Requirements for the Major in French

A minimum of eight units, not including FRE 300, 310, or 420, but which may include the SIP.   No more than two of these units (in either language or literature) may be earned during study abroad. Although a student may take all three courses on the 400 (intermediate) level, no more than two of those courses may count toward the major.

Required Courses

• FRE 501 Introduction to French Literature
• FRE 970 Senior Seminar
• At least two units in French literature chosen from:
• FRE 516 16th-Century French Literature
• FRE 518 17th-Century French Literature
• FRE 530 18th-Century French Literature
• FRE 545 19th-Century French Literature
• FRE 570 20th-Century French Literature
• FRE 580 Francophone Literature
• FRE 935 Advanced Literary Studies
• All Francophone literature courses count toward the literature Area of Study requirement for graduation.
• Majors are encouraged to develop appropriate cognate programs in areas such as history, political science, economics, music, philosophy, international and area studies or international commerce. HIS 540 and 545 are highly recommended for French majors.

Requirements for the minor in French

Six units are required.

Required Courses

• FRE 501 Introduction to French Literature
• Four chosen from the following (two must be above the 501 French literature level):
• FRE 450, 516, 518, 530, 545, 570, 580, 935, 970
• Students may count one course taken during study abroad. Students may not count both FRE450 and the course from abroad.

FRE 310 Beginning French II. Further development of basic skills and vocabulary. Prerequisite: FRE 300 or equivalent.

FRE 420 Intermediate French. Polishing and reinforcing of basic skills; readings and discussion of texts in French with topics chosen from literature and civilization. Prerequisite: FRE 310 or equivalent.

FRE 430 Conversation and Composition. Practice in conversation, oral interpretation, composition; discussions and reports; study of idioms fundamental to an active use of spoken and written French. Given in French. Prerequisite: FRE 420 or equivalent.

FRE 440 Advanced Conversation and Composition. Further refinement in areas studied in

FRE 430; readings in French literature and culture. Given in French. Prerequisite: FRE 430 or equivalent.

FRE 450 Topics in French and Francophone Cultures. Reading, research and discussion on selected topics and issues in the French-speaking world. Given in French. Prerequisite: FRE 430 or equivalent. (May be taken in addition to French 501 and any advanced literature course in the French sequence; may be repeated when the topic changes. May be used in the French minor, but may not be used to satisfy a literature requirement for the major.)

FRE 501 Introduction to French Literature. Introduction to literary genres through reading and interpretation of major works of French and Francophone literatures. Given in French. Prerequisite: FRE 430 or 440 or equivalent.

FRE 516 16th-Century French Literature. Introduction to representative literary figures and genres of the early Modern Period. Literary texts will be studied in their social, historical and aesthetic context. Given in French. Prerequisite: FRE 501.

FRE 518 17th-Century French Literature. Selections from Corneille, Descartes, Pascal, Molière, La Fontaine, Mme. de Sévigné, Racine, La Rochefoucauld, Mme. de Lafayette, La Bruyère and Perrault. Given in French. Prerequisite: FRE 501.

FRE 530 18th-Century French Literature and Thought. Examination of some of the works of Lesage, Prévost, Marivaux, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, L'Encyclopédie, Chénier, Beaumarchais. Given in French. Prerequisite: FRE 501.

FRE 545 19th-Century French Literature. Major authors representing Realism, Romanticism, Naturalism and Parnassian and Symbolist poetry. Given in French. Prerequisite: FRE 501.

FRE 570 20th-Century French Literature. Selected major writers of the contemporary period. Given in French. Prerequisite: FRE 501.

FRE 580 Francophone Literature. Selected works from nonmetropolitan authors of French expression from the Caribbean, Maghreb, West Africa and/or Canada. Given in French. Prerequisite: FRE 501.

FRE 935 Advanced Literary Studies. Courses focused on major figures and/or movements in French and Francophone literatures. Topics will vary. Given in French. Prerequisite: FRE 501.

FRE 970 Senior Seminar. Specialized topics in French or Francophone literatures; preparation for senior departmental examination. Prerequisite: French major or permission.