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French Language Education

Types of Degrees French Language Education Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing French Language Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	21
Master’s Degree	14

What French Language Education Majors Need to Know

Studies in French Language Education build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that French Language Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in French Language Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Philosophy and Theology — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a French Language Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to French Language Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, French Language Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by French Language Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for French Language Education graduates include:

• Educator
• College Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Lecturer
• Adjunct Instructor
• Instructor
• Professor
• Associate Professor
• Language Instructor
• Teacher
• ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor)
• Bilingual Teacher
• Spanish Teacher
• Adult Basic Education Instructor
• Primary Education Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to French Language Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	52.0%
Bachelor’s degree	29.5%
Master’s degree	8.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	5.9%
Less than a high school diploma	2.1%
Post-master’s certificate	1.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in French Language Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 80% of French Language Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	28	80.0%
Men	7	20.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of French Language Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	22	62.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1	2.9%
Black or African American	2	5.7%
Race Unknown	3	8.6%
International Students	7	20.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do French Language Education Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of French Language Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$49,919
4 years	$50,204
5 years	$56,331

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $56,331 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online French Language Education Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for French Language Education. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	2	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in French Language Education Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, French Language Education graduates earn a median of $50,204 four years after completion — roughly 32% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	13.13
Agricultural Teacher Education	13.1301
Art Teacher Education	13.1302
Biology Teacher Education	13.1322
Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education	13.1303
Chemistry Teacher Education	13.1323
Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education	13.1339
Computer Teacher Education	13.1321
Drama and Dance Teacher Education	13.1324
Driver and Safety Teacher Education	13.1304
Earth Science Teacher Education	13.1337
English/Language Arts Teacher Education	13.1305

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.