French and Francophone StudiesGeneral Policies Governing FIGS Major
- As per SAS policy, all courses counting toward the FIGS Major must be taken for a letter grade, not Pass/Fail.
- There are no restrictions on how many major courses can be used to fulfill Foundational Approaches, including the Foreign Language requirement. However, each Foundational Approach must be fulfilled with a different course.
- Declaring the FIGS Major will auto-complete Sector III: Arts and Letters. Courses counting toward the major cannot be used to fulfill other sectors, except for double majors whose other major also fulfills Sector III: Arts and Letters. In this instance, a course that fulfills both the FIGS Major and a different sector can be used to fulfill that sector requirement.
- FIGS has no restrictions on counting major courses toward other majors or minors. However, other majors and minors may have their own restrictions on double-counting; students are advised to check with all of their major and/or minor advisors when planning.
French and Francophone Concentration: 12 c.u.
Required courses: 3 c.u.
FIGS 1000: FIGS Core Seminar
FREN 0400: Intermediate French II, “Griots modernes: L’art de la parole”
- Students who place out of the language requirement must replace FREN 0400 with any elective taught in French at the 1000+-level.
FREN 1000: Advanced French
- Prerequisite for all courses above FREN 1000
- Students receive credit for FREN 1000 with a 5 on the AP, a 5 on the IB French A Higher Level, a 6 or a 7 on the IB French B Higher Level, or 14/20 or higher on the oral French portion of the French Baccalauréat (Bac).
- Native or legacy speakers of French without standardized test scores can place out of FREN 1000 by departmental evaluation and count any elective taught in French at the 1000+-level instead.
Electives: 9 c.u.
4 c.u.: At least 4 c.u. of electives must come from among the three following categories with a minimum of 1 in each:
- Advanced language
- Can be taken at an approved study abroad program.
- French and Francophone history and culture survey courses
- French and Francophone literature and film survey courses
- Students can receive credit for FREN 1231 with a 14/20 or higher on the written French portion of the French Baccalauréat (Bac).
2 c.u.: At least 2 c.u. of electives must come from seminars taught in French in the department at the 3000-level or higher.
3 c.u.: The remaining 3 c.u. of electives can be any combination of:
- Additional courses taught in French at the 1000-level or higher.
- Courses taught in French at approved study abroad programs.
- FREN 3999: Independent Study.
- FREN 4000: Honors Research Project.
- Major-related courses taught in English, either in FIGS or in other departments.
- Coursework in another foreign language relevant to the student’s interests.
- First-Year Seminars counted retroactively.
Declaring the Major
Prospective majors must schedule a meeting with Dr. Scott Francis, Undergraduate Chair, to review the requirements and possibilities within the FIGS major.
Students must also fill out the Declare/Update Field of Study form which is located on the PATH Forms page. The Undergraduate Chair will review your official request and the Office of the Registrar will process it within two weeks.
Major in French and Francophone Studies declared prior to Fall 2024
Required Courses
At least 50% of the courses for the major must be taken at Penn. (Courses taken in the Penn Summer Abroad in Tours, France program count as 'taken at Penn.')
Advanced Language: Choose One
(Must be taken in the department at Penn)
French 1212: Advanced Grammar and Composition
French 1214: Advanced Composition and Conversation
History & Culture: Choose Two
(At least one course must be taken in the department at Penn)
French 1226: French History & Culture Until 1789
French 1227: French History & Culture 1789-1945
French 2280: Contemporary France
French 3290: French in the World
Literature & Arts: Choose Two
(Both must be taken in the department at Penn)
French 1230: Masterpieces of French Cinema
French 1231: French Literature: Love and Passion
French 1232: French Literature: Focus on the Individual and Society
French 1233: Francophone Literature and Film
Electives
Seven (7) additional french courses are required for the completion of the major; five (5) must be taken at the 3000-level. Of the five 3000-level courses, at least two (2) must be completed in the department at Penn. Up to three French courses may be completed on study abroad programs. The remaining two (2) credits may be major-related or French courses, taken either at the 1000-, 2000-, or 3000-level. All courses, except major related, must be taught in French.
NB: French courses taught in English (e.g., French 2500) can only count toward the major as major-related courses.
Research Requirement
All French Studies majors will be required to complete a research paper of 12-15 pages in French with bibliography and notes. Students can choose to do this in any 3000-level course taken at Penn during the senior year, and should consult with the instructor, who will certify that the student has completed the research requirement. One copy of the paper must be submitted to the Undergraduate Chair before the major certification is approved for graduation.
Requirements Prior to 2016 (to be utilized by students graduating in Spring 2016)
Required Courses
French 212 or 214: “Advanced Grammar and Composition” or “Advanced Composition and Conversation” or equivalent
French 221 or 222: “Perspectives in French Literature,” the former focused on passion, the latter on the relationship between individual and society
French 226: “French Civilization from its Beginning to 1789”
French 227: “Modern France from 1789-1945”
Elective Courses
Eight (8) additional french courses are required for the completion of the major; six (6) must be taken at the 3000-level. Of the six 300-level courses, two (2) must be completed in the department at Penn. Four French courses may be completed on study abroad programs. The remaining two (2) credits may be major-related or French courses, taken either at the 200- or 300-level. All courses, except major related, must be taught in french. At least 50% of the courses required for the major must be taken at Penn.
NB: French courses taught in English (e.g., French 250) can only count toward the major as major-related courses.
Research Requirement
All French Studies majors will be required to complete a research paper of 12-15 pages in French with bibliography and notes. Students can choose to do this in any 300-level course taken at Penn during the senior year, and should consult with the instructor, who will certify that the student has completed the research requirement. One copy of the paper must be submitted to the Undergraduate Chair before the major certification is approved for graduation.