Back to Previous Page

Program of Study (CAS Bulletin)

MAJOR

Admission to the program: The prerequisite for admission to the program is a satisfactory knowledge of the French language. This is normally interpreted as the satisfactory completion of V45.0030 with the grade of C or better. Independent studies and internships do not count toward the French major, except when taken as part of the honors program in French studies, or with special permission of the department. Transfer students must complete at least five of the nine courses required for the French major at the College or at New York University in Paris. All majors must register with the department and consult a departmental adviser prior to any registration.

Note: No grade lower than C may be counted toward the major. The overall grade point average in French courses must be 2.0 or above.

Programs of study: Qualified students may choose one of five programs of study. They may concentrate in French language and literature; French language, society, and culture; Francophone studies; Romance languages; or French and linguistics.

Program 1: Emphasis on French language and literature: Nine courses beyond V45.0030. This plan of study normally consists of three courses in advanced language (e.g., V45.0101, V45.0102, V45.0105, V45.0106, V45.0107, V45.0109, V45.0110); four courses in literature (including V45.0115 and at least one advanced course in literature prior to 1800); one course in civilization; and the senior seminar. With departmental approval, a student may substitute one cognate course appropriate to his or her plan of study. Such cognate courses may be drawn from among the advanced undergraduate courses offered by the department or from the list of French graduate courses open to seniors. For general requirements, please see under “Graduate Courses Open to Undergraduates,” below.

Program 2: Emphasis on French language, society, and culture: Nine courses beyond V45.0030. This plan of study normally consists of three courses in advanced language (e.g., V45.0101, V45.0102, V45.0105, V45.0106, V45.0107, V45.0109, or V45.0110); four courses in civilization (including V45.0163 and V45.0164); one course in literature; and the senior seminar. With departmental approval, a student may substitute one cognate course appropriate to his or her plan of study. The cognate course may be drawn from among the advanced undergraduate courses offered by the department; from departments and programs such as anthropology, economics, fine arts, history, Medieval and Renaissance studies, music, politics, and sociology; or from the list of French graduate courses and the courses offered in the Institute of French Studies open to seniors. For general requirements, please see under “Graduate Courses Open to Undergraduates,” below.

Note: A student who fulfills the requirements of program 1 or 2 may thereby fulfill the state minimum requirements of 24 credits in order to be certified to teach French in New York State junior or senior high schools. For general requirements, please see under Preprofessional, Accelerated, and Specialized Programs.

Program 3: Emphasis on Francophone studies: Nine courses beyond V45.0030. This plan of study normally consists of three courses in advanced language (e.g., V45.0101, V45.0102, V45. 0105, V45.0106, V45.0107, V45.0109, V45.0110); four courses in Francophone studies; one course in French literature or civilization; and the senior seminar. With departmental approval, a student may substitute one cognate course appropriate to his or her plan of study. Such cognate courses may be drawn from among the advanced undergraduate courses offered by the department or from the list of French graduate courses open to seniors. For general requirements, please see under “Graduate Courses Open to Undergraduates,” below.

Program 4: Romance language major: Nine courses distributed between two languages—a combination of either French-Spanish, French-Italian, or Spanish-Italian. The major consists of (1) and (2) one conversation course in each of the two languages (V45.0101 or V45.0102 and V95.0101); (3) and (4) one composition course in each of the two languages (V45.0105 or V45.0106 and V95.0106); (5) and (6) one masterpieces of literature course or one civilization course in each of the two languages (V45.0115, V45.0163, or V45.0164 and V95.0811, V95.0815, V95.0762, or V95.0261); and (7), (8), and (9) three upper-level language or literature courses in a combination of the two languages.

Note: The same general requirements will be followed for French-Italian and Spanish-Italian. See Department of Italian listings for specific course requirements and prerequisites in Italian. There are six required courses in a combination of conversation, composition, and a masterpieces of literature or civilization in each language. The last three upper-level literature or language courses may be chosen freely. According to these requirements, the distribution of courses should be four in one language and five in the other.

Program 5: Major in French and linguistics: Eight courses beyond V45.0030 and V61.0001, respectively. This plan of study normally consists of the following courses: one course in Spoken Contemporary French (V45.0101 or V45.0102); one course in advanced written French (V45.0105, V45.0106, V45.0107, or V45.0110); and two courses in French literature (in French) to be determined in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. The linguistics part of this major may be satisfied by taking one course (beyond V61.0001) in each of the following four areas: phonetics/phonology, syntax, historical linguistics, and socio-linguistics.

MINOR

All students who wish to minor in the Department of French must register with the department and consult a departmental adviser prior to any registration.

Programs of study: Students may choose one of four programs of study. They may minor in French studies, French literature in translation, literature in translation, or Francophone studies.

            (1) French studies: Four courses conducted in French. This minor normally consists of four courses above the intermediate level to be determined in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. No grade lower than C counts toward this minor.

            (2) French literature in translation: Four courses in French literature in translation offered by the department, to be determined in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. Not open to French majors. No grade lower than C counts toward this minor.

            (3) Literature in translation: See under Literature in Translation.

            (4) Francophone studies: Four courses in Francophone studies, to be determined in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. No grade lower than C counts toward this minor.

HONORS PROGRAM IN FRENCH STUDIES

Eligibility: A student must spend a minimum of three full semesters in residence at the College of Arts and Science. Attendance at New York University in Paris counts toward such residence. The student must maintain a general grade point average of at least 3.65 and a major average of 3.65 or higher.

            Requirements:

            (1) Completion of the major requirements.

            (2) The departmental Honors Program is open to students majoring in one of the following three programs in French: French language and literature; French language, society, and culture; and Francophone studies. Students majoring in French and Linguistics or in Romance Languages, who wish to pursue honors, should apply to the departmental director of the Honors Program during their junior year. Students admitted to the Honors Program will complete an 8-point sequence consisting of an Honors Seminar in the fall (V45.0991) and an Honors Thesis in the spring (V45.0995). Students work throughout the year with the Honors Seminar professor and a departmental faculty thesis adviser of their choice. This adviser is chosen in consultation with the director of the Honors Program.

            (3) During the spring semester of their senior year, students will enroll in Honors Thesis. The finished thesis should be a work of scholarship and/or criticism in the field of French literature, culture, or Francophonie. The thesis may be written in French (25 pages minimum) or in English (40 to 60 pages). The seminar professor and the thesis adviser determine on the basis of this work and an oral defense whether to recommend the student for an honors degree. A grade of at least A- is required for the award of Honors in French.

INTERNSHIPS

In addition to the basic requirements for the major, students also have the opportunity to participate in internships sponsored by the Department of French. Recent internships have been completed at the French cultural services office, the French music office, and the French film office.

ACCELERATED B.A./M.A. PROGRAM IN FRENCH STUDIES

The Department of French and the Institute of French Studies offer qualified students the opportunity to earn the B.A. and M.A. degrees in a shortened period of study. While still undergraduates, students enrolled in the program may earn up to 8 points toward the M.A. by completing two graduate courses in the Department of French or at the Institute of French Studies. In order to earn advanced standing, these points may not be counted toward an undergraduate degree but must be in excess of the 128 points required for the B.A.

Under normal circumstances, this can be achieved by students who register for the maximum allowable number of points in their senior year. Earned in this manner, advanced standing has the additional advantage of enabling qualified students to start graduate work not only at an earlier stage but also in the most cost-efficient way.

Students majoring in French language and literature (Program 1) may apply credits thus earned toward the M.A. in French literature, which can be completed in the Department of French. Students majoring in French language, society, and culture (Program 2) may apply the credits toward the M.A. in French civilization to be completed at the Institute of French Studies. Students who plan to enroll at the latter are expected to earn advanced standing by selecting from among several core courses taught at the institute.

Admission to the program is open to students who have completed 90 points with a grade point average of at least 3.5 and with a cumulative grade point average in the major of 3.5 or higher. Application to the program can be made through the director of undergraduate studies in French, 19 University Place, 6th floor. Final acceptance into the graduate sequence of the program is contingent on successful completion of the B.A., formal admission into the Graduate School of Arts and Science, and approval by the director of graduate studies or, in the case of students seeking the M.A. in French civilization, the director of the Institute of French Studies.

FACILITIES

The University has two special facilities for students of French.

La Maison Française: This attractive house in the old and picturesque Washington Mews is open to students of French. It has a comfortable lounge, a small reading room opening onto a terrace, and a soundproof music room. Programs of lectures and recreational activities free to all students interested in French are given here.

Institute of French Studies: Adjacent to La Maison Française in Washington Mews, the institute offers graduate courses in contemporary French society and culture that are open to undergraduates with special permission. The institute has a large newspaper and periodical collection and a wide range of videotapes; it also organizes frequent lectures and seminars by visiting scholars, political personalities, and business and administrative leaders from France.

NYU IN PARIS