Languages and Cultures: French

The major and the minor in French and Francophone studies at Fordham are multidisciplinary in their focus and examine political, social, historical, and cultural (art, literature, film, media) practices in the Francophone world from the medieval period to the present. With specialists in anthropology, critical theory, cognitive studies, film studies, journalism, humanitarian studies, literary studies, race studies, translation, and visual culture, and affiliated faculty in Art History, English, History, Medieval studies, Philosophy, and Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies, the program in French and Francophone studies is committed to preparing students to engage critically in French with the most significant ideas, issues, and questions in France and the francophone world, whether in the past or today. The study of class, climate, colonialism, identity, gender, immigration, race, sexual preference, and their intersectionality are integral and critical parts of the curriculum in the French and Francophone studies program.

The major and the minor in French and Francophone studies are available at Fordham College at Rose Hill and Fordham College at Lincoln Center. Students in Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies may minor in French and Francophone studies only if their schedules are sufficiently flexible to permit them to take day classes at the Rose Hill or Lincoln Center campuses.

Course requirements for the Major in French and Francophone Studies

Students must complete ten courses to fulfill the course requirements of this interdisciplinary major. Students take a combination of core (starting with FREN 1502 French Intermediate II or FREN 2001 Introduction to French Language and Literature) and upper-level elective courses (six of which must be numbered 3000 and above), to be selected in consultation with an assigned adviser in the French program.

Students are required to take FREN 2600 France: History, Culture, and Civilization and a pre-modern course, and to complete a capstone project as part of this sequence of courses. Students who place out of FREN 2001 will start with FREN 2600 and complete two additional upper-level electives instead of the core courses.

A list of courses regularly offered by the French faculty can be found here.

The majority of classes will be taught in French, but up to 3 related classes may be taken in English in other departments upon the approval of the advisor. French and Francophone Studies majors keep a portfolio of their work and participate in a round table with other graduating majors during the spring of their senior year.

In addition to gaining a thorough understanding of French/Francophone cultures, majors will also be expected to have achieved fluency and correct use of the language in their spoken as well as written presentations and work. The majority of courses are taught in French. Students wishing to take courses outside of the department should provide their French and Francophone Studies adviser with a copy of the course’s syllabus completed in another department for pre-approval before registering for the course. Up to three courses taught in English on a topic relevant to French and Francophone Studies may be considered.

View the French and Francophone Studies major requirements

AB and IB Credit

When AP or IB credits are awarded as equivalent to FREN1502, these credits will be applied toward the core language requirement and, as elective credits, toward graduation, but they will not be applied toward the major or the minor in that language.

Study Abroad Policy
Majors in French and Francophone Studies are highly encouraged to spend an academic semester or year studying in a Francophone country. Students should discuss eligible and relevant programs with a member of the French faculty or their French and Francophone Studies adviser as early as possible.

A maximum of four courses taken abroad for one semester and a maximum of five courses taken abroad for one year may apply toward the French and Francophone studies major. These courses must be approved by the French and Francophone studies major adviser prior to studying abroad.

Students must consult with the French faculty and discuss their program options before applying. It must be noted that some study abroad courses require students to demonstrate formally an advanced proficiency level before applying or before the semester abroad starts.

French and Francophone Studies Senior Year Presentation

French and Francophone studies majors will be required to complete a questionnaire and participate in a senior roundtable during the spring of their senior year. The presentation will give closure and provide an assessment of the student’s progress, as well as of his/her/their critical and linguistic aptitude in French and their intercultural competence.

French and Francophone Studies Senior Thesis
Students who have maintained a 3.67 GPA average in French are eligible to write a Senior Thesis under the supervision of a French faculty advisor. Students must secure the approval of a French faculty advisor before the end of their junior year.

Upon completion, students will receive one of the below transcript notations:

avec mention: satisfying work
avec mention bien: above average work
avec mention très bien: excellent work
avec mention haute distinction: work of superior intellectual quality

Internships
Area studies majors have the option of signing up for an internship provided they submit a written proposal to their advisor before the beginning of the internship, meet with their adviser at least once a month to discuss the relevance of their work, and submit a final report at the end of the semester. Students wishing to receive 3 or 4 credits for an internship and have the course count as one of their 10 required courses for the major must meet at least once every two weeks with their adviser and produce a significant research paper at the end of the semester. The only internships to be considered will be directly connected to France / the Francophone world. Students will have to demonstrate that they use French on a weekly basis, and that the internship can be considered a valuable part of their education and course of study.

Double-Counting
Students can only double-count up to two courses between their French and Francophone Studies major and another major and/or minor. Exceptions include students studying both French and Francophone Studies and International Studies or International Political Economy since these two programs have their own foreign language course requirements in addition to Fordham College’s language core requirement. Therefore, students may have up to four French courses counting towards both their French and Francophone Studies major (or minor) and there IS/IPE major.

Availability

The major in French and Francophone studies is available at Fordham College at Rose Hill and Fordham College at Lincoln Center. Students in Fordham's School of Professional and Continuing Studies may major in French and Francophone studies only if they receive the approval of their advising dean and/or department, and their schedules are sufficiently flexible to permit them to take day courses at the Rose Hill or Lincoln Center campuses.

Fordham College at Rose Hill students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the Core Curriculum.

Fordham College at Lincoln Center students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the Core Curriculum.

Professional and Continuing Studies students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the PCS Core Curriculum and any additional electives that may be required to earn a minimum of 124 credits.

Course requirements for the Minor in French and Francophone Studies

Students must complete six courses to fulfill the course requirements of this interdisciplinary minor. Students take a combination of core (starting with FREN 1502 French Intermediate II or FREN 2001 Introduction to French Language and Literature) and upper-level elective courses (six of which must be numbered 3000 and above), to be selected in consultation with an assigned adviser in the French program.

Students are required to take FREN 2600 France: History, Culture, and Civilization, which is the prerequisite for all upper-level electives.

All courses for the minor must be completed in French.

A list of courses regularly offered by the French faculty can be found here.

View the French and Francophone Studies minor requirements

AB and IB Credit

All courses counting towards the core language requirement and the major or the minor in a modern foreign language, literature and culture must be taken for credit and a letter grade. When AP or IB credits are awarded as equivalent to the 1502 level in a language, these credits will be applied toward the core language requirement and, as elective credits, toward graduation, but they will not be applied toward the major or the minor in that language.

Study Abroad

Minors in French and Francophone Studies are highly encouraged to spend an academic semester or year studying in a Francophone country. Students should discuss eligible and relevant programs with a member of the French faculty or their French and Francophone Studies adviser as early as possible.

A maximum of two courses taken abroad for one semester and a maximum of three courses taken abroad for one year may apply toward the French minor. These courses must be approved by the assigned departmental French minor advisor prior to studying abroad.

Availability

The minor in French and Francophone Studies is available at Fordham College at Rose Hill and Fordham College at Lincoln Center. Students in Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies may minor in French and Francophone Studies only if their schedules are sufficiently flexible to permit them to take day classes at the Rose Hill or Lincoln Center campuses.

Want to learn more about the French program?

Please visit our always updated French program website:

https://frenchatfordham.wordpress.com/