For Majors and Minors
The purpose of the French major is to lay the foundation for an understanding and appreciation of French culture through its literature and language, the history of its arts, its thought, and its institutions. All courses in the department are taught in French. Majors and minors choose between a literary concentration, whose courses in periods, genres, thematic clusters and individual authors range from the Middle Ages to the most recently published 20th-c. texts, and an interdisciplinary studies concentration whose courses, selected by the student to fit her particular interests, culminate in a senior thesis, e.g., in the study of the politics of immigration or the economics of decolonization.
Major Requirements
Requirements in the French and Francophone Studies major are:
1. French and Francophone Literature: FREN 005-102 or 005-105 or 101-102 or 101-105; the 200-level language course; FREN 213 Qu'est-ce que la théorie; three semesters of 200-level literature courses, two semesters of 300-level literature courses, and the year-long Senior Experience, which consists of Senior Conference in the Fall semester and either a Senior Thesis or a third 300-level course culminating in the Senior Essay during the Spring semester. In either case, the work of the Spring semester is capped by an oral defense.
2. Interdisciplinary Studies in French: FREN 005-102 or 005-105 or 101-102 or 101-105; the 200-level language course; two 200-level language courses: e.g., FREN 291 or 299; two 200-level courses to be chosen by the student outside the French departments (at BMC/HC or JYA) which contribute coherently to her independent program of study; FREN 326 Etudes avancées de civilisation plus two 300-level courses outside the departments; thesis of one semester in French or English. Students interested in this option must present the rationale and the projected content of their program for departmental approval during their sophomore year; they should have excellent records in French and the other subjects involved in their proposed program.
3. Both concentrations: all French majors are expected to have acquired fluency in the French language, both written and oral. Unless specifically exempted by the department, they are required to take a 200-level language course. Students may wish to continue from this course to hone their skills further in courses on stylistics and translation offered at BMC or abroad. Students placed at the 200 level by departmental examinations are exempted from the 100-level requirements. Occasionally, students may be admitted to seminars in the graduate school.
Requirements for a French minor
Requirements for a French minor are FREN 005-102 or 005-105, or 101-102 or 101-105; the 200-level language course; four 200-level or 300-level courses. At least one course must be at the 300 level.
Honors
Undergraduates who have excelled in French by maintaining a minimum grade of 3.7 may, if invited by the department, write a thesis during the second semester of their senior year. However, the acceptance of the proposal and the subsequent writing of such a thesis do not guarantee the award. Departmental honors may also be awarded for excellence in Senior Experience capped by the oral examination at the end of the senior year.
Study Abroad
Students majoring in French may, by a joint recommendation of the deans of the Colleges and the Departments of French, be allowed to spend their junior year or a semester thereof in France or Francophone countries under one of the junior year plans approved by Bryn Mawr.
Students wishing to enroll in a summer program may apply for admission to the Institut d'Etudes Françaises d'Avignon, held under the auspices of Bryn Mawr. The institute is designed for selected undergraduates with a serious interest in French and Francophone literatures and cultures, most particularly for those who anticipate professional careers requiring knowledge of the language and civilization of France and French-speaking countries. The curriculum includes general and advanced courses in French language, literature, social sciences, history, art and economics (including the possibility of internships in Avignon). The program is open to students of high academic achievement who have completed a course in French at the third-year level or the equivalent.
Teaching Certification
The Department of French offers a certification program in secondary teacher education. For more information, see Education.
