The French program combines a rigorous emphasis on grammar and composition with a comprehensive exploration of French literature from the 14th Century to the present.

When world leaders travel to Brussels, the seat of the European Union, or to Geneva, home of United Nations institutions such as UNESCO and the International Red Cross, they negotiate in French. International development organizations rely on French speakers. More Africans now speak French than Europeans. French-speaking Quebec is a major US trading partner.

Many French majors at Redlands choose to double in another major where French is an important asset, such as Education, Art History, International Relations, Global Business, Government, Music, Philosophy, History, Comparative Literature and other language majors.