BA in French Language, Literature & Culture

French professor Katherine Kleppinger

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 following requirements must be fulfilled:

    The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.

    Program-specific curriculum:

    The following requirements must be fulfilled:

    The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.

    Program-specific curriculum:

    Prerequisite courses
    FREN 1001Basic French I
    FREN 1002Basic French II
    FREN 1003Intermediate French I
    FREN 1004Intermediate French II
    Required for the major
    Required courses
    FREN 3100Introduction to French Literature
    FREN 4910Advanced Studies in French Culture
    Elective courses
    Eight 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 2005Language, Culture, and Society I *
    FREN 2006Language, Culture, and Society II
    FREN 2500Cultural Politics of Food in France
    FREN 2600French Culture in Context
    FREN 3010WAdvanced French Language, Structure, and Composition
    FREN 3020Contemporary France
    FREN 3100WIntroduction to French Literature
    FREN 3210Medieval and Early Modern French Literature in Context
    FREN 3220Modern French Literature
    FREN 3300Topics in French and Francophone Literatures and Cultures in Translation
    FREN 3400Studies in Genre
    FREN 3500Race, Religion, and Identity in France
    FREN 3520The Age of Classicism
    FREN 3530The Age of Enlightenment
    FREN 3550Studies in Twentieth-Century French Literature
    FREN 3560Topics in Contemporary Francophone Literature and Cinema
    FREN 3600Special Topics in French Literature
    FREN 3700History of French Cinema
    FREN 4470Writing Women
    FREN 4500Studies in Medieval French Literature
    FREN 4510French Literature of the Renaissance
    FREN 4540Nineteenth-Century French Literature and Culture
    FREN 4600Special Topics in French Literature
    FREN 4700Race Matters: Literature, Culture, and Identity in Contemporary France
    FREN 3030French for Professional Purposes
    FREN 4920WSenior Honors in French

    *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