BA in French Language, Literature & Culture
The Bachelor of Arts in French fosters deep engagement with cultural production of the French-speaking world and encourages students to hone their critical thinking and analytical writing skills. Many students combine a major in French with fields such as anthropology, political science, fine arts, art history or other languages.
Courses cover a variety of topics including poetry and literature, music, cinema, history, politics and the media, as well as all aspects of language learning. Upper-level courses focus on literature and culture and refine writing and analytical skills.
Departmental Honors in French
Students interested in earning special honors in French Language, Literature and Culture to be noted on their transcript must meet all requirements:
- Meet GW’s general special honors requirements.
- Graduate with a GPA of 3.0 overall and 3.75 in classes for the major.
- Complete an honors thesis no later than the fall semester of senior year, if invited to do so by the major advisor and proseminar professor.
"The French major is a gem. The proseminar was the course I looked forward to attending every week, and its intimacy made each and every one of us feel special."
Annabel de Braganca
BA '11, French and International Affairs
Course Requirements
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.
Program-specific curriculum:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite courses | ||
| FREN 1001 | Basic French I | |
| FREN 1002 | Basic French II | |
| FREN 1003 | Intermediate French I | |
| FREN 1004 | Intermediate French II | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required for the major | ||
| 30 credits including: | ||
| FREN 3100 | Introduction to French Literature | |
| FREN 4910 | Proseminar: Readings for the Major | |
| FREN 4920W | Proseminar II | |
| Seven additional upper-level courses numbered 2005 and above. Four of these courses must be in French literature and culture. Two must be FREN courses in the 4000 range. With approval of the major advisor, two may be in a related field. | ||
| FREN 2005 | Language, Culture, and Society I * | |
| FREN 2006 | Language, Culture, and Society II | |
| FREN 2500 | Cultural Politics of Food in France | |
| FREN 2600 | French Culture in Context | |
| FREN 3010W | Advanced French Language, Structure, and Composition | |
| FREN 3020 | Contemporary France | |
| FREN 3100W | Introduction to French Literature | |
| FREN 3210 | Medieval and Early Modern French Literature in Context | |
| FREN 3220 | Modern French Literature | |
| FREN 3300 | Topics in French and Francophone Literatures and Cultures in Translation | |
| FREN 3400 | Studies in Genre | |
| FREN 3500 | Race, Religion, and Identity in France | |
| FREN 3520 | The Age of Classicism | |
| FREN 3530 | The Age of Enlightenment | |
| FREN 3550 | Studies in Twentieth-Century French Literature | |
| FREN 3560 | Topics in Contemporary Francophone Literature and Cinema | |
| FREN 3600 | Special Topics in French Literature | |
| FREN 3700 | History of French Cinema | |
| FREN 4470 | Writing Women | |
| FREN 4500 | Studies in Medieval French Literature | |
| FREN 4510 | French Literature of the Renaissance | |
| FREN 4540 | Nineteenth-Century French Literature and Culture | |
| FREN 4600 | Special Topics in French Literature | |
| FREN 4700 | Race Matters: Literature, Culture, and Identity in Contemporary France | |
*AP credit for FREN 2005 allows students to place into higher-level FREN courses, but those credits do not count toward the total required for the major