Major and Minor Requirements

The French Minor

Note: The grade point average of the coursework comprising the minor must be no less than 2.00 with no course grade below C- (1.70). Minors must take at least one 400-level class on campus after studying abroad, regardless of whether or not they have sufficient credits to fulfill the minor requirements.

Five courses, including:

• FREN305 Writing in French through Culture and Literature

• One course, chosen from:

  • FREN301 French Conversation through Cinema

  • FREN304 French Grammar Review

  • FREN306 French at Work

  • FREN311 French and Francophone Cultures

• Two courses, chosen from:

  • FREN320 The Individual in Society

  • FREN324 Francophone Literatures and Cultures

  • FREN325 Medieval and Early Modern Society

  • FREN326 Revolution in France

  • FREN327 The Question of Modernity

  • FREN328 Introduction to Maghrebian Literature and Culture

• One 400-level course

Students are expected to fulfill all prerequisites necessary for courses within the minor. Prerequisites do not count toward the minor unless otherwise noted.

The Residency Requirement

For all French majors, at least five of the nine courses required for the major must be taken on the University of Richmond campus. French majors and minors must take at least one 400-level class on campus after studying abroad, regardless of whether or not they have sufficient credits to fulfill the major or minor requirements.

The French Major/International Business Option

(Earned in conjunction with a major in the Robins School of Business with an international business concentration.)

Nine courses and an interdisciplinary research project in addition to completing all requirements of the international business concentration for the business administration major including:

• Three 300-level courses (at least one FSLT), normally taken prior to study abroad

• Two 400-level seminars following required study abroad

• One semester full-time study at an approved business school (with all-French curriculum) in a French-speaking country (four courses)

• IDST379 Interdisciplinary Research Project

The French major/international business option represents a collaborative project between the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures in the School of Arts and Sciences and the International Business Program in the Robins School of Business. Designated faculty members from each program will advise students upon declaration and as they progress through the major. The curriculum includes a semester abroad at one of the University's partner institutions with all-French curriculum (for example, ESSEC, Rouen Business School, or Université Catholique de Lille). There, students will continue their business concentrations in classes with both local and other international students.

To prepare for the experience abroad, students will have a solid base of 300-level French courses taken on the Richmond campus. Upon return, they will broaden their knowledge of literary and cultural studies through advanced seminars as well as additional Robins School of Business coursework. The French component of this program thus consists of five courses taken on campus plus four or five courses taken abroad, or the equivalent of a nine-course major in LLC.

Honors Program

The French Honors Program is designed for outstanding students with intellectual initiative and the desire to pursue academic achievement beyond the level of standard course work. Students will engage in independent research and work closely with a faculty advisor on an Honors Thesis during their senior year.

Eligibility and Admission

To qualify for the Honors Program in French, a student should have:

• 18.5 or more units completed overall

• At least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average for all courses, and a 3.50 cumulative grade point average for French courses

A student who does not meet these qualifications may be admitted to the Program with the special recommendation of the faculty of the French section of the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and the approval of the Faculty Committee on the Honors Program. To enter the Honors Program, students must submit to the Honors coordinator of the French program a letter of intent, with nominating support from one faculty member, by March 15 of their junior year. Each student will be assigned an Honors research advisor with whom he or she will design a program of study that indicates how the student's Honors Program will be accomplished. 

Program Requirements

To receive credit for the Honors Program, the student must:

• Fulfill the normal requirements for the B.A. in French.

• Take two 400-level French courses on campus for Honors credit. These courses will require extra work (supplementary readings and/or assignments, independent research on a topic related to the course, for instance). The extra work will be decided by the course instructor and vetted by the French Honors coordinator to ensure consistency.

• Take FREN491 (Honor Thesis I, 0.5 unit, fall of senior year) and FREN492 (Honors Thesis 2, 1 unit, spring of senior year) in order to complete a 25-30 page Honors Thesis written in French. This thesis will be based on extensive research and make an original contribution to French and Francophone studies. The student and his or her advisor should develop a schedule to meetings and assessment that they find appropriate and meet at least once a month. Honors students must present their thesis at the French Studies symposium at the end of their senior year. They are also strongly encouraged to apply for a Summer Research Fellowship during their junior year. The thesis will be graded by at least two readers, including the student's thesis advisor.

Students may withdraw at any time. If they do not complete required additional work or maintain an overall 3.3 grade point average and a 3.5 grade point average for French coursework, students will not receive credit for the Honors Program, and the department will submit a request for withdrawal to the Faculty Committee on the Honors Program.