Department of Modern Languages — French Requirements

General Requirements for Major in French, German Studies, Italian, Russian Studies

• Only one course taken on a pass/fail option can be counted toward the major.
• No course with a grade below C- can be counted toward the major.
• Students must attain a 2.0 average in their major in order to graduate.

French

Requirements and Recommendations

The Major

Majors are required to take a minimum of ten departmental courses at the 300 or 400 level. At least five of these must be taken at UMass Boston. Students choosing to major in French may to a large extent design a program which reflects their own interests and objectives. Only three specific courses (or their equivalents) are required of all students: FRENCH 301, 302, and 303.

Beyond these three courses, majors may group the remaining seven required courses on one of two tracks. The track in French literature requires at least five upper-level literature courses, representing at least three different centuries; plus at least two upper-level courses in language or culture. The track in French language and culture requires at least five upper-level courses in language or culture; plus at least two upper-level courses in literature. Specific information about matching particular courses to either of the two tracks is available from the departmental advisor to majors, or from the chairperson.

The Minor

Students majoring in another discipline may minor in French. They should discuss their program with the departmental chairperson. Minimal requirements include:

• Intermediate competence (FRENCH 201-202 or equivalent)
• FRENCH 301 (Composition et stylistique) (or equivalent)
• Three additional courses at the 300 or 400 level, in French language, literature or civilization.

Honors

See “Honors” at the beginning of the Modern Language Department section.

Year of Study in

France

Each year the Department of Modern Languages sponsors a full academic year of study in Paris (early September to mid-June) in collaboration with the UMass Amherst French faculty. The program is not limited to French majors, but all applicants must have sufficient training in French (at least four or five semesters of successful college-level French, or equivalent) and the approval of their major department.

Our program is one of the least expensive ways to spend an academic year in Paris: the fee includes room and tuition, as well as visits within and outside Paris, and special courses and tutorials offered by the Director. Students enroll at Paris VII or other “facultés” of the University of Paris, or at the Institut de Sciences Politiques (“Sciences Po”), according to their interests and abilities. In addition to formal course work, the intense artistic and cultural life of Paris offers an experience unequaled anywhere else in the world.

Transfer Credit Policy

Transfer students must complete at least fifteen of the thirty credits for the French major under the auspices of the Department. Courses taken in our year of study in France count as residence credits.