BA in French

Why pursue a French degree at North Central College?

Adding another language to your skill set is a great way to prepare for international business, graduate work, or world travel—and a great way to wow potential employers. Include a secondary education major in your studies and you’ll also be equipped to teach French to K-12 students. At North Central, we keep our classes small to ensure that you receive all the personalized help and attention you’ll need. After completing a placement test you’ll meet with your advisor to make sure you begin your studies at the level that’s best for you.

You can also:

• Use short-term learning opportunities to conduct research through a Richter Grant or May Term travel to French-speaking areas.
• Expand your linguistic and cultural proficiencies by studying abroad for a term through our exchange program in Angers, France.
• Participate in the French Club and the annual Modern and Classical Languages Festival.
• Travel to countries like Haiti to volunteer for ministry and service.
• Take advantage of the Roberta I. Myers Language Resource Center for one-on-one tutoring or audio and video support.
• Earn an English language learner (ELL) minor to qualify to teach English abroad in a French-speaking country or teach ESL in Illinois schools.
• Qualify for induction to Pi Delta Phi, the International French Honor Society, or Phi Sigma Iota for students studying more than one language.

Since 1861, North Central has been a place where new ideas lead to unlimited possibilities. We’re an independent college dedicated to the power of the liberal arts and sciences to transform students into leaders both in their careers and communities. Our nearly 3,000 students study across more than 65 undergraduate and graduate programs, with their education, made richer by supportive faculty and staff, world-class facilities, and countless opportunities to learn beyond the classroom.

A College on the move

Building on the foundation of more than 150 years of excellence, North Central continues to grow with numerous new facilities, programs, and initiatives in the works.

The College opened with 40 students in a single two-story building in Plainfield, Illinois. Since then we’ve changed names twice (to North-Western, then North Central), moved once (from Plainfield to Naperville), and grown steadily (to about 3,000 students).

Over the years, thousands of dedicated students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends have helped us thrive through the toughest challenges – wars, economic crises, social upheavals, and more – and build a future brilliant with hope and promise.

We’ve met the changing needs of students from Civil War veterans to millennial entrepreneurs. And we’ve always stayed true to our heritage of moral courage and forward-thinking.

Today we’re a top-ranked private comprehensive college of the liberal arts and sciences. U.S. News & World Report counts us among “America’s Best Colleges,” one of the top six schools in the Midwest for a “strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.” Students choose from more than 55 undergraduate majors and five graduate program areas.

Although the College originally discouraged organized athletics as a distraction from weightier matters, our 26 intercollegiate sports in NCAA Division III make our athletic department the largest in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW). North Central is proud of its 32 team national championships and 123 individual national champions.

Though affiliated with the United Methodist Church, we welcome and encourage students and staff of all faiths. We are thoughtfully expanding our academic programs to respond to the needs of our ever-changing world, recently adding Middle Eastern and North African Studies, along with Arabic. And we’re transforming our facilities – most dramatically with a new interdisciplinary Science Center located at the corner of Brainard Street and Van Buren Avenue.

It’s been an amazing 150+ years. But it’s clear that the best is yet to come!