Undergraduate Program

Advice to the Undergraduate Student of French

French is one of the world's great languages of commerce and diplomacy. Knowing French may not by itself guarantee you a job, but it will enhance your opportunities for getting certain types of jobs, especially the ones with an international bent. Even beyond that, French has long been considered one of the great world languages of culture, providing access to an outstanding body of literature, criticism and studies in the arts and humanities, and in the social and natural sciences.

The French faculty at UM are specialists in French language, culture and literature from the Early Modern period to the present. They are here to advise you in your course of study and to share their interests with you.

The department offers a wide variety of courses that appeal to majors and non-majors alike. These include literature, linguistics, stylistics, cinema, business French, civilization, modern France, women's studies. If you are interested in majoring or minoring in French, in studying abroad, in living in the French cluster of the Language House, or in teaching English in France after graduation, see the Undergraduate Advisor in French. (5-0820)

Advising

The French Undergraduate Advisor is available for consultation about any aspect of your study of French. Office hours are posted on the School website, Room 1106, or Room 3106. To insure that you have fulfilled all the requirements for graduation, the department recommends that every French major confer with an advisor at registration time each semester.

Transfer Students

At the beginning of their first semester at this campus, all transfer students must confer with the Undergraduate Advisor for evaluation of their records. No more than 60 credits may be transferred from a Junior or Community College.

Course Requirements

In order to graduate, a student majoring in French at this University campus must satisfy:

  1. The University Studies Program Requirements (for students who matriculated Fall 1988 or after) or the CORE requirements
  2. The College of Arts and Humanities Requirements
  3. The French Major Requirements

Bachelor of Arts

The major in French consists of 36 hours of French courses at the 200-level and above. Prerequisites: Successful completion of French language through intermediate level (Fren 203 or equivalent). For students whose French is beyond the level of any given course, credits may be substituted.

French 204, 250, 301, 302/303, 311/312/399/404, 351, 352, 401 + 4 additional 4XX courses.

  1. Prerequisites are required for some of these courses;

  2. No Pass/Fail grade or grade lower than C may be accepted for the major or supporting courses or minor.

  3. All majors returning from study abroad must take one 400 level course before graduating.

  4. One (1) 400 level course taught in translation may count towards the major.

Double Major

A student may wish to fulfill the major requirements in two chosen fields. One year before graduation, the student applying for double major must fill out a special form declaring his or her intention, recorded by the Arts and Humanities Student Affairs Office, and approved and signed by his or her advisors from both Major departments.

Departmental Honors

Students may choose to do a departmental honors version of the major. At least three Upper-level courses, beginning with FREN 351, must be taken in the "H" version. The honors student will take FREN 495H (Honors Thesis), for a total of 39 hours in French. For further information, consult the coordinator of the French Honors Program or the Department Advisor.

French Honors students develop an area of special interest in consultation with faculty members. Honors Students are offered a foretaste of graduate school, while enhancing their academic standing as an undergraduate. The B.A. diploma will carry the citation “With Honors” or “With High Honors.

Students may enter the program through Departmental invitation or through self-selection. To remain in the program, students must earn a grade of at least A- in each of the three H-version courses, two of which must be completed before the semester in which the thesis is to be written.

“H” Courses: Students taking “H” version courses will write a more substantial paper than is usually required for the course and will be held to more stringent criteria for evaluation.

In their senior year, Honors students enroll for French 495 (3 credits) and, under the guidance of a faculty member of their choice, write a thesis in French of approximately 35 pages in length. In addition, a reading list relevant to the thesis topic will be drawn up in consultation with the thesis advisor. Students defend the thesis before a Committee composed of their Honors advisor and one other faculty member, and must be prepared to answer questions on their reading list. The grade awarded by the Committee becomes the final grade for French 495. Note: the “outside” reader of the Honors Thesis must receive the completed thesis at least one week before the projected defense date.

The Minor in French Studies

Instructions for declaring minor:

  • Read description below.
  • Go to the ARHU site and submit the brief form

This 15-credit minor will provide students with a solid background in linguistic, cultural and literary aspects of the study of French.

Courses required for the minor, in this order, are:

French 204, French 250, French 301.

Following completion of this core sequence, students will choose two courses from the following:

French 302 or 303, 306, 311 or 312, 351, 352, or any 400-level course/s.

All courses must be taught in French.  A maximum of six (6) credits can be applied to the minor from courses taken at other institutions, with the exception of Maryland in Nice, which allows the transfer of nine (9) credits.  All courses presented for the minor must be passed with a grade of “C” or better.  Students who begin their study as native/fluent speakers should seek the advice of the advisor before choosing the courses they will use to replace the core minor courses.

Undergraduate Advisor

Mr. David Libber, 301-405-4026, Jimenez 3106E, Office Hours
Monday 3-4,
Tuesday 10:30-12:30,
Wednesday 12-1 and by appointment