French - BA

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College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of World Languages and Cultures

About This Degree

The goal of the French program at USU is to prepare students for advanced studies in French language, literature, and culture.

French majors take language courses where they develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills; literature courses where they come to better understand the human condition; and culture courses where they learn about the traditions and perspectives of French-speaking communities. They also have the option to participate in study abroad programs in France where they gain proficiency in French language and culture.

For more information about French, please see the World Languages and Cultures website.
Please make sure to consult regularly with your departmental advisor to confirm what courses will be available and to work out your plan of study.
Admitted and current students must meet with an academic advisor.
Log on to Degree Works to check student-specific program progress.
The highest math requirement for this degree is Quantitative Literacy (QL) course of the student’s choice.

Minimum University Requirements

Total Credits: 120
Credits of C- or better: 100
Total credits taken through USU: 30
Total major required credits taken at USU: 10
Minimum Grade Point Average (many majors require a higher GPA): 2.0 GPA
Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above): 40
Upper-division credits taken at USU: 20
General Education Requirements
University Studies Requirements
Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Admission Requirements For This Program

New freshmen must be admitted to USU in Good Standing.
Transfer students from other institutions or other programs at USU must have a 2.50 GPA.

Additional Information

Students must complete the General Education Requirements requirements.

Students must also complete the University Studies Requirements .

If chosen as a major course, FREN 3060 or FREN 3090 or FREN 4090 or FREN 3510 will fulfill the Communications Intensive (CI) requirement.
Complete at least 2 credits in approved 3000-level or above courses from each of the following two categories: Depth Life and Physical Sciences (DSC) and Depth Social Sciences (DSS) .

Major Requirements (33 credits)

Total Credits for French Major: 33
Grade Point Average to Declare Major: 2.5 Career GPA
Grade Point Average to Graduate with Major: 2.5 GPA within major coursework
USU Credit Requirement: At least half (50 percent) of the credits earned for this degree must be completed in upper-division USU courses having prefixes of FREN or LING. All other credits (including transfer and study abroad credits) must be approved by the program’s academic advisor in order to be counted toward the major. Students who have completed Bridge Program Language courses should contact their advisor as these courses may count toward elective credits and credits toward major requirements.
Minimum Grade Requirement: All courses for the major require a minimum grade of C- or better. Courses for the major may not be taken on a pass/fail basis, except FREN 3030 .
Note: Students with prior language credit or language experience should take the department placement test before admission to the French major or minor. Credits obtained in lower-division French courses cannot be applied toward the French major or minor programs.

A. Required Course (3 credits)

One of these Linguistics courses is required:

LING 2100 - Languages in Global and Historical Context (BSS) 3 credit(s) or
LING 3100 - Language in Social Context 3 credit(s) or
LING 3200 - Introduction to Linguistics (DSS) 3 credit(s) or
LING 4100 - The Study of Language 3 credit(s) ³

B. Elective Courses (30 credits minimum)

Students must complete at least 30 credits of upper-division coursework selected from the following list:

FREN 3030 - Advanced French for Everyday Communication 3 credit(s)
FREN 3060 - French Conversation (CI) 3 credit(s) ¹
FREN 3070 - Advanced French Study Abroad I 4 credit(s) ^6,7
FREN 3080 - Advanced French Study Abroad II 4 credit(s) ^6,7
FREN 3090 - French Intermediate Written Communication (CI) 3 credit(s) ¹
FREN 3116 - Adventure and Discovery: Journey in the Francophone World 3 credit(s)
FREN 3117 - Francophone Studies: Past, Present and Future 3 credit(s)
FREN 3118 - Paris, City of Lights 3 credit(s)
FREN 3400 - Introduction to Translation 3 credit(s)
FREN 3500 - Topics in French Literature in Translation (DHA) 3 credit(s)
FREN 3510 - Business French (CI) 3 credit(s)
FREN 3550 - French Civilization (DHA) 3 credit(s)
FREN 3570 - France Today 3 credit(s)
FREN 3600 - Textual Analysis 3 credit(s) ⁴
FREN 3700 - Francophone Music 3 credit(s)
FREN 3820 - Advanced Independent Study: Experiencing Francophone Culture 2 credit(s) ^6,7
FREN 3880 - Individual Readings 1-4 credit(s)
FREN 3900 - Topics in French and Francophone Studies 3 credit(s)
FREN 4060 - Advanced French Conversation (CI) 3 credit(s) ¹
FREN 4090 - Advanced Written Communication (CI) 3 credit(s) ¹
FREN 4200 - Applied French Linguistics and Phonetics 3 credit(s) ^3,5
FREN 4520 - Information Technologies in French 3 credit(s)
FREN 4610 - Period Studies in French Literature (DHA) 3 credit(s)
FREN 4620 - Genre Studies in French Literature (DHA) 3 credit(s)
FREN 4640 - Exploring the French and Francophone Short Story 3 credit(s)
FREN 4880 - Individual Readings 1-4 credit(s)
FREN 4900 - Seminar in French and Francophone Studies 3 credit(s)
FREN 4920 - French Language Tutoring 1 credit(s) ² (1-2 credits allowed)
One of the following six courses may also be used to complete French major coursework, if not used as the required course in the core above:
CMST 3330 - Intercultural Communication (DSS) 3 credit(s)
LING 2100 - Languages in Global and Historical Context (BSS) 3 credit(s)
LING 3100 - Language in Social Context 3 credit(s)
LING 3200 - Introduction to Linguistics (DSS) 3 credit(s)
LING 4100 - The Study of Language 3 credit(s)
LING 4900 - Analysis of Cross-Cultural Difference 3 credit(s)

Notes:

¹Students with foreign experience may be advised to enroll in FREN 3060  or FREN 4060  (and/or FREN 3090  or FREN 4090 ) depending upon results of a placement test and/or instructor’s determination.
²Only two credits of FREN 4920  may count toward the French Major or French Major - Teaching Emphasis.
³It is recommended that LING 4100  be taken before FREN 4200 .
⁴ This course may be repeated one time for credit with different content.
⁵Students should take FREN 4200  near the end of their coursework. Please note that FREN 4200  is offered every other year.
⁶Students desiring to apply study abroad credits toward these degrees must obtain approval from the World Languages and Cultures office prior to participating.
⁷This course may be repeated for additional credit.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Language Requirement

A Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree signifies proficiency in one or more foreign languages. Specifically, the BA requirement may be completed in one of the following ways:

1. Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language by successful completion of one course at the 2020-level or higher (or its equivalent).
OR

2. Demonstration of proficiency in American Sign Language by successful completion of COMD 4920 and COMD 4780, and by passing an exit interview.
OR

3. Demonstration of proficiency in two foreign languages by successful completion of the 1020 course level in one language and the 2010 course level in the second language (or its equivalent).
OR

4. Completion of an upper-division (3000-level or higher) foreign language grammar or literature course requiring the 2020 course level (or its equivalent) as a prerequisite. Conversation courses cannot be considered for satisfying this requirement.

For nonnative English-speaking students only, the following options are available:

1. Successful completion of the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) program for international students.
OR

2. TOEFL, Michigan, or IELI placement scores high enough to meet the University admission criteria.

Related Programs

French Major, Teaching Emphasis: 35 credits + 29 credits STEP
French Minor: 15 credits
French Minor, Teaching Emphasis: 20 credits + 29 credits STEP
French Major, Teaching Emphasis without Licensure: 34
French Minor, Teaching Emphasis without Licensure: 19

Open Electives

Total elective credit is determined by General Education courses taken, degree type selected, additional credits earned, and any additional math or other prerequisite courses needed. Please consult your Academic Advisor for details.

Total Credits: 120

Suggested Degree Map - French BA

French BA - 4 Year Degree Plan