The undergraduate program in French at Washington University offers a rich variety of courses for students interested in pursuing the study of French language, culture, and civilization as well as French literature and its intersections with the arts and sciences. The French faculty takes an active interest in our students, providing support and encouragement throughout their studies in order to prepare them to become dynamic, conscientious, and informed members of today's global community.

Our introductory language courses immerse students in the study of French language and culture through the use of authentic materials including French texts, media, and film that represent cultural debates or current events as well as the very latest language-learning technology. Our advanced language classes help students to perfect their mastery of French grammar and to build the foundation for literary analysis through creative and argumentative writing on the subject of French novels and films. (If you have taken French in high school please take our Placement Exam to assess your level).

Our literature survey courses provide students with a solid background in literary history from the Middle Ages to the present, including the historical upheavals, philosophical controversies, artistic manifestos, and political tensions that helped define successive eras and movements.

Students who minor in French can refine their analytical skills and enhance their knowledge of French culture by taking our interdisciplinary courses on literature and the arts or by studying contemporary French civilization, French society and film, or pop culture (see French Minor Guidelines for details).

Students who major in French can explore the intersections of literature with philosophy, science, medicine, music, and the visual and performing arts as well as the relationship between France and the Francophone world, including Africa, the Caribbean, and North America (see French Major Guidelines for details).

Our summer-, semester-, and year-long study abroad programs in the Loire Valley, Nice, Toulouse, Paris, and various Francophone countries around the globe enable students to deepen their understanding and appreciation of French culture by taking courses in the French university system, living with French families, shadowing doctors in French hospitals, holding internships in French businesses, and traveling (for more information on the French study abroad programs, please see the Study Abroad page). Such experiences are the perfect preparation for careers in international law, international relations, diplomacy, international business, or international medicine.

French Majors who plan to pursue graduate studies in French literature, history, philosophy, art history, or other related fields, or who plan to apply to professional schools, are strongly encouraged to pursue independent research in their senior year. Writing a senior honors thesis provides students with a unique opportunity to combine the study of French language and literature with their other interests and to work closely with a member of our faculty (see Latin Honors Requirements).

Additional Links:

• Independent Study Policy
• Guidelines for Senior Capstone Project
• Senior Major Exit Questionnaire
• Language Courses: French 101, French 102, French 105, French 215
• French Table
• Major in Romance Languages and Literatures
• Minor in Applied Linguistics
  

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