Undergraduate studies: French and Francophone Studies

The undergraduate Major in French and Francophone Studies and Minor in French and Francophone Studies gives students an overview of the literature and history of the French and francophone world from the Middle Ages to the present. Students explore the history and contemporary applications of concepts such as citizenship, national unity, secularism, and human rights, and explore central issues including universalism/relativism, tradition/modernity, and religion/state as they have developed in France and its colonies/former colonies. They take a series of required courses that includes Read, Think, Write in French (essential to achieving proficiency in the French language), Introduction to French and Francophone History and Introduction to French and Francophone Literature (surveys of French and francophone history and literature from the Middle Ages to the present), and the Senior Seminar (which explores a different theme each year from both literary and historical angles). Students also take advanced electives on any aspect of French or francophone literature, culture, or history.

The optional Senior Essay, written under the guidance of a faculty member at Columbia or during a student’s semester abroad, provides an initiation to scholarly research. It is a requirement to be eligible for departmental honors.

Seeing as a direct experience of contemporary French society is an essential part of the program, students are strongly encouraged to spend either a semester or a year at Reid Hall-Columbia University in Paris, where they can take courses that will be credited toward the French major as well as to other majors including Political Sciences, History or Art History. Qualified students may also take courses directly in the French university system.

Please reach out to the Director of Undergraduate Studies for Majors’ and Minors’ Worksheets (French & Francophone Studies), which provide a breakdown of course requirements.

Requirements

Each student’s program of study is to be discussed regularly with the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), starting in the spring semester of the sophomore year.

COURSES
A minimum of 30 points beyond completion of the language requirement (FREN UN2102), which should be distributed as follows.

CORE (12 points):

  • FREN UN3405 Read, Think, and Write in French (Formerly Titled, “Advanced Grammar and Composition”)
  • FREN UN3409 Introduction to French and Francophone Studies: History
  • FREN UN3410 Introduction to French and Francophone Studies: Literature
  • FREN UN3995 Senior Seminar (usually offered in the Fall, but not always)

ELECTIVES (18 points, or 15 points in case of a senior essay):

  • Six elective courses in French or francophone literature and culture at the 3000 or 4000 level, including a minimum of one course that covers the Early-Modern period (before 1800) and a maximum of two “French Thru/Through X” classes (FREN UN32XX).
  • These elective courses can include advanced literature, culture, and history courses offered by the Department of French, as well as our popular “French Thru/Through X” courses, which reinforce advanced French language proficiency through various cultural themes (including Current Events, Paris, Pop Culture, the Visual Arts, and so on).
  • Students are encouraged to study abroad at Reid Hall and may apply advanced courses in French towards their degree.
  • Though students should prioritize classes taught in French and in the Department of French, courses with significant coverage of the French and Francophone world in other departments (e.g., History UN2353 “Early Modern France”) may also be counted towards the minor with DUS approval.
  • Some French Barnard College courses may be taken with the approval of the director of undergraduate studies.

 

SENIOR ESSAY (3 points):

The Senior Essay offers students an opportunity to immerse themselves in a research project and to hone their research and writing skills. It substitutes for an elective and makes the student eligible for departmental honors. The essay (25 pages minimum, in French) is usually written under the direction of a tenured or tenure-faculty faculty member (assistant professor, associate professor, or professor). Occasionally, with the permission of the DUS, the essay may be written under the direction of a lecturer. The choice of the adviser should be discussed with the DUS before the student contacts them. Although the Senior Essay is a year-long project, majors who choose to write one should register only in the spring for the Senior Tutorial in Literature (FREN UN3996). They should still take the Senior Seminar (FREN UN3995), whenever it is offered. The Senior Essay is a requirement if the student wishes to be considered for departmental honors.

Please reach out to the Director of Undergraduate Studies for further information.

 

CURRICULUM MAP:

  • Students are encouraged to first complete FREN UN3405, to prepare themselves for other, more advanced university courses in French. One possible curriculum map is thus to take FREN UN3405, then the required core literature and history survey courses (in any order or concurrently), before completing the six required elective courses. However, additional core and elective courses can ultimately be taken in any order or concurrently.
  • Elective credits can also be completed while studying abroad, either at Columbia’s flagship Global Center at Reid Hall or at partner institutions like Science Po.
  • Any elective courses taken at partner institutions will be subject to DUS approval.

 

LANGUAGE PROFCIENCY REQUIREMENTS:

  • Students could begin completing their major immediately after arriving their freshman year but should begin a major no later than the spring semester of their sophomore year (when students are required to declare a major). Upon arrival at Columbia, interested students will need to pass the language proficiency exam to determine whether they need to complete first- and second-year French courses, or whether they can pass directly to FREN UN3405.

COURSES
The minor is composed of five courses, or a minimum of 15 points beyond the language requirement / prerequisite (FREN UN2102), which are distributed as follows.

CORE (6 points):

  • FREN UN3405 “Read, Think, Write in French” (Formerly titled “Advanced Grammar and Composition”)
  • One of our two core interdisciplinary, undergraduate survey courses, which cover literature, history, and culture from the Middle Ages to the Present. These include either our history survey (FREN UN3409 Introduction to French and Francophone Studies: History) or our literature survey (FREN UN3410 Introduction to French and Francophone Studies: Literature).

INTERDISCIPLINARY ELECTIVES (9 points):

  • The remaining three electives can be fulfilled by various French or Francophone literature courses at the 3000 or 4000 level.
  • These elective courses can include advanced literature, culture, and history courses offered by the Department of French, as well as our popular “French Thru/Through X” (FREN UN32XX) courses, which reinforce advanced French language proficiency through various cultural themes (including Current Events, Paris, Pop Culture, the Visual Arts, and so on).
  • Students are encouraged to study abroad at Reid Hall and may apply advanced courses in French towards their degree.
  • Though students should prioritize classes taught in French and in the Department of French, courses with significant coverage of the French and Francophone world in other departments (e.g., History UN2353 “Early Modern France”) may also be counted towards the minor with DUS approval.
  • Although students should prioritize classes taught in the Department of French at Columbia, some French courses at Barnard College may be taken with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

 

CURRICULUM MAP:

  • Students are encouraged to first complete FREN UN3405, to prepare themselves for other, more advanced university courses in French. One possible curriculum map is thus to take FREN UN3405, then the core literature and history survey courses (in any order or concurrently), before completing the three required elective courses. However, additional core and elective courses can ultimately be taken in any order or concurrently.
  • Elective credits can also be completed while studying abroad, either at Columbia’s flagship Global Center at Reid Hall or at partner institutions like Science Po.
  • Any elective courses taken at partner institutions will be subject to DUS approval.

 

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIRMENTS:

  • Students could begin completing their minor immediately after arriving their freshman year but should begin a minor no later than their junior year. Upon arrival at Columbia, interested students will need to pass the language proficiency exam to determine whether they need to complete first- and second-year French courses, or whether they can pass directly to FREN UN3405.
  • All language prerequisites must be completed before taking FREN UN3405.
  • The AP French exam already fulfills the language requirement for Columbia students, so it may not fulfill requirements for the minor.

The Department offers SEAS students the possibility of a 15-point Minor in French & Francophone Studies with the following requirements:

  • FREN UN3409 Introduction to French and Francophone History
  • FREN UN3410 Introduction to French and Francophone Literature
  • 3 additional 3000- or 4000-level courses in French and francophone literature or culture.