French, B.A.
Saint Louis University
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Whether you're new to the language or fluent, join students, faculty and staff to practice your language skills at Polyglot Cafe, a monthly conversation hour held by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
Every undergraduate major at SLU can accommodate some type of study abroad experience.
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:
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.
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.).
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:
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.
To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, the applicant must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test. Beginning with the 2021-22 academic year, undergraduate applicants will not be required to submit standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) in order to be considered for admission. Applicants will be evaluated equally, with or without submitted test scores.
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.
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:
There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:
For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, 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://www.slu.edu/financial-aid.
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 |
| French 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 | ||
| Translation & Comparative Stylistics - French/English | ||
| French and Francophone Media : Qu’est-ce qui se passe ? | ||
| French Masterpieces: Survey of French Literature | ||
| French Cuisine: Culture, Text, and Context | ||
| Women and Global Issues | ||
| Masculinity/Femininity | ||
| French Short Story | ||
| 18th-Century French Prose | ||
| Studies in 19th-Century Novel | ||
| Paris in 19th-Century Lit | ||
| Literature of the Fantastic | ||
| Hugo and the Misérables | ||
| Studies in 20th Century Prose | ||
| French Poetry: Origins to 18th Century | ||
| French Poetry: Romantic to Baudelaire | ||
| Early Modern French Theatre: Comedy, Tragedy and Mystery | ||
| French Drama: 18th Century to Romantics | ||
| French Cinema | ||
| 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 | ||
| FREN 4710 | Women and Writing in Early Modern France | 3 |
| Seminar on Molière | ||
| Exoticism in French Literature | ||
| General Electives | 24-33 | |
| Total Credits | 123 | |
| 1 | Up to 9 credits may be in related fields with the approval of the Department. |
All French majors must complete a final research project under the supervision of a faculty member during their final year.
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.
| 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 | |
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 and FREN 3010 Discovering the French-Speaking World concurrently. Students can take FREN 3020 Text, Voice, & Self-Expression before taking FREN 3010 Discovering the French-Speaking World. |
| 4 | Students can also take FREN 3030 21st-Century France in Semester Six. |
| 5 | FREN 3040 Society, Nation & the Arts in Pre-Revolutionary France 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. |
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 or FREN 3020 Text, Voice, & Self-Expression 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.