Campuses:
This is archival data. This system was retired as of August 21, 2023 and the information on this page has not been updated since then. For current information, visit catalogs.umn.edu.
Twin Cities Campus
French Studies B.A.French & Italian
College of Liberal Arts
The major in French and Francophone studies introduces students to world cultures and history and prepares them for our interconnected, global future. The program cultivates students’ cultural sophistication and their skills in language, communication, analysis, and argument.
The major combines advanced language study with courses in three areas of concentration: linguistics, literature, and film. After placement exams, students begin their language study freshmen year while also taking a Gateways to French and Francophone studies course, taught in English, which introduces them to Francophone cultures from across the world and to the way we study them.
Students go on to study advanced French grammar, communication, and composition, and they can take language electives in phonetics, advanced oral communication, advanced writing (journalistic and literary prose), and the language and culture of business in France. They continue to hone their language skills in elective courses in linguistics, literature, and culture, most of which are taught entirely in French. Courses in linguistics cover sociolinguistics, the history of the French language, the structure and sounds of the language, and Old (medieval) French. Courses in literature do not confine themselves to the contemplation of aesthetics, but rather pose philosophical and historical questions (“What is human nature?” “What new world did revolutionaries imagine?” “How do immigrants represent their new lives?”). They cover all periods, including the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Classical Period, Enlightenment, Modernity, and Postmodernity. A number of courses focus on Francophone material from Africa, the Caribbean, and Quebec. Courses in cinema, from its first moments to the present, are also offered.
We encourage students to study abroad on one of the programs offered through the Learning Abroad Center. Students must complete the Gateways course, at least four 3xxx-level courses totalling 12 credits, and the senior project on the UMN TC campus, but they can transfer a great deal of coursework from programs abroad. We accept appropriate coursework from the Montpellier Integrated or Intensive Language programs, the Montpellier Advanced Summer program, the Paris CIEE program, the Senegal MSID program, and the National Student Exchange to a university in Quebec. However, students must consult with an advisor in the Department before committing to one of these programs.
Many students combine a French studies major with another CLA major in the arts, humanities, social sciences, or sciences. Students have also successfully combined a BA in French with degrees in other colleges, including the Carlson School of Management, the College of Design, the College of Education and Human Development, the College of Biological Sciences, the College of Science and Engineering, and the College of Food, and Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences. These students choose French as a second major, rather than a minor, because it allows them to reach a higher level of language proficiency while achieving a depth of cultural understanding that is not possible in the shorter program.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
Admission Requirements
Complete the introductory 4-semester French language sequence or its equivalent. Note: Students must formally declare a major within the department before completing the majority of the major elective requirements.
For information about University of Minnesota admission requirements, visit the
Office of Admissions
website.
General Requirements
All students in baccalaureate degree programs are required to complete general University and college requirements including writing and liberal education courses. For more information about University-wide requirements, see the
liberal education requirements.
Required courses for the major, minor or certificate in which a student receives a D grade (with or without plus or minus) do not count toward the major, minor or certificate (including transfer courses).
Program Requirements
Students are required to complete 4 semester(s) of
French.
with a grade of C-, or better, or S, or demonstrate proficiency in the language(s) as defined by the department
or college.
CLA BA degrees require 4 semesters or the equivalent of a second language.
CLA degrees require students to complete 48 credits of upper division coursework taken at the 3xxx, 4xxx, or 5xxx level. For a BA at least 18 of the 48 upper division credits must be outside of the major. For some specific majors, there are exceptions to this requirement.
This program requires 18 upper division credits outside the major. See your advisor for a list of courses that can or cannot be used to meet this requirement.
Majors must complete a Gateways course (15xx) and a minimum of 10 upper division FREN courses for 30 credits, plus a senior proj. At least 4 of the 10 upper division FREN courses (not counting the senior project) must be taken in the Department of French at the UMN-TC campus.
Up to 18 credits of 3xxx-level coursework from study abroad programs sponsored by or affiliated with the University of Minnesota may be counted towards the major.
FREN 15xx must be taken on the UMN-TC campus or through the May-term Abroad "Gateways" program sponsored by the Department.
Students completing the senior project must do so on the UMN-TC campus.
Students may earn a BA or a minor in French, but not both.
All incoming CLA freshmen must complete the First Year Experience course sequence.
Prerequisites
In select cases, students with advanced proficiency may place out through EPT or LPE examinations.
Take 0 or more course(s) totaling 0 - 20 credit(s) from the following:
or
FREN 1022 - Accelerated Beginning French
(5.0 cr)
FREN 1003 - Intermediate French I
(5.0 cr)
FREN 1004 - Intermediate French II
(5.0 cr)
Major Courses
Take the following 4 courses for a total of 12 credits.
FREN 1501 - Gateways to French and Francophone Studies: English Only
[AH, GP]
(3.0 cr)
or
FREN 1502 - Gateways to French and Francophone Studies: Bilingual
[AH, GP]
(3.0 cr)
or
Other FREN 15xx Course
FREN 3015 - Advanced French Grammar and Communication
(3.0 cr)
FREN 3016 - Advanced French Composition and Communication
(3.0 cr)
FREN 3101W - Methods in French and Francophone Studies
[LITR, WI]
(3.0 cr)
Upper Division French Courses
All courses are worth 3 credits. FREN 37xx courses do NOT fulfill the upper division French courses sub-requirement. No more than three of the seven courses may be numbered FREN 30xx. FREN 3010 is repeatable up to three times for a total of 9 credits. Note: most FREN linguistics courses require LING 3001 or FREN 3500 as a prerequisite.
Take 7 or more course(s) totaling 21 or more credit(s) from the following:
·
FREN 3xxx
·
FREN 4xxx
·
FREN 5xxx
Senior Project
The senior project is completed in FREN 4101W, 4101V, FREN 4109W or 4110V in the last or next-to-last semester before graduation. Honors students should consult the UHP Sub-plan for their senior project requirements. Research topics must be approved by course instructor. Papers are written in consultation with course instructor or other appropriate faculty. Double majors can complete the senior project in their other CLA major, but must still take a minimum of 30 FREN upper division credits.
Take 1 - 2 course(s) totaling 2 - 4 credit(s) from the following:
Seminar in French Studies
If it is offered, students fulfilling the senior project requirement must take FREN 4101W or FREN 4101V. Honors students seeking Latin honors must take the honors version of the course. Honors students writing summa theses should take a total of 4 credits of senior project by combining 4101V and 4110V in their final year.
·
FREN 4101W - Capstone Seminar in French and Francophone Studies
[WI]
(2.0 cr)
or
FREN 4101V - Honors Capstone Seminar in French and Francophone Studies
[WI]
(2.0 cr)
·
Directed Studies Senior Project
·
FREN 4109W - Capstone Independent Study in French and Francophone Studies
[WI]
(2.0 cr)
or
FREN 4110V - Honors Capstone Independent Study in French and Francophone Studies
[WI]
(2.0-4.0 cr)
Upper Division Writing Intensive within the Major
Students are required to take one upper division writing intensive course within the major. If that requirement has not been satisfied within the core major requirements, students must choose one course from the following list. Some of these courses may also fulfill other major requirements.
Take 0 - 1 course(s) from the following:
·
FREN 3101W - Methods in French and Francophone Studies
[LITR, WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
FREN 3017W - Advanced Writing in French: Genre, Style, Rhetoric
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
FREN 4101W - Capstone Seminar in French and Francophone Studies
[WI]
(2.0 cr)
·
FREN 4101V - Honors Capstone Seminar in French and Francophone Studies
[WI]
(2.0 cr)
·
FREN 4109W - Capstone Independent Study in French and Francophone Studies
[WI]
(2.0 cr)
·
FREN 4110V - Honors Capstone Independent Study in French and Francophone Studies
[WI]
(2.0-4.0 cr)
|
|
Credits: | 5.0 [max 5.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 1001/Mont 1001/Fren 4001 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 5.0 [max 5.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 1002/4002/4022/Mont 1002 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 5.0 [max 5.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 1002/4002/4022/Mont 1002 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 5.0 [max 5.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 1003/Fren 4003/Mont 1003 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 5.0 [max 5.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 1004/Mont 1004/Fren 4004 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 1501/Fren 1502 |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 1501/Fren 1502 |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 3015/Mont 3015 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 3016/Mont 3016 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 4101W/Fren 4101V/Fren 410 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 4101W/Fren 4101V/Fren 410 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 2.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 4101W/Fren 4101V/Fren 410 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 -4.0 [max 8.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 3017W/Mont 3505W |
Prerequisites: | 3016 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 4101W/Fren 4101V/Fren 410 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 4101W/Fren 4101V/Fren 410 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 2.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Fren 4101W/Fren 4101V/Fren 410 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 -4.0 [max 8.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |