A degree in French allows graduates to pursue careers around the world. French is a language of international relations. Graduates who are able to speak French have access to jobs in French companies located in France, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, and the continent of Africa. French is both a working and an official language of the UN, the EU, NATO, the International Red Cross, the International Olympic Committee, and international courts. Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literature at the University of South Alabama The programs offered by the Department are essential to the university's mission of enhancing students' understanding of other cultures and preparing them to thrive in a global society. Our interdisciplinary curriculum integrates language study with culture and area studies, literature, linguistics, history as well as other disciplines and prepares our students to take their place as participants, leaders and innovators in an increasingly interconnected world. In equipping our students with proficiency in a second or a third language, we strive to help them widen their horizons and escape a narrow, monolingual view of the world. Competency in other languages is the key to understanding other cultures and, in turn, makes possible a deeper understanding of one's own culture and language.