French/French Studies
The Bachelor of Arts in French Studies offers students a thorough training in the language and culture of the 200 million people who live in France and other francophone areas in the world.
In so doing, it familiarizes them with a vital and influential tradition in literature and the arts which spans twelve centuries and a language of importance in the realms of business, politics, science and technology.
French Studies recognizes the need to provide today's students with a broad education in French. Consequently, it requires concentrators to complete coursework in four general areas: language (including the specialized language of business), culture/civilization, film and literature. For the same reason, French Studies takes as its purview the French-speaking world as a whole. Although it places emphasis on France, the concentration also provides an introduction to the other French-speaking countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and the Caribbean which are playing roles of increasing prominence in global affairs.
UM-Dearborn offers undergraduates two degree programs involving French: International Studies and French Studies. Both are designed to enable majors to take practical advantage of the study of one of the world's leading languages and cultures. As they complete their degree requirements, International and French Studies majors acquire knowledge and skills that prepare them for careers in numerous fields, both in the United States and abroad.
As designed, the French Studies Program offers graduates a wide variety of educational and employment possibilities. It prepares them for careers in government service, in print and electronic journalism, and in language-related professions such as translating and interpreting. It also enables them to enter the teaching profession and to pursue advanced study in French at the master's and doctoral level. With supplementary training in areas such as political science, law, and management, graduates of the program could embark on careers in international affairs, law, and business.
Students who do not major in International Studies or French Studies may wish to choose French as a minor or a concentration in the Integrative Studies major.
Dearborn Discovery Core (General Education)
All students must satisfy the University’s Dearborn Discovery Core requirements, in addition to the requirements for the major. Students must also complete all CASL Degree Requirements.
Prerequisites to the Major
Students majoring in French Studies must successfully complete FREN 202 or demonstrate equivalent French language proficiency.
Major Requirements
A minimum of 24 credit hours in upper-level French (FREN) classes must be completed as outlined below:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| FREN 301 | Advanced Conversation and Comp | 4 |
| Specialized Language Course | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Language of Business | ||
| Advanced Writing | ||
| Introduction to Translation | ||
| Writing and Translating | ||
| Culture/Film Course | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| French Cinema | ||
| French Civilization of Past | ||
| France of Today | ||
| Parisian Itineraries | ||
| Literature Course | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Frnch Lit: Md Ages-18 Century | ||
| French Lit: 19th-21st Century | ||
| Francophone Lit and Civil | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select two additional upper-level French courses | 8 | |
| Cognates | ||
| Select two upper level courses from the following disciplines: AAAS, ANTH, ARBC, ARTH, COMM, COML, ECON, ENGL, ENST, GEOG, GER, GLOC, HIST, HUM, JASS, LIBS, MCL, PHIL, POL, RELS, SOC, SPAN, WGST. | 6-8 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 30-32 | |
Majors are encouraged to strengthen their knowledge of French language and culture by participating in any of the approved study-abroad programs.
Note
- At least 15 of the 24 upper level hours in French must be elected at UM-D.
- A maximum of 4 credits of HUM 485 internship can be used in the cognate area.
Minor or Integrative Studies Concentration Requirements
Concentration for Integrative Studies or International Studies Only
A minor or concentration consists of 12 credit hours of upper-level courses in French (FREN).
- A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for the minor/concentration. The GPA is based on all coursework required within the minor (excluding prerequisites).
- The use of transfer credit, field placements, internships, seminars, S/E graded courses, and independent study/research courses is limited to 3 credits in a 12 credit hour minor/concentration and 6 credits in a 15 credit hour and above minor/concentration.
- Courses within a minor/concentration cannot be taken as Pass/Fail (P/F).
- Minors requiring 12 credits may share one course with a major. Minors requiring 15 credits or more may share two courses with a major. This does not apply to concentrations for the Integrative Studies major.
Learning Goals
- Write effectively in target language
- Speak effectively in target language
- Read critically in target language
- Comprehend target language when spoken
- Identify and appreciate cultural difference
- Familiarity with literary histories appropriate to the studied language
- Familiarity with grammar, syntax, phonology of the target language
FREN 101 French Language & Culture I 4 Credit Hours
Full Course Title: Introduction to French Language and Culture I -First course in a two-course elementary French sequence. Listening comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and culture are emphasized. Course materials promote the use of language to communicate with others and to function in the French-speaking world. (F).
FREN 102 French Language & Culture II 4 Credit Hours
Full Course Title: Introduction to French Language and Culture II- Second course in the two-course elementary sequence. Continued emphasis on culture and the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. (W).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 101 or French Language Placement with a score of 102 or French Language Placement with a score of 201 or French Language Placement with a score of 202 or French Language Placement with a score of 301 or French Language Placement with a score of 302
FREN 201 Intermediate French Language and Culture 4 Credit Hours
An intermediate language course designed to increase the student's ability to read, speak, and write French. The course will utilize a wide range of reading selections representative of modern French prose as the basis for class discussions and written assignments. A systematic review of grammar and oral exercises should enable the student to make definite progress in conversation and composition. (F).
Prerequisite(s): French Language Placement with a score of 201 or French Language Placement with a score of 202 or French Language Placement with a score of 301 or French Language Placement with a score of 302 or FREN 102
FREN 202 Intermediate French II 4 Credit Hours
Continuation of FREN 201. Further readings in modern French prose, extensive practice in conversation and composition. An intermediate language course designed to increase the student's ability to read, speak, and write French. The course will utilize a wide range of reading selections representative of modern French prose as the basis for class discussions and written assignments. A systematic review of grammar and oral exercises should enable the student to make definite progress in conversation and composition. (W).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 201 or French Language Placement with a score of 202 or French Language Placement with a score of 301 or French Language Placement with a score of 302
FREN 234 French Conversation 1 to 2 Credit Hours
Development of conversational skills through discussion of contemporary readings and the use of communicative activities and games. Emphasis will be placed on vocabulary acquisition by students, on improving their pronunciation, and on increasing their overall fluency in French. (S).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 102
FREN 301 Advanced Conversation and Comp 4 Credit Hours
An advanced course in conversation, composition, and syntax. Numerous oral reports and weekly written assignments based on readings from current sources; discussion of a recent French motion picture; translation exercises and the study of specific topics in French grammar. (F).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 202 or French Language Placement with a score of 301 or French Language Placement with a score of 302
FREN 305 Language of Business 4 Credit Hours
A systematic presentation of the vocabulary and conventions of business French. Students will receive extensive training in composing business letters, reports, vitas, and similar texts. They will be exposed to French practices in correspondence, accounting and record keeping. They will also be required to translate various business documents from English to French (and vice versa) and to familiarize themselves with the specialized vocabulary of computers. This is a Project-Based Learning course centered on a major project and/or on a research question related to the topic of the class and will imply hands-on work for a good portion of the semester. The project can be local or international community-driven and will connect to real-life experiences. (OC).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 301
FREN 308 Advanced Writing 3 Credit Hours
Intensive practice in writing expository prose in French. Students will complete a wide variety of writing assignments (resumes, critical analyses, explications de texte, and the like) over the course of the semester. Class sessions will be devoted to the discussion of student papers and technical issues related to effective writing. Students should expect to prepare several drafts of each assignment under the close supervision of the instructor. (OC).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 301
FREN 330 Frnch Lit: Md Ages-18 Century 3 Credit Hours
A survey of French literature through the Enlightenment based on the study of individual masterpieces of principal French authors: Villon, Rabelais, Montaigne, Pascal, Moliere, Racine, Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau. (OC).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 301
FREN 331 French Lit: 19th-21st Century 4 Credit Hours
The sequel to FREN 330. A survey of French literature from Romanticism to the present. Writers studied will include Balzac, Stendhal, Baudelaire, Flaubert, Colette, Proust, Gide, Camus, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Beckett, Sarraute, as well as contemporary authors. This course is a Project Based Learning centered on a major project and/or on a research question related to the topic of the class and will imply hands-on work for a good portion of the semester. The project can be local or international community-driven and will connect to real-life experiences. (OC).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 301
FREN 332 French Cinema 4 Credit Hours
A survey of French films from the experiments of the turn of the century to the trends of the present day. Representative silent films, "classic" and "new-wave" movies of the 1930's and 50's, as well as contemporary productions will be presented in their cultural context and the contributions of major French directors to filmmaking will be highlighted. Attention will also be given to the basic elements of film as a means of expression: camera angle, distance, movement, and editing. This is a Project-Based Learning course, which centers on a major project and/or on a research question related to the topic of the class and will imply hands-on work for a good portion of the semester. The project can be local or international community-driven and will connect to real-life experiences. (OC).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 301
FREN 334 Workshop in French Theater 3 Credit Hours
This course will provide a brief survey of representative masterpieces of the French theater. Students will be required to read and analyze a number of celebrated plays and then to perform selected scenes from them. (OC).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 301
FREN 336 French Civilization of Past 4 Credit Hours
An introduction to the civilization of France (from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century). This course will examine the social and historical developments and the accomplishments in the arts and literature that have combined to shape the French nation. This course is a Project Based Learning centered on a major project and/or on a research question related to the topic of the class and will imply hands-on work for a good portion of the semester. The project can be local or international community-driven and will connect to real-life experiences. (OC).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 301
FREN 338 France of Today 4 Credit Hours
An exploration of various facets of contemporary French civilization. Although students will consider historical and political developments since World War II, special attention will be given to the values and attitudes of the French, to the contrasting modes of life in Paris and the provinces, and to important forms of popular culture. This course is a Project Based Learning centered on a major project and/or on a research question related to the topic of the class and will imply hands-on work for a good portion of the semester. The project can be local or international community-driven and will connect to real-life experiences. (OC).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 301
FREN 339 Francophone Lit and Civil 4 Credit Hours
An introduction to twentieth-century award-winning texts from the Caribbean, Canada, North Africa and West Africa. Students will analyze the strategies through which these powerful, dramatic, post-colonial writers address such issues and themes of universal relevance as love and the search for identity, while also expressing the experience and culture realities of his or her own country. Representative authors include Birago Diop, Simone Schwartz-Bart, Arlette Coustre, Anne Hebert, Roch Carrier, Michel Tremblay, and Tehar Ben Jelloun. This course is a Project Based Learning centered on a major project and/or on a research question related to the topic of the class and will imply hands-on work for a good portion of the semester. The project can be local or international community-driven and will connect to real-life experiences. (OC).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 301
FREN 340 France's Sites of Memory 1 Credit Hour
This course complements French 336, Civilization of the Past. Students will travel to France to visit the "sites of memory" that have shaped France's collective memorial heritage, from the Roman Empire to the French Revolution, to today. Visits to the Catacombs, Roman ruins in the South of France, Roman and Gothic cathedrals, Renaissance castles, museums, royal palaces, and the Place de la Bastille will bring France's history and civilization alive, and help crystallize a material memory of France's rich culture. (OC)
FREN 355 Introduction to Translation 4 Credit Hours
French 355 is designed as an introduction to the art of translation from English to French and French to English. The course will enhance students' ability to translate fluently from the source language to the target language. Students will study the theory of translation; practice translating a variety of genres; improve their knowledge of written French; increase their vocabulary, sociolinguistic register, and idiomatic expressions. This course is a Project Based Learning centered on a major project and/or on a research question related to the topic of the class and will imply hands-on work for a good portion of the semester. The project can be local or international community-driven and will connect to real-life experiences. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): FREN 202
FREN 375 Parisian Itineraries 4 Credit Hours
“Parisian Itineraries” follows cultural developments in Paris, and literary responses to the specific nature of urban development in France in the 19th and 20th century in France. Students consider urban planning and expansion in Paris through cultural, historical, social and literary approaches, and analyze the connections between cultural voices and urban progress. The object of this course is thus the lived experience of Parisian urbanization through the various artistic representations. This course is a Project Based Learning centered on a major project and/or on a research question related to the topic of the class and will imply hands-on work for a good portion of the semester. The project can be local or international community-driven and will connect to real-life experiences.
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Freshman or Sophomore or Junior or Senior
FREN 388 Socio-Cltrl Iss Contemp France 3 Credit Hours
The course concentrates on a series of socio-cultural issues that are debated in France today, as well as on a number contemporary cultural and artistic phenomena. Particular attention is given to discourses on otherness and on the ways in which French cultural production and media constructions have reflected, reinforced, reshaped and, in some instances, contested the country’s past and current dominant ideologies, and identities.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 301
FREN 390 Topics in French 3 Credit Hours
Examination of problems and issues in selected areas of French. Title as listed in schedule of classes will change according to content. Course may be repeated for credit when specific topics differ.
FREN 399 Independent Studies 1 to 3 Credit Hours
Readings or analytical assignments in the humanities in accordance with the needs and interests of those enrolled and agreed upon by the student and advising instructor. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours. (F,W).
FREN 408 Writing and Translating 4 Credit Hours
A course designed to increase the written fluency of students who have already assimilated the advanced grammatical concepts introduced in the 301-302 sequence. Students will prepare weekly written assignments and will translate and analyze passages written in various styles. This course is a Project Based Learning centered on a major project and/or on a research question related to the topic of the class and will imply hands-on work for a good portion of the semester. The project can be local or international community-driven and will connect to real-life experiences. (OC).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 301
FREN 490 Topics in French 1 to 3 Credit Hours
Examination of problems and issues in selected areas of French. Title as listed in the Schedule of Classes will change according to content. Course may be repeated for credit when specific topics differ. (OC).
Prerequisite(s): FREN 301
*An asterisk denotes that a course may be taken concurrently.
Frequency of Offering
The following abbreviations are used to denote the frequency of offering: (F) fall term; (W) winter term; (S) summer term; (F, W) fall and winter terms; (YR) once a year; (AY) alternating years; (OC) offered occasionally