French for Professional Purposes

France is not solely about fashion and cuisine; the country is also a leader in science, technology, architecture, and diplomacy. Fluency in French and intercultural literacy can thus lead to careers in business, engineering, hospitality, medicine, the arts, etc. In 2018, French companies created more than 600,000 jobs in the U.S. and almost 30,000 in Indiana alone. To help students develop global perspectives sought by U.S. companies and NGOs over the world, we offer four courses in French for professional purposes.
Professional French courses
Topics covered in our courses include France’s major industries and companies, understanding and discussing aspects of the French market economy, marketing, intercultural communication in French-American business settings, writing administrative correspondence in French, and applying for internships and jobs in Francophone countries. Our goal is to develop students’ communicative and intercultural skills in a variety of speaking or writing activities toward the use of French for professional purposes.
Professional French at Purdue consists of a selection of courses for professional purposes, beginning after the completion of the fourth semester of French (FR 202: French level 4 or equivalent).
Professional French Courses
FR 224: Professional French Level I
FR 323: French For Engineering
FR 324: Professional French Level II
FR 424: Professional French Level III
These courses can be taken independently or as part of the minor in Professional French.
For questions about the French for professional purposes courses, please contact Dr. Ana Valero Peña (avalerop@purdue.edu).