The Bi-College (Bi-Co) French and Francophone Studies program at Haverford and Bryn Mawr is recognized as one of the top undergraduate French programs in the country. It offers a variety of courses and two options for the major. The major in French lays the foundation for an understanding and appreciation of French language and of French and Francophone cultures through their literatures and the history of their arts, thought, and institutions.
Learning Goals
The purpose of the academic program in French and Francophone Studies is foremost to lay the foundation for an understanding and appreciation of French and Francophone cultures as well as enable students to achieve an advanced level of linguistic and cultural fluency in French. These goals are achieved through a rigorous training in French language and a comprehensive study of French and Francophone literatures and cultures in courses where students sharpen their analytical skills, hone their ability to critique primary texts and engage scholarship pertinent to the field of French and Francophone Studies.
Curriculum
Majors and minors choose between:
- a literature concentration, with courses in periods, genres, thematic clusters, and individual authors, ranging from the Middle Ages to the most recent 21st-century texts; and
- an interdisciplinary concentration, with courses that cover the history of French civilization and particular problems of French and Francophone cultures, such as environmental issues and questions of identity.
Unless they have not previously studied French, all entering students (first-year and transfers) who wish to pursue their study of French must take a placement examination upon entrance to Haverford and Bryn Mawr. Those students who begin French have two options. They may study the language:
- In the intensive sections (the sequence FREN 001–002 of Intensive Elementary French, only at Bryn Mawr); or
- In the non-intensive sections (the sequence FREN 001–002 of Non-Intensive Elementary French, on both campuses).
At the intermediate level students also have the choice to study the language non-intensively (the sequence FREN 003–004), or intensively (FREN 005):
- FREN 003–004 (Non-Intensive Intermediate French) is a year-long course, requiring both semesters for credit. It is open to students who have taken FREN 001–002 or been placed by departmental examination.
- FREN 005 (Intensive Intermediate French):
- Is open only to students who have been specially placed by the departmental placement exam or to students who have taken the year-long Intensive Elementary course (at Bryn Mawr only).
- Requires its graduates to take FREN 102 (Introduction à l’analyse littéraire et culturelle II), or FREN 105 (Directions de la France contemporaine) in semester II for credit.
- FREN 003 and FREN 005 are only offered in the fall semester.
Although it is possible to major in French using either of the two sequences, we encourage students placed at the 001 level who are considering doing so to take the intensive option.
The 100-level courses introduce students to the study of French and Francophone literatures and cultures, and give special attention to the speaking and writing of French.
Courses at the 200 level treat French and Francophone literatures and civilizations from the beginning to the present day. Two 200-level courses are devoted to advanced language training, and one to the study of theory (FREN 213). Students who pursue French to the 200 level often find it useful to take as their first 200-level course, either FREN 212 (Grammaire avancée) or FREN 260 (Atelier d’écriture). You may not take both 212 and 260.
Advanced (300-level) courses offer detailed study either of individual authors, genres, and movements or of particular periods, themes, and problems in French and Francophone cultures. For both options, the departments admit students to advanced courses after satisfactory completion of two semesters of 200-level courses in French.
The Department of French and Francophone Studies also cooperates with the departments of Italian (only at Bryn Mawr) and Spanish in the Romance Languages Major at Bryn Mawr.
Major Requirements
Majors may choose a concentration in French and Francophone literature or interdisciplinary studies in French. Majors must acquire fluency in the French language, both written and oral. All majors must take FREN 212 or 260, or their equivalent, unless specifically exempted by the department.
French and Francophone Literature:
- FREN 005–102 or 005–105; or FREN 101–102 or 101–105.
- FREN 212 or 260 (you may not take both).
- FREN 213 (Approches théoriques/Theory in Practice).
- Three semesters of 200-level literature courses.
- Two semesters of 300-level literature courses.
- The two-semester Senior Experience, comprised of:
- Senior Conference in the fall semester.
- In the spring semester, either a senior essay, written in the context of a third 300-level course, or a senior thesis. Both the senior thesis and essay include a final oral defense. (For details, see The Senior Project section.)
Interdisciplinary Studies in French:
- FREN 005–102 or FREN 005–105; or FREN 101–102 or FREN 101–105.
- FREN 212 or 260 (you may not take both).
- Two 200-level courses within the French departments: e.g., FREN 255, 291, or 299.
- Two 200-level courses chosen by the student outside the French departments (at Haverford/Bryn Mawr or Junior Year Abroad) that contribute coherently to his/her independent program of study.
- FREN 325 or 326 (Etudes avancées de civilisation).
- Two 300-level courses outside the French departments.
- A thesis of one semester in French or English. (For details, see The Senior Project section.) Students interested in this option must present the rationale and the projected content of their program for departmental approval during their sophomore year; they should have strong records in French and the other subjects involved in their proposed program.
Minor Requirements
- FREN 005–102 or 005–105; or FREN 101–102 or 101–105.
- FREN 212 or 260 (you may not take both).
- Four courses at the 200 and 300 levels. At least one course must be at the 300 level.
Senior Project
After senior conference in the fall semester of senior year, students doing the French and Francophone Literature concentration have two options for the spring semester:
- write a thesis (30–40 pp.) under the direction of a faculty member, which allows students who have already developed a clearly defined subject in the fall semester to pursue independent research and writing a thesis with a faculty supervisor; or
- write an essay (15–20 pp.) in the context of a 300–level course. This option offers students the opportunity to produce a substantial, but shorter piece of research within the structure of their 300–level course in the spring semester. This appeals, for example, to double-majors with another thesis or to pre-medical students.
For the Interdisciplinary Studies in French concentration, students take FREN 325 or 326 in their senior year and, if they have not already done so, complete the two 300–level courses required outside the department. In the Spring semester they write a thesis in French or English under the direction of a member of the French faculty and a mentor outside the department.
A detailed description of the format, goals, and assessment criteria for the senior experience can be found in the complete departmental statement in the Catalog (PDF).
Requirements for Honors
Students with a GPA of 3.7 or above are usually recommended for departmental honors.
Related Programs
French Teacher Certification
The Department of French and Francophone Studies offers a certification program in secondary teacher education. For more information, see the description of the Education Program.
French A.B./M.A. Program
Particularly well-qualified students may undertake work toward the joint A.B./M.A. degree in French. Students may complete such a program in four or five years and undertake it with the approval of the department and of the dean of Bryn Mawr’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Study Abroad
Students minoring or majoring in French may, by a joint recommendation of the deans of the colleges and the department of French, be allowed to spend one or two semesters of their junior year in France or in another Francophone country under one of the junior year programs approved by the College.
Most French majors either study abroad or apply to spend their sophomore or junior summer at the Institut d’Etudes Françaises d’Avignon, held under the auspices of Bryn Mawr. The Institute is designed for selected undergraduate and graduate students who anticipate professional careers requiring knowledge of the language and civilization of France and French-speaking countries. The curriculum includes general and advanced courses in French language, literature, social sciences, history, art, and economics (including the possibility of internships in Avignon). The program is open to students of high academic achievement who have completed a course in French at the third-year level or the equivalent.