The French major prepares students to live and work in a global society by developing multilingualism and intercultural competency. Students will master French language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) needed for all purposes of daily life and gain diverse perspectives on French and Francophone culture though courses focusing on literature, history, visual arts, film, media and business.
Survey courses and upper-division seminars offer a range of exposure to the French cultural past and the vast ethnic and national diversity of the French-speaking present. The major explores distinctly French contributions to world culture and allows students to familiarize themselves with the history, forms, and conventions of a rich literary and artistic tradition. In addition to focusing on a broad range of historical periods, transcultural approaches, and topics ranging from Enlightenment political thought to animal studies and France's relations with the Muslim world, the French curriculum brings far-flung periods and places to life. It links analysis of contemporary cultural phenomena with more distant historical epochs and texts. Medieval epic is studied in tandem with "Game of Thrones," for example, or the history of Caribbean slavery with the figure of the Zombie. All courses for the major and minor are interdisciplinary and associate elements of other disciplines such as media studies, art history, science studies, philosophy, sociology, ecology or anthropology with the study of literary texts and other cultural artifacts.
Recent course topics include
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FREN 1200 | Medieval Epic Through Game of Thrones | 3 |
| FREN 1880 | The Zombie in History and Popular Culture | 3 |
| FREN 3500 | French Current Events: Conversation and Composition | 3 |
| FREN 3700 | French-American Cultural Differences | 3 |
| FREN 4250 | Medieval and Renaissance Readings | 3 |
| FREN 4600 | Topics in French Film | 3 |
| FREN 4700 | Encountering Animals: Contemporary Discourse and the Dialog of Species | 3 |
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed under Requirements. Students wishing to pursue an Honors major should also consult the Honors requirements.
Requirements
Program Requirements
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below. Students wishing to pursue an Honors major should also consult the Honors requirements listed below.
Note: Students undertaking a major in French should expect to have regular conferences with a college advisor to ensure that they are making adequate progress and that requirements are being met in a timely way. The department will not certify majors for graduation when a failure to satisfy requirements is the students' responsibility.
A minimum of 30 upper-division credit hours in French must be completed (see below for specific courses). FREN 2120 or its equivalent is the prerequisite for admission to courses required for the major.
All required major courses must be passed with a C- or better and cannot be taken pass/fail. Students must have a GPA of at least 2.000 in the major in order to graduate.
Required Courses and Credits
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FREN 3010 | French Phonetics and Pronunciation | 3 |
| FREN 3050 | French Composition | 3 |
| FREN 3100 | Introduction to Critical Reading and Writing in French Literature | 3 |
| FREN 3110 | Main Currents of French Literature 1 | 3 |
| or FREN 3120 | Main Currents of French Literature 2 | |
| Six or more other courses at the 3000 or 4000 level, of which 9 credit hours must be at the 4100 level or above (6 of which must be completed at CU) | 18 | |
| FREN 4990 | Senior Seminar 1 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
| 1 | Note: The seminar runs concurrently with one of the three courses taken at the 4100 level or above. See departmental brochure for details. |
Honors Requirements
Honors candidates must meet all of the regular requirements for the major plus the following:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FREN 3200 | Introduction to Literary Theory and Advanced Critical Analysis | 3 |
| One semester of independent study 1 | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 6 | |
| 1 | NOTE: The semester of independent study is taken concurrently with FREN 4980, and is devoted to one-on-one work on the senior honors thesis with a faculty advisor. See department for details. |
Graduating in Four Years
Consult the four-year guarantee requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of "adequate progress" as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress in French, students should meet the following requirements (one option):
First Year
- Fall semester: FREN 1010 Beginning French 1 (if needed; does not fulfill French major course requirements)
- Spring semester: FREN 1020 Beginning French 2 (if needed; does not fulfill French major course requirements)
Second Year
- Fall semester: FREN 2110 Second-Year French Grammar Review and Reading 1 (if needed; does not fulfill French major course requirements)
- Spring semester: FREN 2120 Second-Year French Grammar Review and Reading 2 (prerequisite for courses required for French major, but does not fulfill major course requirements); FREN 3010 French Phonetics and Pronunciation, 3 credits total required.
Third Year
- Fall semester: FREN 3050 French Composition ; upper-division (3000 level and up) course, 6 credits total required
- Spring semester: FREN 3100 Introduction to Critical Reading and Writing in French Literature; FREN 3110 Main Currents of French Literature 1 or FREN 3120 Main Currents of French Literature 2; upper-division (3000 level and up) FREN course, 9 credits total required.
Fourth Year
- Fall semester: FREN 4990 Senior Seminar; upper-division (3000 level and up) FREN course, 6 credits total required.
- Spring semester: FREN 4100 or higher (3 credits required); upper-division (3000 level and up) FREN course, 6 credits total required.
Note: Completion of French requirements includes the successful written and oral presentation of a senior essay (FREN 4990) by the end of the fourth (senior) year.
Recommended Four-Year Plan of Study
Through the required coursework for the major, students will complete all 12 credits of the Arts & Humanities area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| FREN 1010 | Beginning French 1 (If needed, does not fulfill French major course requirements) | 5 |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Lower-division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/US Perspective) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 1-3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15-17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| FREN 1020 | Beginning French 2 (If needed, does not fulfill French major course requirements) | 5 |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: QRMS) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences with Lab) | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| FREN 2110 | Second-Year French Grammar Review and Reading 1 (If needed, does not fulfill French major course requirements) | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| FREN 2120 | Second-Year French Grammar Review and Reading 2 (prereq for courses required for French major but does not fulfill major course requirements) | 3 |
| FREN 3010 | French Phonetics and Pronunciation | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/Global Perspective) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| FREN 3050 | French Composition | 3 |
| FREN Upper Division course | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Upper-division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| FREN 3100 | Introduction to Critical Reading and Writing in French Literature | 3 |
| FREN 3110 or FREN 3120 | Main Currents of French Literature 1 or Main Currents of French Literature 2 | 3 |
| FREN Upper Division course | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| FREN 3500 | French Current Events: Conversation and Composition | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 18 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| FREN 4990 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| FREN course 4100 or higher | 3 | |
| FREN Upper Division course | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| FREN course 4100 or higher | 3 | |
| FREN course 3000 or higher | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 123-125 | |
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing an undergraduate degree in French studies, student will be able to:
- Communicate effectively in writing and speaking in the target language while developing proficiency in aural and written comprehension.
- Analyze and interpret a variety of texts and materials from an interdisciplinary perspective with attention to cultural, historical and social contexts.
- Demonstrate knowledge of French and Francophone literatures, cultures and thought by identifying, evaluating, and arguing from primary, and when appropriate, secondary sources.
- Engage with diverse perspectives with a view to building intercultural competence and critical-thinking skills.
Bachelor's–Accelerated Master's Degree Program(s)
The bachelor's–accelerated master's (BAM) degree program options offer currently enrolled CU Boulder undergraduate students the opportunity to receive a bachelor's and master's degree in a shorter period of time. Students receive the bachelor's degree first but begin taking graduate coursework as undergraduates (typically in their senior year).
Because some courses are allowed to double count for both the bachelor's and the master's degrees, students receive a master's degree in less time and at a lower cost than if they were to enroll in a stand-alone master's degree program after completion of their baccalaureate degree. In addition, staying at CU Boulder to pursue a bachelor's–accelerated master's program enables students to continue working with their established faculty mentors.
BA and MA in French
The BAM degree program in French is normally a five-year program designed for currently enrolled CU Boulder students.
The BAM program is administered jointly by the Graduate School and the French and Italian Department. The department assumes primary administrative authority and responsibility reflecting the full authority and standards of both the undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Admissions Requirements
Initial admission to the program typically occurs during the junior year. Any student inquiring should consult a college advisor and the associate chair for graduate studies in the French and Italian Department for details. Students admitted to the BAM program will be admitted at undergraduate status.
In order to gain admission to the BAM program named above, a student must meet the following criteria:
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Have completed all MAPS deficiencies (students admitted to CU Boulder prior to Summer 2023 only).
- Be a full-time CU Boulder student.
- If a transfer student, have completed at least 24 credit hours as a degree-seeking student before applying.
Program Requirements
Students may take up to and including 12 hours while in the undergraduate program which can later be used toward the master's degree. However, only 9 credits may be double counted toward the bachelor's degree and the master's degree. Students must apply to graduate with the bachelor's degree, and apply to continue with the master's degree, early in the semester in which the undergraduate requirements will be completed.
If you are interested in the BAM degree program, please contact the graduate program assistant for more information.