French and Francophone Studies, Minor
The French and Francophone Studies Program
The French & Francophone program at the College of William & Mary provides students with a critical understanding of the rich and varied cultures of the French-speaking world. It exposes them to a life-changing experience through the intellectual and personal challenges of learning a different way of living and thinking. Solid linguistic competency in French and a critical understanding of Francophone cultures are indispensable for anyone who wishes to study the French-speaking world. In class and in our research, we analyze varied forms of cultural production and the ways in which they represent real-world struggles related to nation, gender, race, class, the environment, etc. Our courses prepare students to work in fields as diverse as international relation, medicine, business, law, journalism, finance, education, and the arts.
Thanks to the diversity of our faculty, their backgrounds and specializations, the French & Francophone Studies program offers a wide selection of courses that examine different periods and aspects of Francophone culture and literature from France, the Indian Ocean, Africa, Vietnam, the Caribbean and North America. To foster an awareness of these different cultures, courses are taught in French and are interdisciplinary in approach.
Most students who major in French & Francophone Studies have a double major, such as International Relations, History, Government, English, Economics, or even Biology or Chemistry. In order to support students’ interests and career goals, the French & Francophone Studies program works in close collaboration with faculty from other departments or programs- Africana Studies, Gender Sexuality and Women’s Studies, Art History, Anthropology, Film Studies, European Studies, Literary and Cultural Studies among others. Courses in other departments relating to French & Francophone issues can count towards a major in French & Francophone Studies.
Required Credit Hours: 18
Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| FREN 305 | Discovery Seminar in French & Francophone Studies 1 | 3 |
| FREN 314 | Uncertain Identities: Introduction to French Cultural Studies 1 | 3 |
| or FREN 315 | Provocative Texts: French Literature in its Cultural Contexts | |
| Additional Credit Hours | ||
| Select 12 credits from the following: | 12 | |
| From Word to Text: An Introduction to Reading and Writing (but not both) | ||
or FREN 212 | Cross-cultural Perspectives on the Francophone World | |
And any course at the 300 and/ or 400 level 2 | ||
| Total Hours | 18 | |
- 1
Note: FREN 305 Discovery Seminar in French & Francophone Studies, FREN 314 Uncertain Identities: Introduction to French Cultural Studies, FREN 315 Provocative Texts: French Literature in its Cultural Contexts, and FREN 450 Advanced Seminar in French & Francophone Studies must be taken on the WM campus.
- 2
(Students cannot enroll in FREN 303 Themes and Issues in the French/ Francophone World after they have completed 305 OR any other higher level FREN course.)