The Department of French and Francophone Studies focuses on developing French language proficiency while exploring the histories, cultures, and societies of the French-speaking countries around the world.
Drawing on film, literature, theater, graphic novels, and pop culture, courses in this department focus on decolonization and anti-racism within this subject. All courses are taught in French, except in the case of some courses cross-listed with other departments or programs, giving students ample exposure to the language as they fine-tune their French skills.
Indya Childs, Academic Administrative Assistant
9 Andrews Road
Roger Williams
ichilds@bates.edu
French and Francophone studies majors graduate from Bates with strong cross-cultural and analytical skills which are valued across a wide range of careers, including journalism, law, international finance, museum curation, and global community engagement. Recent majors have embarked on successful jobs in media, psychology research, the film industry, and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
of 2020-2024 Bates graduates are employed and/or attending graduate school — settled into their next opportunity within 6 months of graduation.
“I was able to take my French major and spin it into international business. After Bates, I went into investment banking at a French investment bank. I really built on that and am now running an international business for a U.S.- based financial media company. I really got that foundation to say, okay, what are some of the building blocks of a career?”
— Marsha Larned ’07
The French and Francophones studies department takes a wholly interdisciplinary approach, delving into sociology, anthropology, rhetoric, and more to give students a well-rounded view on the subject. The majority of students study abroad for one semester or a year in places including Bordeaux, France; Paris; and Rabat, Morocco. In addition, Lewiston has a rich and diverse Francophone population, allowing students to converse with French Canadians and new Mainers from various sub-Saharan Francophone countries and get first-hand exposure to the voices and topics they’re studying.
I majored in Politics and French with a concentration in Class, Inequity, Poverty, and Justice, and participated in the Bonner Leadership Program through the Harward Center. These academic and community‑based experiences shaped my commitment to education as a catalyst for expanding opportunity. As a teacher, I led a study abroad program to France for my high school students. I later transitioned into talent acquisition, focusing on recruiting educators for hard‑to‑fill roles in public schools. Today, I oversee educator pipeline programs and licensure compliance for DC Public Schools, serving over 50,000 students across 117 schools.
Nathalie Sharp ‘13
Faculty in French and Francophone studies hold doctorates from renowned universities and have expertise that spans a wide range of historical and geographical contexts, from early modern France to contemporary Francophone studies. Faculty members have worked across many subject areas, including directing international study programs, leading national scholarly associations, and partnering with Franco-American communities in Maine. The faculty works closely with students to bring current research into their classroom and demonstrate how rigorous humanities scholarship can address pressing global issues.
This fall, in addition to the 552 first-year students and 13 transfer students, an additional five students enrolled in a few courses across campus: previously incarcerated women joined first-year seminars through the Reentry Sisters Alumni Scholar Program.
Bates welcomed 11 new tenured or tenure-track faculty for the 2026-2027 academic year, and Bates News is highlighting these faculty in three installments. Read about our new faculty here and here, and read below for the final group of new faculty this year.
Natalie Gersen ‘28 of Belmont, Mass., has been named a Newman Civic Fellow through Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities working to advance the public purposes of higher education.
