French

The Center teaches French through the second year of study. You may continue your study of French with the Department of Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures.

French is an official language of 32 countries. There are 300 million francophones worldwide, present on all continents. Africans make up 59% of daily French speakers. The Observatoire demographique et statistique de l’espace francophone projects that by 2050 more than 70% of francophones will be African and notably Africans will make up more than 90% of young French speakers ages 15 – 29. (Organisation internationale de la Francophonie) French is one of the official languages of the United Nations and the European Union.

The Center awards the Certificate in Language and Intercultural Communication in French. You can also major or minor in French Studies through the Department of Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures. Additionally, French is an option to fulfill the language requirement for the Linguistics major.

Course Sequence

Decorative infographic showing the sequence of French courses

* Offered by the Department of Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures.

Before registering for a 100 or 200 level French course, take the Language Placement Test (LPT) to find out which course is right for you. The LPT is not required for 300 and 400 level courses in French.

Study Abroad

Please visit our Study Abroad pages for information on our 6 week, 6 credit summer faculty led Rice in Country study abroad programs and our CLIC Language Study Scholarship Awards. For additional study abroad opportunities visit the Study Abroad Office’s website.

French Language Faculty