Major
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The French studies major consists of 10 or more courses, at least two of which must be taken the senior year.
Required
Fr 235 Introduction to Modern French Literature
Fr 236 Introduction to Early French Literature
Fr 245 Contemporary France
Courses in Culture and Linguistics
At least one of:
Fr 307 Translation, Art and Craft
Fr 320 From François I to François Mitterrand: A Cultural History of Politics and Architecture
Fr 346 New Wave and Newer: French Cinema since the 1950s
Fr 352 The Quill and the Brush
Fr 356 Le Théâtre et la Société Française
Period courses
At least one course in each of the following periods:
Middle Ages or Renaissance (Fr 301 or Fr 302)
Seventeenth or 18th century (Fr 327 or Fr 329)
Nineteenth or 20th century (Fr 331, Fr 347, Fr 349, Fr 356 or Fr 357)
Electives
At least two other courses above Fr 245 (may include those listed above).
(By prior arrangement with the chair of the French Department, students may substitute Arth 276 or Arth 353 for one of these electives.)
Senior concentration course
In consultation with the faculty of the department, each senior will designate a 300-level course as a "senior concentration course," in which the senior major will engage in course work beyond that undertaken by other students. This advanced work will include additional oral reports, longer or more frequent writing assignments and the development of a substantial annotated bibliography.
Study Abroad
A number of the major requirements may be met during a junior year spent at a French-speaking university in study programs approved by the department. Application to such programs is made during the first semester of the sophomore year. Note that the college requires that at least one-half of the courses in the major be taken at Wheaton. Students with a good mastery of the French language who are majoring in other fields can pursue these fields during a junior year abroad with the approval of their major department. The department strongly recommends a full year of study abroad in a French-speaking country for all majors.
Majors are encouraged to select courses in areas such as European history, philosophy, religion or history of art, which will strengthen their awareness of the French cultural background. Work in other national literatures, including English, is strongly encouraged.