Minor in French Language, Literature and Culture

A student speaking to a circle of students in desks

Students in the 18-credit French minor complete a required introductory French literature class as well as five additional classes, with options including Race, Religion, and Identity in France; History of French Cinema; Contemporary France; Cultural Politics of Food in France and more.

The minor is open to majors from all disciplines, including international affairs, business, English, history and the sciences. Our recent graduates have pursued careers in foreign service, international development, business, secondary and higher education, law and medicine.

 


"From my first French literature course at GW ... I was intrigued, excited and inspired by the challenges I met. Those challenges were made easier by the support of my classmates and professors. It was those personal connections, a precious thing at a university as large as GW, that made my experience so valuable and left me with many fond memories."

Andrew Allard
BA '19, French and Chinese


Course Requirements

Note: AP credits do not count toward the French major or minor.

The following requirements must be fulfilled: 18 credits, including one 3-credit required course and 15 credits in selected courses.

Prerequisites
FREN 1001Basic French I
FREN 1002Basic French II
FREN 1003Intermediate French I
FREN 1004Intermediate French II (AP credit may be substituted)
Minor curriculum
Required
FREN 3100WIntroduction to French Literature
One course in literature before 1800, selected from the list below. Additional courses may be counted toward this requirement depending on the topic and with the approval of a minor advisor.
FREN 3210Medieval and Early Modern French Literature in Context
FREN 3520The Age of Classicism
FREN 3530The Age of Enlightenment
FREN 4500Studies in Medieval French Literature
FREN 4510French Literature of the Renaissance
One course in literature after 1800, selected from the list below. Additional courses may be counted toward this requirement depending on the topic and with the approval of a minor advisor.
FREN 3220Modern French Literature
FREN 3500Race, Religion, and Identity in France
FREN 3550Studies in Twentieth-Century French Literature
FREN 3560Topics in Contemporary Francophone Literature and Cinema
FREN 3700History of French Cinema
FREN 4470Writing Women
FREN 4540Nineteenth-Century French Literature and Culture
FREN 4700Race Matters: Literature, Culture, and Identity in Contemporary France
Three courses selected from the following:
FREN 2005Language, Culture, and Society I *
FREN 2006Language, Culture, and Society II
FREN 2500Cultural Politics of Food in France
FREN 2600French Culture in Context
FREN 3010WAdvanced French Language, Structure, and Composition
FREN 3020Contemporary France
FREN 3030French for Professional Purposes
FREN 3210Medieval and Early Modern French Literature in Context
FREN 3220Modern French Literature
FREN 3300Topics in French and Francophone Literatures and Cultures in Translation
FREN 3400Studies in Genre
FREN 3500Race, Religion, and Identity in France
FREN 3520The Age of Classicism
FREN 3530The Age of Enlightenment
FREN 3550Studies in Twentieth-Century French Literature
FREN 3560Topics in Contemporary Francophone Literature and Cinema
FREN 3600Special Topics in French Literature
FREN 3700History of French Cinema
FREN 4470Writing Women
FREN 4500Studies in Medieval French Literature
FREN 4510French Literature of the Renaissance
FREN 4540Nineteenth-Century French Literature and Culture
FREN 4600Special Topics in French Literature
FREN 4700Race Matters: Literature, Culture, and Identity in Contemporary France

*AP credit for FREN 2005 allows students to place into higher-level FREN courses, but those credits do not count toward the total required for the minor.