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Check out what Westminster french students and alums are doing and get french department updates.
Fluency in French increases your competitiveness in the workforce. Not only is this language spoken on every continent and in many global organizations, but according to Bloomberg Rankings, it represents the second language of business after Mandarin. Knowing French opens up educational, travel and career opportunities throughout the world and it enables you to become fully engaged in the global community.
The French program offers a minor (18 credits) consisting mostly of upper-level courses. The minor includes a wide variety of topics and focuses on the development of linguistic, technical, and cultural competencies.
Students can also pursue a certificate with 12 credit hours (all of which are on 200 and/or 300 level), a program designed for those students who want to learn some practical applications of the language while focusing in other programs of study here at Westminster. We currently offer certificates in French Communication, French for Business, French Language, and Translation (French to English).
Most students report that their competency in French has brought them both personal and professional benefits and that it often has set them apart from other candidates in that crucial interview for their first job after graduation.
Recent graduates are currently working as attorneys, market analysts, accountants, art directors, IT specialists, teachers and international student advisors. They have also pursued or are completing graduate degrees in fields such as Public Administration, Foreign Policy, Comparative Literature, Law, International Development, Business, and Computer Science at major universities including Yale, George Washington and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland as well as at regional institutions in Missouri and Arkansas.
“I am really happy with the outcome of my experience in France. It’s indeed a worthwhile investment. I would definitely recommend this program to all Westminster Students. Do not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and learn about the world. It might be challenging but very rewarding!”
Jennyfer Larios Martinez Far left in photo
Check out what Westminster french students and alums are doing and get french department updates.
Our Department offers a variety of Study Abroad opportunities for our students. More specifically, the Spanish department regularly opens a May term Study Abroad course either to Latin America or Spain. These courses are led by Westminster faculty and groups of students have enjoyed stays in Argentina, Guatemala, and Spain. Students enjoy the opportunity of fully immersing in Hispanic culture and its lifestyle while leaning about its history, cultural production, and people. One of the most important outcomes of this experience is developing the students' communicative proficiency in Spanish by taking intensive language courses with native professors and living with families. There is also an important service-learning component and we have built relationships with non-profit organizations that improve the quality of life of communities with scarce resources. Finally, advanced students in the major also have opportunities of studying for a full semester in Spain (University of Oviedo) or France (Université de Bourgogne, Université Catholique de l’Ouest).
The Foreign Languages department is home of the Spanish Club and the French Club, two student organizations that bring cultural diversity to our campus. Among the events organized in the last years are the annual celebration of the "Día de los muertos" or “Day of the Death” (with a lecture on the origins and historical significance of this festivity), salsa dancing lessons, movie nights, cheese tastings and dinner celebrations. The department also is home of chapters for two very important national organizations: Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish Honor Society (Psi Psi Chapter), and Alpha Mu Gamma, two national collegiate honor societies of the United States to recognize exceptional achievements in the fields of Spanish and Foreign Languages respectively.