French CERTIFICATES 
The certificates program in languages was instituted as a means to allow students who seek formal training in a modern foreign language but who, for reasons of time and other commitments, cannot complete the full requirements toward a major. With its sequence of courses, students in the program will systematically build up proficiency in the language and, in their senior year, will receive from the respective department a certificate officially attesting to their having fulfilled the requirements. Certificates are possible in French, German, Russian and Spanish. Interested students are encouraged to contact the Chair of the respective department to review the process for including a certificate in their studies.
The Certificate in French Language & Francophone Cultures
The certificates program in languages was instituted as a means to allow students who seek formal training in a modern foreign language but who, for reasons of time and other commitments, cannot complete the full requirements toward a major. With its sequence of courses, students in the program will systematically build up proficiency in the language and, in their senior year, will receive from the respective department a certificate officially attesting to their having fulfilled the requirements. Certificates are possible in French, German, Russian and Spanish. Interested students are encouraged to contact the Chair of the respective department to review the process for including a certificate in their studies.
WHY CONSIDER A FRENCH CERTIFICATE?
In our ever more globalized world, the study of foreign languages is essential to cultural understanding and professional success. More and more, employers and graduate schools seek out candidates who can bring excellent communication and language skills to their work. Students who have completed foreign language certificate programs during their undergraduate studies report that their interviewers are impressed with their language skills and cultural proficiency. This is as true for those attending medical, law, and business schools as it is for those pursuing careers in teaching, academia, public service, and international relations. Many employers and graduate schools are impressed by the French Certificate, a formal achievement which will be reported on your Williams transcript and which you can place on your resumé. The French Certificate is ideal for those students who devoted a significant portion of their studies and time to the study of French and Francophone Cultures, but who have not majored in French.
WHO SHOULD CONSIDER A FRENCH CERTIFICATE?
If you are passionate about continuing your French studies as a non-major, the French Certificate offers a wonderful possibility to formalize your French studies at Williams. Those majoring in related fields, such as Comparative Literature, History, English, Women’s and Gender Studies, and Anthropology, may want to add the French Certificate to their literary and linguistic accomplishments at Williams. Those majoring in other fields, in Divisions I, II, and III, may want to add the French Certificate to their academic program (as a way of engaging more formally in French studies at Williams and during Study Abroad) and to their resumés (as a way of showing graduate schools and employers an impressive sign of their formal training in French).
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FRENCH CERTIFICATE?
The Certificate in French Language and Cultures consists of a sequence of Seven Courses for which you must earn a cumulative grade average of B or higher. Among the 7 courses required for the French Certificate, at least 3 must be taken at Williams. You can qualify for up to 4 courses from abroad if you go for the entire year, or 2 for a semester, but they should be related to language, literature or culture.
For Students with No Prior French Background: The course sequence will consist of French 101-102, French 103 and 104/105, and three courses in French above the 104/105 level, with at least one of these courses at the 200-level or higher taken at Williams.
For Students Starting at French 103: In addition to the three courses in French beyond the 104/105 level (including a 200-level course or higher), two electives may be taken in other departments. One elective should be in French or Francophone cultural history (art, literature, drama, music) and the other in French or Francophone intellectual, political, or social history.
For Study-Abroad Courses: When you complete the “French Certificate Final Application” during your senior year, you’ll also need to hand in a copy of your Study-Abroad Transcript (the same transcript you’ll submit to the Registrar and Dean McKeon on your return to Williams) and copies of your Study-Abroad Course Materials. This means syllabi, course descriptions, grades, and any final written work that documents the coursework you carried out abroad.
In addition to the 7 courses, you must also take a French Proficiency Test in April of your senior year and achieve a score of “Advanced.” The French Proficiency Test is a one-hour exam which tests your accumulated language skills in French and consists of exercises in grammar and reading comprehension.
HOW & WHEN SHOULD I APPLY FOR THE FRENCH CERTIFICATE?
Now: Send us an email to let us know you’re interested! Include your name, class year, student ID no., your full means of contact, your major and any plans you may have to study abroad.
Soon: Make a plan for completing the seven required courses at Williams and/or abroad.
April of Senior Year: Complete the “French Certificate Final Application” by April 15 and schedule the “French Proficiency Test.”
