French, B.A.
The Bachelor of Arts in French program, offered by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, aims to develop students’ competency in the language, while increasing their knowledge of the French-speaking world.
As the living environment becomes increasingly transnational, a major in French offers an attractive asset to careers in many fields, including business, medicine, politics, law and the humanities. In addition, the major prepares students for graduate work in French by providing them with a broad range of courses in French and Francophone literature and culture.
Additional program highlights include:
- We offer a wide variety of courses on the French-speaking world, including courses such as French and International Relations, Business French, French Cinema, French and Francophone Media.
- Students can spend a year in Lyon, France. This year-long, full-immersion program allows students to experience the country and its culture firsthand. Students will take classes in the French university system with French students and other international students. Courses not only fulfill requirements for French majors at SLU, but students may also have an opportunity to complete some of their core requirements while in Lyon.
- Students can also spend a semester or a year in Poitiers, France, studying at the Université de Poitiers alongside other international students and native French speakers. Courses taken as part of this full-immersion program may count toward the student’s major or minor in French, study in other disciplines, or the student’s core requirements.
- The French experience at SLU extends beyond the classroom walls: students can participate in service opportunities in the St. Louis community; the departments offer frequent activités cuturelles open to all levels; and host a chapter of the national French honor society, Pi Delta Phi.
Curriculum Overview
French course offerings cover all centuries of French literature and culture, Francophone and postcolonial studies, gender studies, and interdisciplinary areas such as art and literature, music and literature, cinema, cross-cultural questions, literature and the environment. Special undergraduate offerings allow students to combine international, scientific and professional interests with French.
Fieldwork and Research Opportunities
Students are encouraged to enhance their major through an immersion experience in a French-speaking country. SLU students can choose from a variety of study options in French including summer, semester and academic year programs in the cities of Lyon and Poitiers in France. SLU French majors often complete a major in another discipline (e.g. English, biology, psychology, international business, communication, etc.).
Careers
Benefits of the French program also include several career opportunities. By combining practical aspirations with the humanizing and broadening effects of language study, the undergraduate major prepares students to perform in a number of rewarding careers. Accessibility to faculty is a hallmark of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. Faculty will be happy to advise students on career options.
Career paths for French graduates include:
- Education
- International business
- Non-governmental organizations
- Foreign service
- Law
- Medicine
- Research
- Interpreting
- Cultural services planning
- Museum work
- Relocation abroad services
- Travel consultant
- Study abroad advisor
Admission Requirements
Freshman
Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply. Saint Louis University also accepts the Common App.
All applications are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration to all credentials that are submitted. Solid academic performance in college preparatory course work is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file. College admission test scores (ACT or SAT) are used as an additional indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University and are used as qualifiers for certain University scholarship programs. To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, the applicant must be graduating from an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the General Education Development (GED) test.
Transfer
Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply.
Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED. An official high school transcript and official test scores are required only of those students who have attempted fewer than 24 transferable semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit. Those having completed 24 or more of college credit need only submit a transcript from previously attended college(s). In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the office of admission holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University.
International Applicants
Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply.
All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:
- Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
- Proof of financial support must include:
- A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
- A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
- Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:
- Scholarships: awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
- Financial Aid: provided in the form of grants and loans, some of which require repayment.
For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, applicants should apply for admission by Dec. 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.
For information on other scholarships and financial aid, visit the student financial services office online at https://finaid.slu.edu.
- Graduates will be able to to interact in French.
- Graduates will be able to interpret authentic materials in French.
- Graduates will be able compare their own cultures with cultures in which French is a dominant language.
Students who begin their study of French at SLU above the 3010 level must complete an additional course or courses at the 4000 level to fulfill the minimum total of 30 credits required for the major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| College core requirements | 57-66 | |
| For additional information about core courses | ||
| French Core | ||
| FREN 3010 | Discovering the French-Speaking World | 3 |
| FREN 3020 | Text, Voice, & Self-Expression | 3 |
| FREN 3030 | 21st-Century France | 3 |
| FREN 3040 | Society, Nation & the Arts in Pre-Revolutionary France | 3 |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Select six of the following: 1 | 18 | |
| Language & Linguistics | ||
| French for the Professional | ||
| French and the Sciences | ||
| French and International Relations: Global Simulation | ||
| Perceiving Others: US & France | ||
| French and Francophone Media : Qu’est-ce qui se passe ? | ||
| Women and Global Issues | ||
| Masculinity/Femininity | ||
| Contemporary Women Writers: France & Quebec | ||
| French Short Story | ||
| 18th-Century French Prose | ||
| Studies in 19th-Century Novel | ||
| Paris in 19th-Century Lit | ||
| Studies in 20th Century Prose | ||
| French Poetry: Origins to 18th Century | ||
| French Poetry: Romantic to Baudelaire | ||
| French Poetry: Symbolism to Present | ||
| Early Modern French Theatre: Comedy, Tragedy and Mystery | ||
| French Drama: 18th Century to Romantics | ||
| French Drama: 20th-Century | ||
| French Cinema | ||
| Prose Literature of Quebec | ||
| Themes in French Literature | ||
| Studies in Francophone Literature | ||
| French Cinema II 80's-90's | ||
| Nation, Identity, Culture | ||
| Postcolonialism and Violence, Issues of Representation in Francophone Culture, Literature and Film | ||
| Love and Honor in Early Modern France | ||
| Women and Writing in Early Modern France | ||
| Seminar on Molière | ||
| Exoticism in French Literature | ||
| General Electives | 24-33 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
| 1 | Up to 9 credits may be in related fields with the approval of the Department. |
Non-Course Requirements
All French majors must complete a senior inquiry during their final year. For the senior inquiry, students have the option of completing an additional 4000-level course, or conducting a final research project under the supervision of a faculty member.
Continuation Standards
All French major courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher in order to count for the major/minor and for the student to continue in the major/minor.
Bachelor of Arts Core Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Components and Credits | ||
| Foundations of Discourse | 3 | |
| Diversity in the U.S. | 3 | |
| Global Citizenship | 3 | |
| Foreign Language | 0-9 | |
| Fine Arts | 3 | |
| Literature | 6 | |
| Mathematics | 3 | |
| Natural Science | 6 | |
| Philosophy | 9 | |
| Social Science | 6 | |
| Theology | 9 | |
| World History | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 57-66 | |
Graduation Requirements
- Complete a minimum of 120 credits (excluding pre-college level courses [numbered below 1000]).
- Complete either the College of Arts and Sciences Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science Core Curriculum Requirements
- Complete Major Requirements: minimum 30 credits required.
- Complete remaining credits with a second major, minor, certificate, and/or elective credits to reach the minimum of 120 credits required for graduation.
- Courses listed under the intensive English program do not count toward graduation requirements. EAP 1500 College Composition for International Students (3 cr), EAP 1900 Rhetoric & Research Strategies (3 cr) and EAP 2850 Nation, Identity and Literature (3 cr) count toward graduation requirements as equivalents to Department of English courses. In addition to those courses, six credits from EAP/MLNG courses at the 1000 level or higher may count toward graduation requirements
- Achieve at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average, a 2.00 grade point average in the major(s) and a 2.00 grade point average in the minor/certificate, or related elective credits.
- Complete Dept/Program specific academic and performance requirements.
- Complete at least 50% of the coursework for the major and 75% for the minor/certificate through Saint Louis University or an approved study abroad program.
- Complete 30 of the final 36 credits through Saint Louis University or an approved study abroad program.
- Complete an online degree application by the required University deadline.
Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.
This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| Participation in First-Year Mentoring Activities | ||
| FREN 1010 | Communicating in French I 1 | 3 |
| UNIV 1010 | Enhancing First-Year Success | 1 |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Participation in First-Year Mentoring Activities | ||
| FREN 1020 | Communicating in French II | 3 |
| Elective 2 | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| Participation in Second-Year Mentoring Activities | ||
| FREN 2010 | Intermediate French Language & Culture | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Participation in Second-Year Mentoring Activities | ||
| FREN 3010 | Discovering the French-Speaking World 3 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| FREN 3020 | Text, Voice, & Self-Expression | 3 |
| FREN 3030 | 21st-Century France 4 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Students can also choose to spend either a semester or a year abroad in France. See Program notes. | ||
| FREN 3040 | Society, Nation & the Arts in Pre-Revolutionary France 5 | 3 |
| French elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| Students might need to take two or three courses for the second major, depending on whether the second major counts core courses toward the hours for the major. | ||
| French elective 6 | 3 | |
| French elective | 3 | |
| French elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| A&S Core | 3 | |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Spring | ||
| Completion of Capstone Project and Participation in LLC Student Symposium | ||
| French elective 7 | 3 | |
| French elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 121 | |
| 1 | Students with prior experience in French take a placement test (SLUPE) to determine their level. See Program Notes. |
| 2 | French majors generally have a second or even third major. See Program Notes. |
| 3 | Students can take FREN 3020 Text, Voice, & Self-Expression (0,3 cr) and FREN 3010 Discovering the French-Speaking World (0,3 cr) concurrently. Students can take FREN 3020 Text, Voice, & Self-Expression (0,3 cr) before taking FREN 3010 Discovering the French-Speaking World (0,3 cr). |
| 4 | Students can also take FREN 3030 21st-Century France (0,3 cr) in Semester Six. |
| 5 | FREN 3040 Society, Nation & the Arts in Pre-Revolutionary France (0,3 cr) is offered only in the Fall semester. |
| 6 | Many French 4000-level courses also fulfill the Global Citizenship Core Diversity requirement. |
| 7 | French 4000-level literature courses fulfill the Core Literature Requirement. |
Program Notes
The sequence of courses will vary according to the student’s previous experience with the language and individual preferences.
Students have several options to study abroad in a French-speaking country, including a one-semester program in Poitiers, France; and a year-long program in Lyon, France. We encourage students to finish FREN 3010 Discovering the French-Speaking World (0,3 cr) or FREN 3020 Text, Voice, & Self-Expression (0,3 cr) before studying abroad.
SLU French majors often complete a second or even a third major in another discipline – for example, political science, English, biology, psychology, international business, communication, etc.