a median annual wage of $83,980 in May 2024, and overall employment is projected to grow 7% from 2024 to 2034, with about 114,000 openings each year on average.

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What Courses Would I Take For a Major in French?

  • Beginning French
  • Intermediate French
  • Advanced French
  • French Literature
  • French Conversation
  • French Culture
  • French Grammar
  • Oral Expression in French

What Jobs Can You Get with a Degree in French?

Opportunities for interpreters and translators is expected to grow rapidly in the coming decade. The growth in demand for this career field is expected to stem from increasing globalization and more and more non-native English speakers working and living in the U.S. The current projection is more moderate than older estimates, but demand remains steady because organizations still need language support in legal, medical, educational, and business settings.

As such, individuals who can effectively translate medical, legal, and other documents from one language to another or interpret language for non-native speakers should have a bright future ahead of them with ample opportunities at home and abroad.

How Long does it take?

A bachelors in French will have a typical length of 4 years in a full time schedule. That said, there are many ways to speed up the timeframe by either taking more units via online coursework, community college, or taking free classes at OnlineDegree.com that could transfer to universities in the US.

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Best Jobs for French Degrees

With a degree in French, you’ll have the language skills necessary to work as a translator, interpreter, or educator. Dual-language speakers are needed to translate English medical and court documents to French, to help teach students in school who have not yet mastered English, to teach the French language to native English speakers, and to interpret conversations between English and French speakers.

How to save time and money

Our mission is to help you to avoid paying full price for college. We want your French degree to be affordable and accessible. Here’s how you could save:

Create Your Free SmartPlan

There are many ways to make college affordable and accessible.

That’s why we created a helpful tool called SmartPlan.

It’s free, and helps you find potential ways to save and tons of information about each school you’re considering

Think of it as your “college blueprint”, to help you instantly craft a path to your degree:

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  • Ways You Could Save Time & Money
  • Free Courses You Could Take for Credit
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  • Detailed Steps You Should Take!

See what’s possible for you and generate a free plan within just a few minutes

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