Major and Minor Requirements
Châteaux de la Loire : Amboise (région
Centre) Photo : Frédéric de La Mure / M.A.E.
French and Francophone studies start with the acquisition of the linguistic and cultural skills needed to communicate in spoken and written French. As the students’ skills advance, French courses increasingly emphasize humanistic study of the literatures and civilizations of France and other French-speaking countries around the world. French and Francophone studies, especially when they include study abroad, offer direct access to the perspectives and attitudes of closely related, yet distinctly different cultures. This knowledge and experience help students to gain greater awareness of themselves and their own culture and to acquire the cross-cultural skills so valuable in our diverse and shrinking world.
The French major is best seen as a progression of linguistic-cultural study organized in four stages. One hundred-level courses focus on language proficiency in cultural context. Two hundred-level courses consolidate language skills while beginning a more systematic study of French literatures and civilizations. A year or semester in France provides direct experience in the French culture. Three hundred-level courses focus on specific topics in literature, civilization, and cultural studies.
The major in French consists of a minimum of eight courses at the FREN 104 level or above, excluding FREN 201, 202, 301, and 302 (Intermediate and Advanced French Conversation). These must include FREN 150 (Posing and Composing in French), FREN 230 (French Literature I), FREN 231 (French Literature II), FREN 270 (La France Actuelle) or 271 (La France Artistique), and three courses at the 300 level.
Residence abroad is the best way to gain proficiency in the language and knowledge of the culture. Bucknell’s own study abroad program, Bucknell en France, located in Tours, can accommodate students at all proficiency levels.
All majors who meet the requirements set by the Honors Council and wish to earn honors in French are encouraged to do so. Students interested in writing an Honors Thesis should contact a French faculty member early in the second semester of their junior year to discuss the process and to define a topic.
The minor in French consists of five courses taught in French at the FREN 103 level and beyond, excluding FREN 201, 202, 262, 301, and 302 (Intermediate and Advanced French Conversation).
Students wishing to teach French at the secondary level should consult with the French program and the department of education as soon as possible in order to discuss the sequence of courses needed for certification.
