The French major prepares students to live and work in a global society by developing multilingualism and intercultural competency. Students will master the French language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) needed for all purposes of daily life and gain diverse perspectives on French and Francophone culture through courses focusing on literature, history, visual arts, film, media and business.
The major explores distinctly French and Francophone contributions to world culture and allows students to familiarize themselves with the history, forms and conventions of rich literary and artistic traditions. In addition to focusing on a broad range of historical periods, transcultural approaches and topics ranging from Enlightenment political thought to animal studies and Francophone cultures of sub-Saharan Africa, 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 1350 | Introduction to Social Change in the Arts | 3 |
| FREN 1400 | Sexuality and Gender Wars in Italy and France | 3 |
| FREN 1550 | The Power of Fairy Tales in Italy and France | 3 |
| FREN 1750 | French Colonialism: North Africa and the Middle East | 3 |
| FREN 1880 | The Zombie in History and Popular Culture | 3 |
| FREN 1900 | Modern Paris in Literature, Photographs, Paintings and Movies | 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 education requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences. Students wishing to pursue an Honors thesis should also consult the Honors requirements.
Requirements
Program Requirements
Students must complete the general education requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below. Students wishing to pursue an Honors thesis should also consult the Honors requirements listed below.
Note: Students undertaking a major in French should expect to meet regularly with a college advisor and the department’s Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies to ensure that they are making adequate progress and that requirements are being met in a timely way.
A total of 30 credit hours is required for successful completion of the French major. Most classes for the major will be upper-division courses in French with the exception of FREN 2120 (if needed). Students also have the option of counting one 1000-level class in English and one 3000-level class in English. Students may count any of the department’s FREN global seminars toward the major by completing the seminar coursework in French according to their level and in consultation with the instructor.
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 2120 | Second-Year French Grammar Review and Reading 2 1 | 3 |
| Advanced FREN courses | 6 | |
| Take two of the following | ||
| Phonetics and Conversation: AI and Us (can be taken concurrently with FREN 2120) | ||
| French Composition | ||
| Introduction to Critical Reading and Writing in French Literature | ||
| 12 credits of FREN upper-division electives taught in French | 12 | |
| 3 credits of FREN 4000-level taught in French. Student has an option to take an Independent Study project FREN 4840 or Seminar FREN 4990 2 | 3 | |
| 6 credits of FREN elective (can include one 3000-level course taught in English, and/or one 1000-level course taught in English). | 6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
| 1 | Students who have tested out of second-year French must replace FREN 2120 with an additional 3 credits in a FREN upper-division elective taught in French. |
| 2 | Note: For more information contact Christine.Luft@colorado.edu |
Honors Requirements
Honors candidates must meet all of the regular requirements for the major plus the following:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| One course focusing on literary or cultural theories/theory related to the student's proposed independent study project, including but not limited to FREN 3200; ENGL 2026, ENGL 2036, ENGL 2112. Students should consult with their honors thesis advisor when choosing a course | 3 | |
| One semester of independent study 1 | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 6 | |
| 1 | Note: The semester of independent study is completed concurrently with a 4000-level course the instructor of which will serve as the student's honor thesis 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) and a FREN 1000-level content course.
- 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) and a French 3000-level content course taught in English.
- Spring semester: FREN 2120 Second-Year French Grammar Review and Reading 2
Third Year
- Fall semester: FREN 3010 Phonetics and Conversation: AI and Us, or FREN 3050 French Composition or FREN 3100 Introduction to Critical Reading and Writing in French Literature and three hours of FREN upper-division (3000-level and up) course taught in French.
- Spring semester: FREN 3010, or FREN 3050, or FREN 3100 and three hours of FREN upper-division (3000-level and up) course taught in French.
Fourth Year
- Fall semester: Six hours of FREN upper-division (3000-level and up) course taught in French.
- Spring semester: Three hours of a FREN 4000-level course taught in French.
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 |
| FREN 1000-level content course taught in English | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Lower-division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/US Perspective) | 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 |
| FREN 3000-level content course (can fulfill global perspective diversity). Can be taught in English | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| FREN 2120 | Second-Year French Grammar Review and Reading 2 | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/Global Perspective) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| FREN 3010 | Phonetics and Conversation: AI and Us (May choose 3010, 3050, or 3100) | 3 |
| FREN upper-division course (3000-level or higher) taught in French | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| FREN 3050 | French Composition (May choose 3010, 3050, or 3100) | 3 |
| FREN upper-division course (3000-level or higher) taught in French | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| FREN 4000-level course taught in French | 3 | |
| FREN upper-division course (3000-level or higher) taught in French | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 18 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| FREN upper-division course (3000-level or higher) taught in French | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120-122 | |
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 standalone 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 an accelerated 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.