Minor in French Language, Literature and Culture
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.
This Bulletin covers the degree requirements for students matriculating in the current academic year. Students who matriculated before the current year can find their requirements in the relevant archived Bulletin.
The following requirements must be fulfilled: 18 credits, including one 3-credit required course and 15 credits in selected courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| FREN 1001 | Basic French I | |
| FREN 1002 | Basic French II | |
| FREN 1003 | Intermediate French I | |
| FREN 1004 | Intermediate French II (AP credit may be substituted) | |
| Minor curriculum | ||
| Required | ||
| FREN 3100W | Approaches to French Studies: Text, Image, Culture | |
| 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 3210 | Medieval and Early Modern French Literature in Context | |
| FREN 3520 | The Age of Classicism | |
| FREN 3530 | The Age of Enlightenment | |
| FREN 4500 | Studies in Medieval French Literature | |
| FREN 4510 | French 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 3220 | Modern French Literature | |
| FREN 3500 | Race, Religion, and Identity in France | |
| FREN 3550 | Studies in Twentieth-Century French Literature | |
| FREN 3560 | Topics in Contemporary Francophone Literature and Cinema | |
| FREN 3700 | History of French Cinema | |
| FREN 4470 | Writing Women | |
| FREN 4540 | Nineteenth-Century French Literature and Culture | |
| FREN 4700 | Race Matters: Literature, Culture, and Identity in Contemporary France | |
| 9 credits in courses selected from the following: | ||
| FREN 2005 | Language, Culture, and Society I * | |
| FREN 2006 | Language, Culture, and Society II | |
| FREN 2500 | Cultural Politics of Food in France | |
| FREN 2600 | French Culture in Context | |
| FREN 3010W | Advanced French Language, Structure, and Composition | |
| FREN 3020 | Contemporary France | |
| FREN 3030 | French for Professional Purposes | |
| FREN 3210 | Medieval and Early Modern French Literature in Context | |
| FREN 3220 | Modern French Literature | |
| FREN 3300 | Topics in French and Francophone Literatures and Cultures in Translation | |
| FREN 3400 | Studies in Genre | |
| FREN 3500 | Race, Religion, and Identity in France | |
| FREN 3520 | The Age of Classicism | |
| FREN 3530 | The Age of Enlightenment | |
| FREN 3550 | Studies in Twentieth-Century French Literature | |
| FREN 3560 | Topics in Contemporary Francophone Literature and Cinema | |
| FREN 3600 | Special Topics in French Literature | |
| FREN 3700 | History of French Cinema | |
| FREN 4470 | Writing Women | |
| FREN 4500 | Studies in Medieval French Literature | |
| FREN 4510 | French Literature of the Renaissance | |
| FREN 4540 | Nineteenth-Century French Literature and Culture | |
| FREN 4600 | Special Topics in French Literature | |
| FREN 4700 | Race 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.
Note: Courses taken in certain abroad programs transfer to GW with only 2.5 credits. In such cases, the student should confer with the departmental advisor regarding any steps that must be taken.