French Program Courses
Fall 2025 Offerings Spring 2025 Offerings Fall 2024 Offerings Course Info on SIS Archives
Course Descriptions
The list below includes descriptions of all undergraduate and graduate courses offered by the French Program.
Review specific course requirements for a BA in French or Minor in French. For up-to-date information on course offerings, schedules, room locations and registration, please visit the Student Information System (SIS).
FR 0001 Elementary French I. Students will be introduced to the language and will focus on acquiring basic vocabulary and grammar structures for daily interactions in a variety of settings. A wide range of activities provide an immersive experience and the opportunity to gain introductory proficiency and basic reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Topics include talking about family, school, food, sports, the weather, and parties. Homework will be done on an easy-to-use digital platform.
FR 0002 Elementary French II. In this course, students build on the skills they acquired in FR1 and learn to interact in real-life situations, such as making vacation plans, going to the doctor, or ordering in a restaurant. Cultural knowledge is expanded as we learn about and discuss various Francophone locations. This course provides students with a comprehensive foundation and opportunities to practice writing, reading, listening, and speaking. Weekly recitations provide fun practice in a relaxed environment. Recommended: FR0001 or consent.
FR 0003 Intermediate French I. This course provides a refresher and aims to bring students to an intermediate level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In-class activities center around contemporary Francophone culture with historical context while working on interactive language use. Students will build confidence by engaging in discussions of short readings and films, and will achieve proficiency through vocabulary expansion, grammar review, short compositions, and video production. Recommended: FR0002 or consent.
FR 0004 Intermediate French II. This course aims to develop proficiency through deeper discussions based on readings and films on topics ranging from political and historical to social and cultural. Students will also discuss real-life situations, such as choosing a profession, traveling, or defining happiness. They will gain confidence through vocabulary acquisition, expansion of grammar topics, short compositions and oral practice in class and weekly recitations. Recommended: FR0003 or consent.
FR 0021 Composition And Conversation I. This course focuses on French and Francophones cultures, oral proficiency, and a review of more complex grammatical structures. Through engaging activities and immersive discussions, students will gain numerous cultural references in connection with their course section theme. They will also improve their listening comprehension with films, participate in in-class presentations, and regularly compose written pieces to refine their language proficiency. The weekly recitation will be another opportunity for students to hone their speaking skills. Recommended: FR0004 or consent.
FR 0022 Composition And Conversation II. In this course, students will continue to explore French and Francophone cultures and will refine and perfect their spoken and written expression in French. Lively class discussions on articles, books and films, presentations, debates and the weekly recitation will lead students towards a more natural and authentic oral expression. Listening comprehension activities and the development of writing skills will prepare students to excel in the advanced courses or while studying in a Francophone country. Recommended: FR0021 or consent.
FR 0023 Intensive Composition & Conversation I And II. Two credit intensive course. Meets six hours a week. Recommended for students who wish to make rapid progress in French and particularly for those who plan to study in France in the near future. Sources used as a basis for class discussion may include a text on contemporary French culture, short stories, newspaper and magazine articles, films, and television programs. Thorough review of grammatical structures. Compositions, vocabulary-building exercises, dictations, oral reports, grammar and vocabulary tests, and final oral exam. Students are required to attend a weekly 40-minute conversation section. Conducted in French. Students may not receive credit for FR 23 if they have received credit for FR 21 or FR 22. Recommendations: FR 004 or consent.
FR 0031 Voices of France: Middle Ages to the Enlightenment Examination of how social, political, and cultural forces influenced French thought, language, and identity from the 12th to 18th centuries. Analysis of literary texts and cultural artifacts to explore broader historical developments, such as the evolution of ideas about reason, individualism, and progress. Comprehensive understanding of the intellectual and cultural foundations that shaped modern France. Recommendations: FR 22, equivalent, or consent. Not for students returning from programs abroad.
FR 0032 Connections in French Literature and Culture Exploration of French and Francophone literary texts, cultural movements, and historical transformations from the 19th century to the present, emphasizing their connection to their broader political and social contexts. Study of texts, film, and visual art, to examine how key literary and aesthetic movements both reflect and challenge their historical moments, assess their lasting effect on contemporary debates. Topics may include: Romanticism, Impressionism, Theatre of the Absurd, Existentialism, feminist thought, class and social struggle, as well as shifting relationships between France and its former colonies. Not for students returning from study abroad. Recommendations: FR 22, equivalent, or consent.
FR 0039 Love and Marriage in Medieval French Literature. Twelfth-century France celebrated the cult of love – often adulterous love – at a time when marriage as a modern institution was comparatively new. In so doing, it shed fresh light on the process of psychosexual development and sought to reconcile the happiness of the individual with the common good. The course will begin with the Romance of Tristan and Iseut, whose ideal of amorous fulfillment set the terms of the literary debate. We shall then assess the role of extramarital relationships in Lancelot by Chrétien de Troyes; the contrasting perspective on marriage in his Yvain; the link between growth in love and the spiritual quest in Perceval. Marie de France’s unconventional approach in matters of fidelity to lover, spouse, and God will be explored throughout the term. Class discussions; three exams. Fulfills the Related Field requirement in the French Major and the Humanities requirement for Engineers; counts toward the French Culture Option, the Interdisciplinary Minor in Medieval Studies, and the International Relations Major. No prerequisites. Taught in English.
FR 0040 The Grail Quest in Medieval French Literature. Literary evolution of the Grail from its pagan Celtic origins to its elusive role in the twelfth-century novel by Chrétien de Troyes, its thirteenth-century Christianization in the trilogy by Robert de Boron, and its exaltation in the anonymous Quest of the Holy Grail. In parallel readings the sins of Perceval and Lancelot will bar their way to the full vision of the Grail, provoke the birth of Galahad, lead to warfare based on the adultery with Guinevere, and in the anonymous Death of King Arthur, point to the dramatic end of Camelot. In English. Cross-listed as MDVL 22.
FR 0075 Love and War in French Film. An investigation of the art of French cinema, this course focuses on the themes of love, war, and love and war in 13 French films from the 1930's to the present. How do we think about film? How do we talk about film? We will study film theory and basic cinematic techniques, as well as the historical, social, and cultural contexts of films of the poetic realism, nouvelle vague, and more contemporary movements, by directors Renoir, Clément, Carné, Resnais, Malle, Truffaut, Godard, Demy, Kieslowski, and others. Films include: La grande illusion, Les jeux interdits, Les enfants du paradis, Hiroshima mon amour, Jules et Jim, Les parapluies de Cherbourg, Pierrot le fou, Lacombe Lucien, Les roseaux sauvages, Trois couleurs: Bleu, De rouille d'os, and Amour. Course work includes weekly film viewing, weekly reaction paper, one 5 page paper, one 8 – 10 page final paper, 2 oral exposés, class participation. In English.
FR 0091 Special Topics. (Conducted in English.) Courses on various topics in French literature or civilization, e.g., the Jew in French literature.
FR 0092 Special Topics. (Conducted in English.) Courses on various topics in French literature or civilization, e.g., the Jew in French literature.
FR 0093 Independent Study. (Conducted in English.) Guided individual study of an approved topic in French literature or civilization.
FR 0094 Independent Study. (Conducted in English.) Guided individual study of an approved topic in French literature or civilization.
FR 0121 Advanced French Language: Acting French / Le français sur scène How can stepping into the role of a character allow us to communicate more effectively in French? This course offers students a chance to explore many questions related to theatre and performance, allowing them to build their confidence and lower their inhibitions as they inhabit new identities. In addition to regular role-playing activities, we will read and watch a selection of French plays as well as study recent French films with the goal of developing oral expression. Active class participation is essential. Other coursework includes regular grammar assignments, exams, papers, and performance-based assessments. No theatre experience necessary. Conducted in French. Counts toward the French Major, the French Minor, and the International Relations Major. Recommended: French 22 or consent.
FR 0122 Advanced French Language: French on the Small Screen / Le français sur le petit écran In this course, we will analyze a full season of a recent French television series, allowing us to study contemporary language and examine cultural themes. This discussion-based course offers students a review of French-language structures in context with the goal of improving and perfecting oral and written expression. We will place a particular emphasis on vocabulary acquisition and idiomatic expressions through analysis of spoken French in this television series as well as through additional supplementary readings. Active class participation is essential. Other coursework includes regular grammar assignments, exams, papers, and an oral presentation or creative project on a particular television-themed subject. Conducted in French. Counts toward the French Major, the French Minor, and the International Relations Major. Recommended: French 22 or consent.
FR 0133 French Women Filmmakers: Subverting the Male Gaze. The work of three French women filmmakers who represent three generations and very different cinematic visions: Agnès Varda, Claire Denis, and Céline Sciamma. The trajectory of women’s filmmaking in France, the ways in which the changing cultural landscape foregrounds women as subjects, and issues such as identity, race, and gender. Readings on film theory and film vocabulary. In French. Prerequisites: FR 31 and FR 32 or instructor permission.
FR 0136 Caribbean Colonization and Decolonization. Examines the colonization of the French-speaking Caribbean. The role of religion, the “civilizing mission,” and other Eurocentric ideologies that gave the colonial project its theoretical foundations and practical means. Topics may include the slave trade, creolization process, plantation system, and anti-slavery and abolitionist struggles. Readings may include historical documents, critical analyses, and excerpts from Christopher Columbus' Journal, the Code Noir, decrees of the abolition of slavery, Montesquieu, Mme de Staël, Césaire, Glissant, Trouillot, and Chauvet. In French. Recommendations: 2 courses taught in French above FR 22 or instructor permission.
FR 0138 The World in Panels: Cartoons, Identity, and Ideology. A cultural studies course examining contemporary and historical bandes dessinées from the Francophone world— including North Africa, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, France/Belgium, Vietnam, and Québec. Through close analysis of key graphic novels and their receptions, we will explore how visual narratives engage with themes such as colonial history, migration, discrimination, gender, sexuality, disability, and racial representation. This course emphasizes the unique hybrid form of bandes dessinées in shaping conversations about identity, ideology, and power across Francophone societies. Discussion topics include Orientalism, (post)colonialism, Antisemitism, and national and individual memory, with additional focus on aesthetic, political, and ethical dimensions of the genre. Conducted in French.
FR 0139 Reimagining the Maghreb: Literature, Film and The Postcolonial. This course explores how social and political dynamics in the Maghreb are reflected and shaped through literature, film, and performance. Focusing on Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco—former French colonies with multilingual cultural landscapes (primarily Arabic and French)—we situate these nations in broader regional and global contexts. Beginning in the 1990s, topics include Algeria’s “Black Decade” and "Revolution of Smiles," Morocco’s “Years of Lead,” and Tunisia’s “Arab Spring," as well as ongoing societal and economic challenges. Through an interdisciplinary lens combining historical, sociological, and cultural perspectives, we analyze the role of the arts in responding to change, revisiting the (colonial) past, and reframing national narratives and identities. Conducted in French.
FR 0145 Studies In French Culture. A study of French and Francophone cultural production since the end of the Second World War, with special focus on the evolution of national identity in a context of decolonization, European dynamics, globalization, and economic crisis. Issues include political tensions related to multiculturalism and immigration; ethical dilemmas concerning minorities (gender, social, ethnic, religious); history and memory; education; racism; violence. Course materials encompass essays, films, novels, plays, articles from the press, and chapters from the textbook (La France contemporaine). Recommendations: 2 courses taught in French above FR 22 or instructor permission.
FR 0146 French for International Relations. Advanced French language course equipping students with the skills and cultural knowledge to communicate in the world of international diplomacy, politics, and global affairs. Analysis of historic speeches and discussions of global issues like climate change, trade agreements, and soft power. Prepares students for future careers in international organizations, diplomacy, and journalism. Recommendation: Two courses above French 22 or instructor permission.
FR 0147 Business French. This course provides a fundamental knowledge of French as used in the business world, as well as background and information to enable students to communicate effectively in a business context in France and other Francophone countries. We will study technical terminology and practices in such fields as banking, government, industry, and advertising, and broaden our understanding of French political, financial, economic, and educational institutions. Impacts of recent and current developments such as the European Union and euroscepticism, immigration, and climate change. At the end of the semester, students may opt to take the Paris Chamber of Commerce exam for the "diplôme de français des affaires". Midterm exam, final exam, résumés of articles, and a final research project. Recommendations: 2 courses taught in French above FR 22 or instructor permission.
FR 0148 Hystérie/Her Story: A History of Women's Madness. How hysteria, defined by emotions like madness, anger, and melancholy, has evolved, been defined, and reclaimed by women, transforming madness from defining women's sanity to representing their anger and rebellion throughout history in France and the Francophone world. The history of hysteria and the notion that socially constructed femininities and hysteria are natural to being female. Analysis of the link between hysteria, artistic production, and the body. Readings may include works by Flaubert, Calixthe Beyala, feminist Héléne Cixous; Olympe de Gouges and feminist African slam poets. In French. Recommendations: 2 courses taught in French above FR 22 or instructor permission.
FR 0149 Truth and Lies in the French Epistolary Novel. From Instagram feeds to TikTok, our society is obsessed with representing a cultivated first-person narrative to the world. The epistolary novel fictionalizes representation versus reality using a first-person narrative. Truth and lies in the epistolary genre and how French authors play with the first-person narrative of letters to define women’s place in society. Focus on the formal and thematic development of the epistolary genre, or “letter novels,” read against a social and historical background, stretching from the reign of Louis XIV through the French Revolution to Francophone women’s writing in the 20th century. In French. Recommendations: 2 courses taught in French above FR22 or instructor permission.
FR 0151 The French Arthurian Novel. France's greatest medieval novelist, Chrétien de Troyes, and his transformation of the British legend of King Arthur. Lancelot's first appearance as the adulterous lover of Queen Guinevere in Le Chevalier de la charrette, and, in Perceval, the infiltration into the Arthurian material of the Celtic myth of the Grail. Comparison of these works with Chrétien's Yvain, whose hero represents another type of amorous and chivalric ideal. Two anonymous thirteenth-century novels: La Quête du Saint Graal, in which earthly knighthood leads the way to the divine, and La Mort du roi Arthur, which portrays the disintegration of the Arthurian world. Two films: Bresson's Lancelot and Rohmer's Perceval. Recommended: French 31 and 32, or consent.
FR 0152 Marie de France. Close reading of the Lais of Marie de France (brief tales of love based on Celtic tradition), with selections from her Aesopian Fables and her Purgatoire de Saint Patrick (the story of a voyage to the afterworld). Themes include the search for reciprocal affection; the dynamics of intimacy; the interplay of destiny and free will; the competing claims of public and private morality; the respective roles of male and female characters. Recommended: French 31 and 32, or consent.
FR 0154 French Renaissance And Baroque Poetry. Introduction to the thematic innovation and formal perfection of Renaissance and Baroque poetry, with attention to the art of reading poetic texts. Topics include love, death, and the spiritual quest, as envisaged by such authors as Ronsard, Du Bellay, Scève, Louise Labé, Pernette du Guillet, Sponde, La Ceppède, Hopil, Saint-Amant. Recommendations: FR 31 and 32, or consent.
FR 0168 Baudelaire and his Readers. Baudelaire is one of the most complex and puzzling literary figures of the modern period. Particular emphasis on Les Fleurs du mal which will be approached from various critical points of view (sociological, theological, thematic, psychoanalytic, structuralist Other readings may include Le Spleen de Paris (prose poems), L'Art romantique (art criticism), and Mon Coeur mis a nu (journal). Recommended: French 31 and 32, or consent.
FR 0169 Les Poetes Maudits. No description at this time.
FR 0172 Twentieth-century French Novel I. Works by representative novelists from the beginning of the century to 1939, such as Proust, Gide, Martin du Gard, Romains, Mauriac, Céline, Bernanos, Giono, Malraux, and the early Sartre. Recommendations: FR 31 and 32, or permission of instructor.
FR 0175 French Surrealism. An in-depth investigation of the Surrealist movement in France through the study of plays (Ionesco), poems (Breton, Eluard, Desnos, Queneau, Mansour, Prévert), prose narratives (Breton), and films (Buñuel). A variety of texts, films, and plays will be studied for their literary as well as social, cultural, and psychological significance. Recommended: French 31 and 32, or consent.
FR 0177 20th Century French Poetry. A survey of 20th-century French poetry through close readings of four major poets: Guillaume Apollinaire, Pierre Reverdy, Francis Ponge and Yves Bonnefoy. Particular emphasis will be placed on specific seminal volumes (Alcools by Apollinaire; Sources du vent by Reverdy; Le Parti-pris des choses by Ponge; Poèmes by Bonnefoy) and their philosophical implications for modernist, structuralist or post-modern views of the world. Far from being divorced from ideological debates, these texts actually elicited and triggered profound responses from such thinkers as Bachelard, Bergson, Camus, Sartre, Derrida and others. There will be lectures, discussions, two oral reports, three papers. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent.
FR 0178 Resistance and Collaboration in Occupied France. Literature and films of the French experience of Nazi Occupation to better understand the horrors of this period, the morally ambiguous stance of many in the French population, the heroic actions of the resistance, and the murderous actions of collaborators. Readings may include memoirs, novels, letters, speeches, essays, and political tracts by Hélène Berr, Lucie Aubrac, Marguerite Duras, Lucie Aubrac, Joseph Kessel, Patrick Modiano, Robert Brasillach, Vercors, Simone de Beauvoir, Pierre Drieu La Rochelle, and Hannah Arendt. Films may include Le chagrin et la pitié, L’armée des ombres, Lacombe Lucien, Au revoir les enfants, La bataille du rail. In French. Recommendations: FR31 and FR32 or instructor permission.
FR 0179 Mothers and Daughters. Examination of relationships between mothers and daughters as portrayed in literary genres from autobiography to memoir to autofiction in the works of 20th- and 21st-century French women writers. The mother-daughter relationship from historical, sociological, existential, feminist, colonialist, and post-colonialist perspectives. Readings may include Sido by Colette, Enfance by Nathalie Sarraute, Une mort très douce by Simone de Beauvoir, Une femme by Annie Ernaux, and Impasse Verlaine by Dalie Farah. In French. Recommendations: FR31 and FR32 or instructor permission.
FR 0191 Special Topics. (Conducted in French.) Courses on various topics in French literature or civilization. Topics may include love, marriage, and sexuality in medieval French literature; Balzac, George Sand; Jean Giono; Marguerite Duras; Ionesco; Beckett; Nathalie Sarraute; the Oedipus myth in French literature; and others. Recommendations: FR 31 and 32, or permission of instructor.
FR 0192 Special Topics. (Conducted in French.) Courses on various topics in French literature or civilization. Topics may include love, marriage, and sexuality in medieval French literature; Balzac, George Sand; Jean Giono; Marguerite Duras; Ionesco; Beckett; Nathalie Sarraute; the Oedipus myth in French literature; and others. Recommendations: FR 31 and 32, or permission of instructor.
FR 0193 Independent Study. (Conducted in French.) Guided individual study of an approved topic in French literature or civilization. No more than three credits in Independent Study may be counted toward the major. Recommendations: One 100-level literature course and permission of instructor.
FR 0194 Independent Study. (Conducted in French.) Guided individual study of an approved topic in French literature or civilization. No more than three credits in Independent Study may be counted toward the major. Recommendations: One 100-level literature course and permission of instructor.
FR 0196 Special Tps:study Abroad. No description at this time.
FR 0197 Special Tps:study Abroad. No description at this time.
FR 0199 Honors Thesis A. Honors Thesis. Recommendations: French 31 and 32 and permission of instructor.
This is a yearlong course. Each semester counts as 4 credits towards a student’s credit load. Students will earn 8 credits at the end of the second semester
FR 0199 Honors Thesis B. Honors Thesis. This is a yearlong course. Each semester counts as 4 credits towards a student’s credit load. Students will earn 8 credits at the end of the second semester.
FR 0292 Graduate Seminar. Presentation of individual reports for discussion and criticism.
FR 0293 Special Topics. Guided individual study of an approved topic in French literature or civilization.
FR 0294 Special Topics. Guided individual study of an approved topic in French literature or civilization.
FR 0295 Master's Thesis. Guided research on an approved thesis topic.
FR 0296 Master's Thesis. Guided research on an approved thesis topic.
FR 0309 Foreign Program. No description at this time.
FR 0401 Master's Continuation. Part-time. This is a yearlong course. Students will receive 6 credits at the completion of the second semester.
FR 0402 Master's Continuation. Full-time. No description at this time.